Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-03-25
A MARVEL PICTURE
THE MYSTERY OF ALL AGES
To be Shown Here Next Week at the
Assembly Rooms.

ne mysterious painting III Nbt
Shadow of the Cross is TO be shown
here next week in the lower room OF
the City Assembly Rooms, Duke of
Gloucester street. for the benefit of the
Emergency Hospital. The painting
will be on exhibition from TO D. b
and to 10 p. m.
in the Shadow of the Cross" was
painted by Henry Hammond ALL, who
studied and painted in the art centers
of the Old World for many years. de-
voting his talents TO general sub
iects In September. 1896, he return
I'd 10 America. his native land. and es-
tablishol his studio in q New England
city, where for some time he painted
principally portraits of landscapes.
Acting under the influence of some
friends. he turned his attention 10 re-
ligious subjects. and among others.
commenced painting a full length fig
ure OF Christ. his object being 10 pro-
duce an ideal portrait of the Christ
man. At first he did not succeed IL
attaining his ideal. and the canvas
stood a source of trouble and veXation
TO him Numerous visitors were re-
ceived at his studio. ami among them
a wellknown lecturer on Biblical char
acters. who became intensely interest
ed in this picture and tried TO make
the artist understand the appearance
of Christ as revealed TO him in 4
vivid dream.
All in vain, however, until one day
the artist was suddenly impressed with
the realization that he had at last CON
ceived he idea sought after Imme
diatelv rising, he painto,i the won'er-
Cul couutenance of Christ which is
seen in this painting. Anxious -
| know what the lecturer would have to
say about the change, he sent for him.
| ON entering the studio the lecturer
went into captures over the picture.
| exclaiming Now YOU have painted
| Christ as | saw Him"
Not long afterwards the artist, hay
| ing to go To his studio at night for
some sheets of music. was astounded
to discover on entering that his pic
ture could be distinctly seen in the
| dark and that Christ appeared 20 he
walking in the pale moonlight, while
| above and behind could he sen a
| cross
His first impression was that the
| moon was shining through an open
window upon the picture. and that the
cross was a shadow. He soon discov-
| cred that a strange phenomena hail
| taken place in connection with his pic
ture. and, as he had used only we'll
| known pigments, he soon realized that
the strange quality of his picture was
| beyond his power to explain. He was
so profoundly impressed that he re-
fused to finish it, and the picture re-
| mains unfinished 10 this day.
The picture was purchased by a
Washington physician and taken to the
Capital City. where il was shown to
! many scientific gentlemen. who ac-
| knowledged their inability to explain
| the strange phenomenon. It created
| sensation among the clergy and sci
| entific men, many sermons being
| preached upon the strange picture. and
chemists declared that there is moth
| ing known to chemistry that will cause
the wonderful amount of luminosity
| that enanates from this picture
The painting was then placed in the
| private gallery of the owner, where it
| remained for five years. So many
thousands of people. who had heard of
this mysterious painting. visited the
J owners home to see it that the privacy
| of his home was destroyed and he de
cided to send the painting on tour of
| the country, a portion of the receipts
always to be devoted to some worthy
i cause.
II has been shown in forty of the
| principal cities and at the st. Louis
| Worlds Fair, where it was awarded a
| gold medal. at the jamestown EXPOSE
| ton and at the Alaska YukonP Pacific
Exposition having been shown to over
four million people and having donated
thousands of dollars to worthy chart
| ties throughout the country