Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-22


"My attention was first called to tho
Aphrodite by Signor Orseli, painter
who called upon me in London and said
there was aboard ship then lying IN the
Thames a great work of art. ] went
there and saw the Aphrodite. The
owner of it was an Englishman, resident
in Italy, who said he dared not tell the
place from which he had brought the
statue. The vessel had cruised about in
the Mediterranean.
"Many experts examined the Aphrodite
before finally bought It, in 1891"
After its original creation by the hand
of Praxiteles at Athens, the statue had
presumably been taken to Italy, like SO
many Greek masterpieces, during the
period when Rome conquered Greece.
Centuries passed and then came the era
of barbarian invasions of Italy, when
works of art were frequently buried to
save them. Venus was hidden beneath
the earth to save her from the Goths.
Then more centuries passed and the
forgotten statue was dug up in Italy in
the middle ages. Classical statues I'M
earthed in this manner were commonly
regarded as witches or creations of the
devil by medieval peasants, because
they could not understand their fairy
like beauty. The mediaevals then
solemnly burned the statues as witches
until they were charred beyond recogni-
ton.
Thus the color Of the Chocolate
Venus" may be explained. 1t may also
be true that 1t was subsequently cleaned
with acids as described by Mr.. Goodman.
The most flatly contradictory views
were expressed by connoisseurs who
viewed the Venus or Aphrodite. Some
AOla hot he
dition of the marble proved clearly that
it could not possibly have been made
1890 years ago, which was about the
time Praxiteles lived.
On the other hand, brilliant expert
asserted that 1t was clearly a portrait
statue of Phryne, Praxlteless favorite
model, made when she was about to step
into the sea at the feast of Poseidon to
symbolic the gratitude of mankind for
the gift Of womanly beauty.
Another said that 1t was a clumsy imi-
tation of the Venus de Medici, now in the
Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and generally
regarded as an early Greek original. A
particularly acute critic pointed out that
the Chocolate Venus" showed the re-
mains of "cestus," or girdle, supposed
by the Romans to inspire love, and that
no Greek originals by Praxiteles's time
had this.
The statue left New York after it's
famous exhibition and became the prop
erty of Sir Algernon Freeman Firth, an
art connoisseur, in England. He sold it
recently and It was returned to New
York to become the property of Mr..
Rockefeller.
The Custom House experts the other
day examined it and pronounced It a
genuine antique work Of art, entitled as
such to enter the country free, whereas
modern copy would have to pay a duty
of is per cent ad valorem.
The Chocolate Venus" has now be-
came the chief ornament Of the gayly
named Temple of Love-" which is one
o. the attractive features of Mr.. Rookie
feller's magnificent mansion and estate
at Pocantico Hills, N. Y. The Temple
is a Greek structure with roof and sup
porting columns, but otherwise open to
the air. It is a delightful retreat in hot
weather. 1t stands in a sunken garden
and is connected with the house by an
underground passage. The whole ar
rangement has been planned so that
Mr.. Rockefeller's family and grand
children can play In the open air
without observation or intrusion by
strangers.
Put Up at Auction In New York to Pay
Lords Debts.