The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-05
Francia's Picture of Don Fred
erico d'Este Will Be Brought
to United States.

BY IA MARauIsE DE FoNTENoY.
- RANCIA'S picture of Don FREDERICK
dEste. one Of most beautiful
paintings of that great master,
rs henceforth TO tind its home in the
United States, having been purchas ID
in London by Duyecn Brothers, of tina,
OF their American clients" who can be
no other than J. Piarpont Morgan. The
price paid by the Aiessrs Duvcen is
said 10 have been enormous. and is
enough to make the artist Framcia
turn in his grave. when the fact is
recalled that he had consider
of thirty ducats from Don Frederico's
mother. Isabella d'Este. The picture
represents boy. with brown eyes,
golden hair, and bright Intelligent
face, beuring marked likeness TO
his mother.
1t Is 10 be hoped that tn, posses
sion OF this great art treasure Will
stimulate Mr.. Morgan and other great
American collectors. to a world wide
search for that other art treasure. Il
uniqu> piece of statuary, the master
piece Of AfichaeNAngelo. which is SO
closely associated with this particular
picture by Francia. In the gardens OF
Lorenzo di Medfci in Florence, there
! was sn antiqu. statue OF Cupid en- old
Greek idea OF the Love God, lulled TO
sleep by the falling waters OF the
fountain. So beautiful was this antique,
that Michael Angelo, then in his first
fame, reproduced II In marble. After
his death this statue, by Michael
Angelo. was sold as veritabic an
tique 10 Cardinal Riario, who on find
ing out the forgery" presented II
10 Caesar Borgia, who in turn gave it
to the Duke of Urbino. Some time
later the castle of Urbino was taken
by the Duke of Este, who cared Moth
ing for art and was easily coaXed by
Dona Isabella, sister of the Duke OF
Urbno, to return to her Michael
Angeles Cupid. Letters are still in en-
istence for the Duke of Este, pre-
sentinG the statue, and from Dona
Isabella. gratefully accepting ii.
\ hundred years afterwards, namely.
in 1852. this marble, then already ac-
counted throughout the artistic world
as the most lovely in existence, was
brought from Italy to Charles l. OF
| England, for his palace Of Whitehall.
Ii was regarded by him MS tho most
exquisite piece of statuary in his pos
session. and one OF the things which
he felt most keenly when the war Of
the rebellion broke out was Olive:
Cromwell's looting of the palace OF
Whitehall, and the dispensing OF his
art treasures.
Some of the minor ones, it is true,
may have been destroyed. but that the
really important works OF art were
preserved by the hooters for subsc-
puent sale To the highest bidder is
shown by the number of King
chaIle.s art treasures that were
picked up in London by English mobiles
and merchants. sometimes By for .igu
crs. 70. mere song. Indeed, the pie
ture of Don FREDERICK d'Este. by
Charles !. at tho same time as the
Michael Angelo Cupid. and had Been
always associated with IL in the mind
of the monarch, turned up for the
first time at the exhibition OF the Burl-
ington Fine Arts Club in London. in
1903, after having passed through the
possession of several county families;
In parts OF England remote from Lon
don, and where perhaps the portrait
was not estimated at its true worth.
Anyhow, the Francia portrait of Don
T>redcrico has been restored to what
may he described as artistic currency;
and rs present wherca bouts. and its
story throughout the hundreds OF years
which elapsed between It's disappear
anco on the occasion OF the devasta-'
ton Of Whitehall Palace by the Crom-
wellian looters, and It's reappearancs
at the Burlington Clubs annual show.
nine years ago. has been elucidated
and established.
Collectors on both sides OF the At
lantic should now endeavor to assist
ono another in discovering what has
become OF the marvellous Michael An
gclo Cupid. 1t Is far too late for any
endsavor on tile part of the English
crown to recover tho statuary which
formerly belonged to 1t. In fact, It Is
evident that IL found 1t will Pc sonsid,