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Erwin Craighead's Scrap BookBy FRANK CRAIGHEADIn Search Far a Painting Another Is Foundme county jail ana released on bond.Picture, picture, who’s got thepicture?'This parody might apply to a I very good, and the drawing tortures of the work.'The coloring throughoutissearch I have been prosecuting for a painting which at some time , during 1887 was in the residence of the Right Reverend Jeremiah i O'Sullivan, fourth bishop of the Roman Catholic diosese of Mobile. The picture, described by my lather in that year, seems to have J disappeared. There is no record of it other than my father’srect and graceful. The picture has all the attributes of paintings of this character, the heads of the cherubim in the golden sky being' particularly well exected—as well done, in fact, as anything the writer has ever seen.ture. He referred me to FatherKenny.I found Father Kenny in Providence infirmary, being treated for a minor ailment. He knew nothing of Lopez, but told me of the picture in his room at Spring Hill, and, a few days later, I took Roderick MacKenzie, distinguished artist of this city, to the college to see it. Mr. MacKenzie nounced it a copy, but said the original was the work of a great painter, and that the copying had 'been skilfully done. Not having“Andres Lopez does not appear in the list of celebrated painters specialized in the identification ofof his time, and it . he is ranked even minor artists of the Spanish school, but he was a painter of no mean ability, and wielded the brush with a power that is recognizable in this painting. *The work was painted to adorn an altar, probably in Mexico, and was stolen therefrom. In the rlghthand lower corner is an inscription containing the name of the church for which it was painted. The thief sought to ob-While I did not find the painting, my search was by no means fruitless, for it lead to a noteworthy copy of what may yet prove to be Raphael, or a masterly example of that school. It also brought me into closer contact with lovable Father Kenny, whom I had previously knownonly slightly.It was in Father Kenny’s room at Spring Hill college that I saw the Raphael-like copy, he having given the painting a home after it had been all but condemned as rubbish. In justice to those who placed such small value on the canvas, if should be said It once narrowly escaped destruction by fire, and is badly damaged pic-, ture.In the decade just prior to the 80s, my father spent three years £ in Europe where he viewed many of the world’s most famous works of art. It naturally followed that he would be keenly interested in any unusual’ painting brought to - light in Mobile. So it was with «4 the picture first mentioned herein, of which he wrote, in part, as follows :Defeat of Evil“'This painting was for years in a little second-hand furtniture store, where its value was not estimated. One person, however, Ketchum home when that fine seemed to appreciate the work, old building became the episcopal Father Hamilton, now gone to his J residence, I went there. Fatherdoubtful if old masters, he would not say the among the | original was a Raphael, but thathad the characteristics of Raphael’s style and method.Nearly Perfect The picture is a madonna with the child in her arms, and is of excellent composition. Posture of mother and infant are admirable, and the handling of their draperies are decidedly graceful, except in one detail of the child’s garb. This is the only fault in the picture, but it is so out of keepingliterate this evidence of owner- with the whole as to suggest thatship, and therefore had some unskilled person introduce a representation of Inferno, with red yellow flames issuing therefrom. This addition was badly put on, and has scaled so much that a portion of the underlying inscription can be deciphered. As much .as can be read shows that the painting was dedicated to Senor Don Francisco de Sales.downappears.”Needle in Haystack Bishop O’Sullivan resided on Conti street, in what is now Por-tier Hall, used by the Catholic Daughters of America. .Mrs. W. J. Grove of that society had no knowledge of the Lopez canvas. Thinking the painting might have been presented, to or acquired by the church, and that it had been removed to the William H.reward, used to visit that little | shop, throw open the door so that itbe sunlight court reach the pic-fe.ikture. and there he would sit for an hour or so, gazing at It. He said contemplatin of the painting gave him pleasant medita-itions.Cullen very kindly did all he could to assist in the search, butwhoever began the work left it unfinished, and some incompetent person completed it. The mother’s eyes are downcast, but those of the infant are fully open, and, as Father Kenny puts it, he seems to be looking out upon the world, Unfortunately, the child’s eyes are more seriously damaged than any other feature of the Further i painting.To the unversed in art this . like virtually all paintings of its period, is not impressive at first, but has the power to grow on the behblder. If one looks at it long enough, he 'begins, to' feel the ‘‘something’’ that is in the thing.At Father Kenny’s request, Mr. MacKenzie agreed, to' try his hand at renovating the work, he having had experience in restoring paintings. The canvas is now at the artists studio on Dauphin street. This task will take time, and, at this writing, no prediction can be safely made as tocould only showand copies of paintings the house possesses. These of themselves are interesting, but space for description. of 'them is. lacking.Father Cullen advised me to con-The owner, remembering Father J suit Father Hackett. This neees-Hamilton’s admiration for the pic- i sitated a second visit to the residence.Father Hackett said that withture. has asked opinion as to value, and the painting was sent•ito the bishop’s house for inspec- the exception of portraits of all tion. A number of persons have the bishops of Mobile, there is only % viewed 'the work, .and all .are to a one original painting .in the btiild-greater or lesser extent pleased ing. He undertook to look that with it, and some advise that it one up for me, and next day I ■ be sent to an art center to be of- got a letter from him saying, “Ac-fered for sale fpr the benefit of oording to Mr. Francis O. Raab. the owner, who Is. in. need of what- an. authority oft paintings, the ever money the painting will bring, original that we have here is by The painting itself is of the Pietro Maricci. The subject, he Spanish school, and from the thinks, is St. Lawrence Justinian. thrush of .Andres Lopez, In 1784..It is six by five feet«EK4inF. Maury, to whom I size. {happened to mention the Lopezmounted on a plain stretcher, and canvas, said he thought he had is in a fairly good state of pres- seen a picturenervation. It represents the BlessedVirgin victorious over sin, as £e-* picted in the shape oi a horrid, bull- faced -dragon. Nc by is aup of children, the 'Object of e dragon’s animosity. There is a landscape in the distance. Thethat in some Catholic institution hereabouts. This soit me to Spring Hill colon the way out, I stopped at the Convent of Visitation, but found no such painting there. At the college, Father Cummins, whose memory runs back manythe paintings when it will be 'Completed.Father Kenny believes the ture may be one of a number of which Michael Portier, first bishop of Mobile, brought to this country, only to lose nearly all of them in a fire in 1828. They were given to Bishop Portier by Cardinal Fesch, archbishop of Lyons, who owned a large and famous collection of paintings. Cardinal Fesch. born in Corsica the son of a Swiss .soldier of fortune, was. the half-brother of Letixta Ramolino. who became the mother of Napoleon Bonaparte. *foregoing are the principal fea- j years, had never heard of the pic-$1. $2. $8 and tip EXCLUSIVE BEAUTY SHOP Mia.SheehanDex. SOM8 % S JacksonFERRISS WAREHOUSESTORAGEUnder New ManagementMovingStorage, Packing, ShippingSpringhill Are.
Newspaper Details
The Sunday Times
Mobile, Alabama, US
Sun, Feb 12, 1933
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
TN, USA 13 Apr 2021
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