STORY OF A WAX BUST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 770, 19 March 1910, Page 5

STORY OF A WAX BUST.

PURCHASED FOR BERLIN. FACTS DISCLOSED BY AN ANALYSIS. WHO WAS THE ARTIST? Ily Teleuriipli—Prce? Association —OoDyrleht. '■'.-. London, March 17. An analysis of the wax composing tho flora bust which Dr. \V. Bode, Director of the Berlin Art Gallery, purchased in England for a large : price,. attributing it io Leonardo da Vinci,- the famous sixteenth century artist; shows that it. consists of lac ■ spermaceti and beeswax, tho same composition as the artist,. E. C. Lucas, wav in tho habit of using. ■ It is thought that' the bust is probably one. of Lucas's! as .spermaceti was unknown before 1700. . >

The,' London "Times" of October 23 last describes the bust, and the South-' amptori auctioneer who handled it, m a subsequent letter in. the 6ame paper, states/that R.- D. Lucas was brought into association' with an art dealer named Buchanan, who brought him a reputed picture : by Leonardo. This picture . was copied in oils by Albert Durer Lucas, a son of R. C. Lucas. Buchanan asked R. C. Lucas if ho could reproduce the subject of tho picture in the form of, a wax bust, as, there would bo a . gopd martct for it. Lucas undertook the commission, which was duly completed. Subsequently Buchanan was unable to carry oiit his-share of the bargain,'but took away, the Vinci, picture, leaving the bust in the hands of the artist. :■' ; ■■•.-'■ AN INTERESTING LETTER. "MADAME J OCONDE/' , The following interesting .letter, appeared in. the' London "Times" of October 23-:--.: '.■.-':■-, ' ..."•:.-■ ' .■ Sir,—l;, saw with . inu'ch interest; and some surprise, in the "Illustrated London News , ' of October 16 last a full page devoted to photographs: and description' of a life-sized wax bust tinted with colours, stated to have been acquired by Dr. Bode for the Kaiser Eriedrich iluseum at a cost- of . "several, thousands," which is declared to be of 15th contui'y workmanship and believed to_ be the production of Leonardo da Vinci himself.. 'Without \venturinß upon the expression oL an opinion in'. opposition to so definite'a declaration by so eminent an authority, I'may. perhaps bepermi(> ted to give an account of certain : facts within my .own knowledge, supplemented by others which I have gathered from persons still living, leaving your readers to make - their own deductions.

In tho first half of last century, aboui 1846, there dwelt at No. 40 Nottingham Place, London, a very clever ■ and versatile, sculptor- and artist named Richard Cockle Lucas, who was. born at, or near, Salisbury in the year 1800. and died in 1883. Lord. Palmerston was his friend and patron, and Lucas was fortunate enough to procure a Government' pension. Many of .his carvings,, in ivory are still at the Soutll".Kensington Museum, and statues executed by : him of J)r. Watta and Dr. Johnson were erected respectively at Southampton and,Lichfleld. Lucas was; brought into close association with a well-known art dealer named Buchanan, who one day brought-to Nottingham '-'Placei .a .reputed picture by Leonardo da Vinci represfin&ig, a halflength portrait of a-lacfy, scantily' draped, and holding; in., her right hand some sprays of floirers, the left loosely holding some drapery flowing from '', .the right shoulder ' aoross the . lower part of. the body. This picture :',was copied at the time in oik by Albert Durer Lucas, the eon'-of R. C. Lucas, and : a tracing of the copy, which I have also seen, is before me as I.write/ This Mr. A. D. Lucas, a well-known painter of .nature subjects, is still working in Southampton with great, skill and freshness at the advanced age of">ißl:'.<."Buchanan-::asked Lucas if he could reproduce the 'subject of the picture'in the form of a wax bust, as there would be a good market for it, and Lucas undertook the commission, which he duly completed. Subsequently Buchanan • was unable to carry out his share of the bargain,'but took away the Leonardo. ■ da : Vinci picture, leaving the bust upon the hands of tht artist. , ; '• .- ■ - , . -. - , :

In the course of years, and probably upon securing his pension,' Lucas retired to : the country and purchased a . few acres' of -."liiid: at, Chilwprth, upon the forest uplands about equidistant between Southampton and Croadlands, Eomsey, the seat of his. noble friend, and: beno factor, Lord Palmerston.' Here, on the summit of a gentle hill in the heart of a wood,, he. erected. a somewhat- eccentric building .-which 'hj named "The Tower of the Winds." To this retired and beautiful- spot; with his other Lares and-Penates, the .wax bust-of "Madame. Joconde" ; was removed,,,' and .. there it remained' at the death of the artist in 1883.... . ■■■.-. - . ... .■■■ ■•■.-- The Chilworth property, devolved upon his only son, Albert Durer Lucas; who had settled with.his wife and.only child, a boy aince deceased, in a smaller house adjoining The Tower of : the Winds. Both these houses were shortly aftersold by Mr. A. D. Lucas to a Mr. Simpson from Storehouse, Devonshire, • and in the purchase, with other objects of art and utility,, was included the bust of La Joconde. . ,

In the. course of time- Mr. Simpson died, and the bust was, included in the sale by auction of his effects. What became of it between the time .of this sale and its reappearance in a dealer's shop in Southampton Vis not material, as its identity is proved by a tinted photograph of the bust taken by.the artist himself, and handed to me ,by his son who is certain that it is identical with the subject of the three photographs of tfle reputed "Leonardo da bust which appeared in the "Illnstrated London Is ewe" as before mentioned. I hiul an opportunity of purchasing the work for a sovereign, but, being aware of its origin, and seeing its bad condition, I did not care to buy it. i'ours faithfully, CHARGES P. COOKSEY Southampton, October .21. The "Times" makes the following comments:— . . . d. . "Inasmuch'as the purchase of the bust in question for the Berlin Museum was first announced, on October : .2 in "Tlio limes, _we think it right to publish Mr. tooksey's very interesting letter, and tlie more so because, after inspecting the bust, we accepted it without hesitation as a genuine antique. Mr. Cooksey who is an auctioneer of standing at Southamnton, informs us that tho signs of ago upon tho bust, as well as tho loss of the iorearms, aro to be accounted for by the iact that it stood for years exposed to the weather in a garden." da Vinci was born at Vinci, " car E ™P oll - u lta 'y. in 1«2, and died in May, 1619. Ho was a famous painter, architect,, sculptor, scientist, engineer mechanician, and musician.