Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-11
VISITORS ARE BARRED
FROM ART GALLERIES
Mutilation of the 'tRokeby Venus
by Suffragette Warning
NJ to Lepeon.. y.

LONDON. March 1I:-The damaging
of the famous velasdusE painting known
as the "Rokeby Venus'' in the National
Gallery by suffra~etis vii. bar Amert-
can and other tourists from seeing
many Of England's art treasures during
the coming season. l.:
The lord chamberlain today announced
that the state apartments in Windsor
Castle will be closed until further o: :
ders." /
Notice Posted at O.her Galleries.
A similar notice wis issued by the
trustees Of the National Gallery and Of
the celebrated Wal1ase art collection.
Kensington Palace and Hampton Court
Palace. which are visited yearly by
thousands of foreigners. also closed
their doors. and the twenty million-dol-
lar collection of oriental porcelains and
bronzes bequeathed to South Kensing-
ton Museum in 1909 b.' the late George
Sailing has been lockeyI up.
The custodians of all public art
treasures were today II, a state of panic,
as heretofore every sresh suffragette
demonstration has baan followed by
imitators. There is apprehension that
other women armed with hatchets may
be abroad. Large fi,rces of special
guard. have been placid on patrol duty
In the British and the South Kensing-
ton museums.
Matter Up in Parliament.
The closing of public art galleries on
account Of outrages by militant suffra-
gettes was the subject. Of a question in
the house Of commons: today Reginald
MCk ;n
promised TO confer with the authorities
sible to arrange for efficient police pro-
lection SO as to avoid fne complete clos
ing of public institutions
1t was pointed out that in addition
to the palaces of Windsor Kensington
Hampton Court and Holtrood, the closure
order affects the National Gallery, the
Wallace art col ection, Che National Por-
trait Gallery and others,
DR.. Mayer Expresses Horror.
NEW YORK. Marck 11.-When DIR.
August Mayer. the authority on Spanish
painting. who has just arrived in this
county, heard of the assault made in
London by a militant ssuffragette upon
the famous Velasquez painting known as
the Rokeby Venus he expressed his hor-
ror in vigorous terms
The Venus, he said, was one of the
most important Spanish. pictures in the
world, partly because of its great beauty
and partly on account of its distinction
as one of the only two nude female fig-
ures painted by artists. of that austere
and religious race. Tie other is the
famous "Maja" by Goya. 1t Is interest
Ing to Americans to knoT that DR.. Mayer
finds in the half-lengtl portrait of a
woman by Velasquez. wsiich is owned by
Mr.. Wills of Toledo, ths same model as
the one who posed for The Venus, judg-
ing from the likeness in the glass.
Canvas Permanently Marred.
The cuts in the canvas, he considers,
are not quite SO seriosls a matter as
IL they had been mace in a wooden
panel, the pigment In rSanel pictures ly-
ing on the prepared surface Of the wood,
but in paintings on carivas sinking into
the canvas and thus obviating the danger
of fiecking or peeling of under the attack
Of the knife. There Is. however. always
a flaw in the beautiful tptality to reckon
with after a masterpiece has been re-
touched. The picture. no doubt. will be
skillfully refined and rebaired with tact
and experienced judgment. but it has be-
come a broken thing.
Referring to the diffcissnt examples OF
veIasquez outside of SGain. DIR. Mayer
called attention to the tact that an ex-
pert in Spanish art noNs found it neces-
sary to include the Unitad States among
the countries to be visited in the line oe
his researches and compaEisopa.