Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-28
LOST GEMS OF ART.


There are many famous paintings by
the old masters that have mysterious
ly 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 Philip "" was found
in Polish nobleman's 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 I'll
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
lost 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 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
81 Il IxrAS
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 ". which placed him so quick
! ly upon the pedestal.
Or take Correggio There is the pic
ture of The Savior" a copy of which
hangs in the Prado. There is the Re
pose in Egypt" the "Herodias" trip
tych, the st. Bartholomew" the
Young Man Fleeing From the Cap
tors of Christ" The Birth of Venus
and st. Mary Magdalen" and others
| besides-all lost.
And Titan "a group Of whose mas
terpieees were burned in a great Eng
lish country house). where on earth is
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 it, but since
his day no other writer. so far as ex-
perts are aware, has ever set eyes
on it.
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 a dis
tinct deprivation, inasmuch as it 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 5000 forms
was paid for 1t.
We might spare. perhaps, the Head
of Christ" by Andrea del Sarto (paint-
ed in 1920, for similar works of his
exist, but it is otherwise with his
Visitation" of the same year, If only
because Andrea was a painter of
greatest Importance, historically con-
sdered-he who broke away entirely
from Gothic rigidity and introduced
a sentiment and q delightful sense "
gayety and sweetness that brought art
home to hearts untouched by the earl
Ter dignity and gravity which they felt
oppressive.
The portraits of Terburg, again, are
a delight, and a host of them exist GIN
Guiding not a few not unworthy OF
him. but really by the hand of his pu-
pill, Koets), yet we cannot read with
out regret the list of them, as well as
of his exquisite subject pictures, which
M. Hofstede de Groot's 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 or
the portraits which Leonardo da Vinci
painted for Ludovico Sforza and which
vanished into thin air as completely
as his Mona Lisa 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 UNEMPLOYED wealth.
or the back storerooms of minor deal
ers.-New York Press.