The Emma B. Andrews Diary Project

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Lady Enid Layard
22 February 1899 — Rome
Donna Laura Minghetti told me yesterday the whole story of the sale of the sol disant picture by Leonardo da Vinci given her by Morelli. As she had admired the picture in his rooms & he had given only a few francs for it at Florence & knew that altho’ a pretty thing it was not by Leonardo he had given it to Donna Laura. She had given it to her daughter Mme de Bülow but it remained with Donna Laura here. One day Mr J. P. Richter a pupil of Morelli’s & now a picture dealer of not very good repute asked Da Laura’s permission to take a friend to see her pictures– This she gave & a day or two after Richter wrote to say that his friend (an American) offered her 5,000 francs for the “Leonardo.” She telegraphed to ask her daughter & they took the offer—Richter having stipulated for his percentage. Richter must have known as well as Mme Minghetti what had been Morelli’s real opinion of the picture, but he did not scruple to sell it to the American for this enormous sum– Henry always said that when once a man took to picture dealing or to antiquaries he was morally ruined. Richter had behaved so dishonestly to the Trustees of the Nat: Gallery formerly that they (Henry & Sir Wm Gregory) & Sir F. Burton had long ago broken off relations with him. I used to tell Morelli in former days jokingly that he was made use of by a German who picked his brain for his own advantage.

Description

A letter from Lady Layard, a close friend of Donna Laura Minghetti, who along with her husband was another client of Giovanni Morelli. The letter reveals Donna's knowledge of the painting's authenticity.

Creator

Claire Summa

Source

"Lady Layard's Journal." The Brownings: A Research Guide. The Armstrong Browning Library of Baylor University, n.d. Web. Date Accessed: April 2016.

Publisher

Baylor University

Date

February 22, 1899

Language

English

Original Format

Letter

Citation

Citation

Claire Summa, “Lady Layard's Letter,” The Emma B. Andrews Diary Project, accessed March 28, 2024, http://www.emmabandrews.org/project/items/show/119.

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