The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-12-05
LOST GEMS OF ART
Many Famous Paintings Have
Mysteriously Vanished.
WORKS OF THE OLD MASTERS.
Hundreds of Portraits by Reynolds Are
Among the Missing Treasures, Be-
sides Masterpieces Of corressio, It'll
an, ds Vinci and Others.


an, ds Vinci and Others.
There are many famous paintings by
the old masters that have rSysteriously
vanished. They are knUCn 10 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
Nelasquoz. the Philip w." was found
in a Polish nollcman's castle; when
the portr0it OF Isabel lie Nalols. King
rhi''p lis third wife, by Coeilo-the
original Of that by pantoja de In Cruz
in the Prado-wa finally identified AT
the Grafton gallery. TO which the Gaek-
war OF Baruda had lent it; when Ii
tians "PerseuS and Ariadne" was
found by Sir Claude Phillips in the
bathroom Of HEREFORD House. and Bot
ticellis "Pallas and the Ccntaur" WAS
Identified by an English critic. forgot
ten and unnoticed in an obscure place
in the Ufiizl 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 t.
the "Anonlmo." Vassari and many an
other-speak with admiration of pic
lures so innumerable which have
S,I fnt "a mi 81 NIB o..
that the announcement of a discovery
is rarely treated with absolute skep-
ticisn. even In the case of the greatest
masters. There is plenty of room for
the appearance of number OF early
works by Nalesquez-de Beruete gives
list Of tbem-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 q lickly
upon the pedestal.
Or take Correggio. There is the pic,
ture OF The Savior" copy Of which
hangs in the Prado. There is the Re
pose In Egypt, the "Herodias" triptych,
the "St Bartholomew" the Young
Man Fleeing From the Captors 81
Christ. The Birth of Venus" and st
Mary Magdalen" and others besides -
all lost.
And Titan "a group OF whose mas
terpieccs were burned I'm great Eng
lish country house, where on earth is
bis portrait Of Isabella GonZaga and
Iar SON xuhfnh q tnou.r IN We tbrorUh
the copy by Pordenone? Giorgione
also. He is so rare master-rare
alike as TO numbers and TO quality
that the recovery OF his Birth Of
Venus" woud be an event OF the very
highest Importance in the world Of art.
The Anonimo speaks OF it, but since
bis day no other writer, so far as ex-
perts are aware, has ever set eyes
on Il.
Although we have so many hundred
canvases OF that amazing genius. Ru
bens. the loss of n picture such as his
"Cambyses and the Judge is a dis
tinct deprivation. inasmuch as II Is
said to have been one of his finest
efforts. 1t was painted in 1923 for the
magistrates hall In the town hall OF
Brussels. and no less than 5000 forms
was paid for II.
We might spare. perhaps. the Head
of Christ" by Andrea del Sarto palnt
ed in 1924. for similar works of his
exist. but il Is otherwise with his
Visitation" Of the same year, If only
because Andrea was painter Of great
est importance, historically considered
he who broke away entirely from
Gothic rightly and introduced a senti'
ment and a delightful sense OF gayety
and sweetness that brought art home
10 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 in
GLIDING not few not unworthy Of
Him. but really by the hand Of his pu-
rii. koetsi. vet we cannot read with
ont -cgret the list OF them, as well rs
~ his exquisite subject pictures. which
VI iA'ANAfht VIZ bAWpA
have enabled us to make We may
even regard with relative equanimity
the disappearance of Nicholas Polrs-
sins "Rinaldo and Armida.' But Oh
quite another plane Is the mystery of
the portraits which Leonardo da Ninci
painted for Ludovico Sforza and which
vanished into thin air as completely
rs his Mona. Lisa a couple Of years
ago.
The iocuud lady re-cmerged' into the
light Of day. hut the Ludovico por-
traits are practically beyond hope
unless perchancc even now. unsuspect-
81 Of their identity. they are decorat-
ing the upper corridors of some great
house tmines OF unexplored wealth.
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
attempted to cross the Thames. Caesar
built large turret on an elephant and.
leading IL with howmen and singers.
ordered them 10 pass tho stream.