New-York tribune., 1922-07-30
Art Notes From Abroad


Spain is awakening to the necess;.v
Of preserving its national art treasures
according to the Madrid corresconden.
Of the London Times" who reports ths
Illustration Of a determined attemu
made by dealer to gain possession Of
some valuable paintings in the lonely
Hermitage Chapel of San Baudelio a.
Casillas, for an American millionsire
When Civil Guards reached the chapel
three Italian workmen employed BY ths
dealer had already cut out one Of the
paintings and were working on the
others
1t is stated that request made by
the present owners Of the building for
permission to sell the paintings had
been refused, on the ground that the
chapel containing them has been de-
ciared national monument. Thereupon
the dealer apparently tried to over
come the scruples Of the owner.
Thanks, however to the timely action
of the authorities, the persons i'm
plicated in the business are under ar
rest. and the key of the build
ing is in the keeping OF the Civil
Guard. II only remains for the paint
ing that has been detached to be re-
placed, and for this purpose an expert
is being sent from Madrid by the d.
rector OF Fine Arts.
The Hermitage Of San Baudelio Is
situated seven miles south of Berlanga,
on the River Duero, in the province Of
Soria. 1t is in part tenth century
building. The paintings are Byzantine
in style. Some represent hunting
scenes in which elephants are depicted,
and others Biblical history. They are
the finest of their kind in Spain.
Several Turner paintings featured IN
the sale Of the pictures and drawings
Of the late Mr.. Ralph Brocklebank, Of
Haughton Hall, Cheshire, at Christies.
One Of the Turner's, an oil, "Somer
Hill near Tunbridge," was purchased
for the Scottish National Gallery for
s3 $50, according to The Morning
Post" 1t was painted for Mr.. james
Alexander, the owner of Somer Hill
and, passing after his death into the
Wynn Ellis collection, was sold from It
for 1892 los. Another oil by the saras
painter, THE Beacon Light" brought
s2.625 (Blaker). In 1856 it brougis
S337 in the sale of the collection OF
Mr.. John Pound, relation of Turner's
housekeeper. The Turner water colors
in recent sale included several
that fetched high prices. Pembroke
CASTLE" 26.s inches by Al inches,
brought s1,ss7 los (Agnewl; "Fluelen,
from the Bay of Uri,' i1s4 inches by
1sh inches, s1,o53 (Agnew); Con-
stance" 11]s inches by 1SA incass'
s1,050 (vicars). The London from
Battersea Fields; An Autumnal Morn.
ing" which was run up TO sSS2 los,
nad brought 13l5 in 1860, &1bS IN 1877
and 1857 los in 1895.
For a slightly cut first state of "Maf1
Isabella, Duchess of Rutland by var
entine Green, after Reynolds, $50 was
given (Colnaghi); an early impression
of "Georgiana, Duchess of Bedford,
by S. w. Reynolds, after Hoppnsr, slse
ellis & Smith, and the same buyers
paid similar price for the "Standan
Bearer" proof before title, By =
Pether, after Rembrandt.
The state of ST. Paul's CathedrA|
which has proved to be in urgent nesa
OF repair, is attracting increasing NO.
tice, and a fund of s5oo,0Oo is beng
organized to repair the damaged sabrE'
A steady source of income for this puf'
pose, according to ssrhe Times neg
in the collecting boxes of the cathedrab
which yield about $500 year. ATas
work Of the contractors in the Souss
Iransept," adds "The Times" 'is gcins
steadily forward, and it is expsctes
that operations will be finished in tas