OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 15 



viously the original work of the artist, while the paint on the 

 other part was soft, and no doubt had been put on by some 

 one who had undertaken to make repairs. The artist said 

 that all this, with a thick coat of varnish, should be removed, 

 and that it could only be done safely by rubbing it with his 

 own hand. When this was done, the picture had a mottled 

 appearance, as if worms had attacked the wood and pene- 

 trated through the paint in spots. The painting was after- 

 wards sent to London, and completely restored by a person 

 of great skill, who was at that time intrusted with the most 

 valuable pictures that needed such repairs in England. 

 When he had received and examined it, he inquired by whom 

 it was supposed in America to have been painted ; and was 

 told that it was thought to be by Leonardo da Vinci; to 

 which he replied, " That may very well be." 



Mr. Gary remarked further, that when in Europe recently, 

 retaining a vivid recollection of this picture, although he had 

 not seen it for some years, (having only received it here within 

 a few days as the bequest of a near relative, who had pur- 

 chased it from the captain,) he had sought an opportunity to 

 see, if possible, among the few undoubted paintings of this 

 great master that remain, some one of the same subject, and 

 found such a one in the Brera at Milan. It is unfinished, 

 but the attention of visitors is directed to it in the catalogue, 

 as among the most valuable to be seen there. As Leonardo 

 was a man of varied powers, exercising them all, and had 

 even, while at Milan, planned and superintended the work on 

 a canal for the Duke, it is not surprising that he should have 

 left a picture there unfinished. The Madonna in that is dif- 

 ferent, but the child is very similar. 



Mr. Gary also drew the attention of the Academy to 

 several other pictures, chiefly bequests from the same col- 

 lection. 



One of them is a good specimen of the Pre-Raphaelite 

 manner, with its hard outline, by Francesco Francia, who is 

 said to have been an instructor of Raphael; and although 



