Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-12-17
LOST GEMS OF ART
Many Famous Paintings Have
MysteriousIy Vanished.
WORKS OF THE OLD MASTERS.

/
sides Masterpieces of corresgo, Titi-
| an, da vinci and Others.
There are many famous paintings by
the old masters that have mysteriously
vanished. They are known to have
been painted. but their whereabouts
has been an enigma for several hun
dred years.
From time to time lost pictures come
again to the knowledge Of the world,
as when the original Of the Dulwich
velasquez, the Phillip w." was found
in Polish noblemans castle; when
the portrait Of Isabel de valois, King
Philip lis third wife. by Coeilo-the
original Of that by Pantoja de la Cruz
in the Prado-was finally identified at
the Grafton gallery, to which the Gaek-
war Of Baroda had lent it: when III
tian's "Perseus and Ariadne" was
found by Sir Claude Phillips in the
bathroom of Hartford House. and Bot
ticellis "Pallas and the Centaur" was
identified by an English critic. forgot
ten and unnoticed in an obscure place
in the Uffizi gallery-a queer place to
lose picture in.
1t is declared that no fewer than 400
portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds have
disappeared. The historians Of art
the "Anonimo" Vassari and many an
other-speak with admiration Of pic
lures so innumerable which have
passed into the limbo Of the unknown
that the announcement of a discovery
Is rarely treated with absolute skep-
ticism, even in the case Of the greatest
masters. There Is plenty Of room for
the appearance of number Of early
works by Valesquez-de Beruete gives
a list Of them-but especially the por-
trait Of FOnseca. which gave to Veles-
quez his footing in Madrid, and more
particularly the equestrian portrait Of
Philip w.. which placed him so quickly
upon the pedestal.
Or take COrreggio. There is the pic
ture Of 1.-THE Savior" copy of which
hangs in the Prado. There is the IRE
pose In Egypt" the "Herodias" triptych,
the "St. Bartholomew" the Young
Man Fleeing From the Captors Of
Christ" 1.-THE Birth of Venus" and ''St.
Mary Magdalen" and others besides
all lost.
And Titan "a group of whose mas
terpieces were burned in great Eng
lish country house,, where on earth Is
his portrait Of Isabella Gonzaga and
her son, which is known to us through
the copy by Pordenone? Giorgione
also. He Is SO rare a maSter-rare
alike as to numbers and to quality
that the recovery Of his Birth of
Venus would be an event of the very
highest Importance in the world Of art.
The Anonimo speaks Of 1t, but since
his day no other writer, so far as ex-
perts are aware, has ever set eyes
on 1t.
Although we have so many hundred
canvases of that amazing genius. Ru-
bens. the loss of picture such as his
"Cambyses and the Judge is dis
tinct deprivation, inasmuch as 1t is
said to have been one of his finest
efforts. It was painted in 1923 for the
magistrates hall in the town hall OF
Brussels, and no less than 1900 forms
was paid for 1t.
We might spare, perhaps, the Head
Of Christ" by Andrea del Sarto paint
ed in 1924, for similar works of his
exist, but it Is otherwise with his
Visitation" Of the same year, II only
because Andrea was painter Of great
est Importance, historically considered
| nfi from
Gothic rigidity and introduced senti-
ment and q delightful sense of gayety
and sweetness that brought art home
to hearts untouched by the earlier dig
nifty and gravity which they felt Op-
pressive.
The portraits Of Terburg. again. are
delight, and host of them exist dn-
Guiding not few not unworthy Of
him, but really by the hand Of his pu-
pil, Koets). yet we cannot read with
out regret the list Of them, as well as
of his exquisite subject pictures. which
M. Hofstede de Groots researches
have enabled US to make. We may
even regard with relative equanimity
the disappearance Of Nicholas Pous-
sins ''Rinaldo and Armida." But on
quite another plane is the mystery OF
the portraits which Leonardo da vinci
painted for Ludovico Sforza and which
vanished into thin air as completely
as his Mona Lisa a couple Of years
ago.
The jocund lady re-emerged into the
light of day, but the Ludovico por'
traits are practically beyond hope
unless perchance even now. unsuspect-
ed Of their identity, they are decorat-
ing the upper corridors Of some great
| house (mines Of unexplored wealthy
or the back storerooms Of minor deal
| ers.-New York Press.
Caesar Used Elephants In Britain.
| Tradition has it that Caesar brought
elephants with him to Britain and
| that they contributed to his conquest
| Of the island. Having unsuccessfully