A PAINTER'S REVENGE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 15

A PAINTER'S REVENGE.

* Several cases are on record where an artist has maliciously caricatured an enemy in his work, or given his face to somo demoniac or contemptible figure, and tho secret revenge has remained long undiscovered. A remarkable caso has just boen brought to light. Mr. Charles Allom having in pursuit of his profession as an artistic decorator been engaged in restoring paintiiigs by Vorrio and other great artiets on the walls and ceilings of Hampton Court Palaco, tells a curious little story — which appears in the New York Herald — of a discovery he made in connection with the faco of a Cupid from Verrio's brush on tho great staircases of the palace. A close exmination of the features of tho Cupid placed it beyond doubt, that the chubby face was a caricature of that of King William of Orange. Mr.. Allom declared that "this clearly intended insult is accentuated when the head of Diana is seen. She is seated on a crescent and appears as a beautiful \ woman, but when looked at intently it is discovered sh« wears three faces, one in the front and the others on each side of the head, with the cars forming the noses. These features have einister expressions." In Mr. Al!om"s opinion the covert insult to the Dutch ruler of England u'as probably to be accounted for by th-s* fact that the King was a strict follower of Calvin, while tho Italian painter was an ardent Roman Catholic. The King, seeing how well Vcrrio had decorated Windsor Castle for Charles 11., commandod the artist to Work for him also, a command which was obeyed with tho utmost reluctance, and for which Verrio took the curious revenge which, after the lapse of three centuries, Mr. Allom has brought to light.