AN "ECCE HOMO."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 253, 26 October 1931, Page 8

AN "ECCE HOMO."

PALMERSTON NORTH PICTURE.

MAY BE WORTH £20,000.

FORWARDED TO; LONDON.

(By lelegraph — Own Correspondent.)

PALMERSTON N., Saturday.

In the opinion of the director of the Sargent Art Gallery, Wanganui, there is a prospect of a value of at least £5000, and a possibility of one of £20,000 being placed on the picture of The Christ, wearing the crown of thorns, which was picked up for half a crown from among the jumble of a Palmerston North auction mart. ,

About five years ago Mr. J. H. Carson, of Queen Street, Palmerston North,, bought an auctioneer's lot of pictures for five shillings, one of the pictures depicting the figure of Christ. A year later he returned it to the auction mart, where it was promptly dumped in a corner reserved for rubbish.

Twelve months later a corner of the canvas, caught the expert eye of Mr. J. L. Weightman, of Park Road, Palmerston North. A close examinationof the canvas, particularly the part* known to artists as the "stretcher," convinced him that it was a sixteenth century product of considerable value. The auctioneer gladly accepted half-a-crown for the dusty old picture.

. Appearance of Original. {'■ After being skilfully cleaned by Mr. Weightman, the painting was found to be. an "Ecce Homo," with every appearance of ah original work of Guido Reni (1575—1642). _

The "find" attracted the interest of art critics from as far afield as Auckland and Dunedin, several of whom came specially to Palmerston North to view it.

Although in entire agreement as to the period of the canvas and the skill of. the painter, they were unable to pronounce it definitely as an original work of the famous Italian master.

The opinion of the director of "the Sargent Art Gallery, Wanganui, was next sought. 'This' expert, who prior to coming to the Dominion, had 40 years' experience in London in close touch with the world's . leading connoisseurs, expressed the opinion that the painting looked very much like an, original,. of which there are several in various parts oAhe world, three being traced in recent years to London, Berlin and Vienna. If not an original, added the director, -it was certainly a first-class copy by a first-class sixteenth century artist,, and worth at least £5000, an original beino listed as worth £20,000. < 0; Safe Transit To London. Mr. Weightman thereupon forwarded photographs of the painting and the back of the canvas to Messrs. Colnaghi, the well-known London firm of art dealers.

. The reply from Messrs. Colnaghi was that the painting was undoubtedly' the skilled work of a sixteenth century artist, but a definite opinion as ' to whether it was an'original Guido,Reni could not be given until the.painting had been seen. 6

Five Weeks ago Mr. ".Weightman for: warded the painting to Messrs. Colnaghi after making the requisite arrangements for its-safe transit. He says that whatever the, verdict of the London firm he