New-York tribune., 1922-12-08
Mime. Andree Hahn'sLawyers
Hope to Prove Pictures
Authenticity as Da Vinci
Masterpiece byBii of Paint
Many Experts Involved
Sir Joseph Duveen Sued for
Atiributing la Belle Fer.
rOniere' to Another Artist

Attorneys Tor Nine. Andrec Hahn. who
Is suing 10 recover 100000 from Sir
Joseph Duvecn for damages declared
TO have been suffered because he At
tributed her painting la Belle Fer.
roniere" TO another than Leonardo da
vinci. expect TO be able 10 prove the
authenticity Of the picture when the
action comes 70 trial by the thumbprint
Of Da Ninci himself.
Since the day in 1893 when the
aaster stood of 70 examine his prastl-
cally completed portrait Of Lucrczia
Crivelli. mistress Of Francis I OF
France, and smudged the paint here a
bit with his thumb and Aattened II
there in the same manner, the thumb
print OF Leonardo da vinci has been
on hlc, Nine. Hahn's attorney asserts.
On discovering the thumbprint on
his clients picture the attorney. Hya-
cinthe Ringrose, began TO search other
paintings. long conceded by experts to
be the work Of the Florcntine master,
FOR a similar sign manual.
Device known to Painters
smudging and fattening the wet
paint here and there with the thumb
is device long known TO painters, by
which effects are obtained which could
not be obtained with brush. Da Vinci
mixed his pigments with walnut oil
instead of linseed oil, and Mr.. Ringrose
was reasonably certain that paint so
mixed would retain the impression OF
the thumb for four centuries and
longer.
The Da Vinei thumbprint, he said
yesterday, was found by his investi-
gators on Da Nincps "St. Jerome"
which hangs in the Vatican, and on la
Vierge aux Roehers" and "La Gioeonda"
in the Louvre paintings which long
have been attributed without question
to Da Vinci. The same print, the at
torney said, was found on Da Vinei's
John the Baptist" in the Louvre.
Arthur r. Sowaal, Of 30 Church
Street, conducted the investigation, and
has submitted his report 10 Mr.. Ring
rose with a series Of magnihed photo
graphs which the attorney regards as
clinching his case.
Pictures Made by Same Man
The print Of the right thumb was
found on all FIVE Of the paintings, said
Mr.. Sowzal in bis REPORT, and its peeul-
iarities were at marked in the paint
ing owned by Nine. Hahn as In any OF
the others. Not only was the print o..
the transverse type, In itself a rare
one, but there was scar on the thumb
in the shape Of figure IS" which made
the proof indubitable, Mr.. Sowaal
thought. that all six pictures were
painted by the same man.
Counsel for Sir Joseph Duveen have
been obtaining for months the opinions
Of leading European experts as TO the
authenticity Of Nine. HRhn's painting.
Many Of the foremost critics Of this
country will be In court prepared 70
testify when the case comes 70 trial.
Sir Charles Holmes, curator Of the
National Gallery in London, Is one Of
those whose opinions were obtained by
counsel for Sir Joseph Duveen.
Nine. Hahn asserts that the adverse
opinion expressed by Sir Joseph pre-
vented her from selling the painting TO
the Kansas City Art Institute for about
$500 900. She Is the daughter Of Mar
quis de Lardoux, OF Brittany, and ac-
quired the picture by inheritance.