Washington Journal., 1943-02-26

way NC q AOAiN b00 HNRRNN 49,
the fishers wife announced that the Kings
flag no longer flew over Linderhof.
During the night a launch had brought King
Ludwig from his island to Stock. AT Prien he
had been met by a special engine with his
private car, which had taken him away at
midnight. Nobody but the railway men
knew where the King had gone to, and they
could be trusted to keep the secret OF the
royal whereabouts.
After a few more days our host, the royal
boatmaster, came home to Stock, having sailed
his own making. He called it an "Einbaum"
and said he had brought it for me to sport in.
Of course | did, and had many an upset from
the sudden gusts of wind that kicked up the
waters of the broad Chiemsee.
Then came a day when our host had
promised to sail us to Herrenworth. Not
withstanding a gusty wind and white caps on
the lake, he did so with a skill which made me
envy his prowess as a sailor.
From a small landing stage we walked into
the formal garden, from the billy background
Of which the marble palace faced the lake.
The garden was deserted. Its fountains were
not playing. Mother said the grounds re-
minded her of the chateau garden of the Petit
Trianon in France. AS we cam close enough
to distinguish the figures in the groups OF
statuary-the same that we had seen I'M
loaded at Prien-we were startled to see that
the arms and legs of several of the goddesses,
nymphs and tritons were broken off. More
over they were not bronze as we had been
given to understand, but mere plaster of
Paris, gilded or bronzed with paint.
That had brought their undoing. Our host
and guide told us that when King Ludwig
discovered that the ~statuary he had ordered
cast in bronze, had been delivered at Under
hof in the shape of mere plaster casts, he
got so enraged that he took a sledge hammer
and smashed the offending statues right and
left. Then he ordered out his launch and
left Lipderhof for parts unknown.
Our host told us that the excuse offered
to the King for the deception that had been
tried on him, was that in his impatience he
had peremptorily ordered the statues to be
delivered at Linderhof before the royal
foundry had time to cast them. so, fearing
his displeasure at further delay, the %sculptors
had sent on their preliminary plaster casts,
gliding them over to show how the works of
art would look when finished in FURNISHED
bronze.
Though relating this explanation for what
it was worth, our guide shook his head doubt
fully and let us understand from his manner
that dishonest art dealers, who had long
been exploiting the Kings munificence, max
ing him pay them huge advances of money,
had meant to palm off OH their unsuspecting
royal master mere plaster casts instead Of
bronzes.
Maicost EttaI
Entering Linderhof from it's balustraded
terrace we were met by it's major domo in
simple workaday clothes, who offered to show
us around, together with his friend, the fisher.
Inside the marble palace were large mural
paintings representing scenes at Versailles
in the days Of Louis XIV. The "Sun King"
Of France was shown in his bed, receiving
courtiers, in his audience chamber receiving
a delegation of Turks, in his banquet room at
supper, and strolling in his park. The major
domo told Mother that King Ludwig, who
admired Louis XIV greatly, had taken issue
with the painter for not picturing the French
King taller and even more regal than he was
made to appear.
Mother COULD not comprehend this, as she
had understood the major domo to say that
the painter was Vatican, a contemporary OF
Louis XIV, but the major domo said she had
misunderstood him. The painter was Waiter,
a Bavarian, who still lived in Munich. Still
Mother remarked that the murals were paint
ed in the manner Of Vatican, of whose works
she had seen many in France. The major
domo said this was intentional, for King Lud-
wig had sent Herr Waiter together with the
architect and the sculptors to France, to study
the palace of Versailles, LIE Petit Trianon
and other specimens Of French art in the days
Of Louis XIV on the spot. More than ten
years had been spent in producing Linderhof
and much was still to be added. While the
palace was building and being furnished, the
King often had mixed freely with the sundry
stone masons, carpenters and artisans, taking
a lively interest in their work and talking to
them in their native Bavarian dialect. He
wanted the SplendOrS of Versailles to be
matched by those Of Linderhof.