134 



NOTES ON DUTERRAUS "RECONCILIATION" 

 PICTURE, PI XXTI. 



By Fritz Noetling, M.A., Ph.D. 



Read November 14, 1911. 



In an appendix to my paper on the lughrana, etc., 

 read before the Society on July 10, I discussed the evidence 

 aflForded by the Duterrau engravings (1). I came to the 

 conclusion that all the engravings ought to be reversed, 

 because, by the mistake of the engi'avor, they were 

 transferred on the copper plate as originally drawn. 

 Naturally the prints became revex'scd, and the man making 

 the spear appeared to hold the tero-watta in his left 

 and not in his right. Just when the final proof of my 

 paper had been received Mr. Beattie kindly infomied me 

 that he had seen the original oil painting, of what I termed 

 No. 1 engraving (PI. XIII.), at the house of the Misses 

 Clebum, and that this oil painting fully confirmed my con- 

 jecture. I had iust time to add a hasty postscript to my 

 paper, stating that my views were correct, but I think it 

 will be useful to make a few more remarks. 



From the inscription on it we know that the 

 engraving was made in 1835. Inasmuch as the oil 

 painting is somewhat more explicit, I feel inclined 

 to think that it is of a later date. It is very probable that 

 Duterrau made at first several sketches before ho finally 

 made his selection. One of these sketches he etched and 

 published in 1835, and subsequently he painted the picture 

 under discussion. All wc can, therefore, say is, that in all 

 probability it was painted jifter 1835, perhaps towards the 

 end of the thirties, or early in the forties. 



Notwithstanding its great shortcomings, the picture is 

 of considerable value as a historical document. It mea- 

 sures about 6x4 feet, and on the back is written : "The 

 Reconciliation : Sketch of a national picture measuring 

 14 X 9 feet.' This "national" picture has actually been 

 painted, but its whereabouts are now unknown. Perhaps 

 these notes may help to discover it. The designation of 

 this picture as a "national" picture is a curious illustra- 



(1) See Antea pag. 93. 



