WIMBORNE, BADRURY, AND KINGSTON MEETING. Iv. 



the Contarini Palace at Venice. Pointing to that beautiful example of Murillo's 

 work, the beggar boys eating fruit, of which favourite picture there is 

 more than one repetition in other galleries, Mr. Bankes stated that it 

 was bought in Spain by his ancestor, Mr. John Bankes in the year 1657, 

 while Murillo was still alive, but whether direct from the artist himself was 

 unknown. Another rare treasure in this room was the original sketch by 

 Velasquez of ' ' Las Meninas (The Maids of Honour) for the large picture which 

 he had seen in the Eoyal Gallery at Madrid, and of which he had a small copy at 

 Wolfeton House. The only difference between the sketch and the large picture 

 was that in the large picture there appeared a cross of knighthood on the breast 

 of Velasquez, and Mr. Bankes told the charming anecdote which explains the 

 discrepancy. The King of Spain, on first seeing the large picture, was so 

 delighted with it that, calling Velasquez, he said "Lend me your red paint brush. 

 Your picture is excellent, but requires a couple of touches." The King then 

 painted a cross on the chest of Velasquez, thereby knighting the successful artist 

 there and then. The little angel, with a Cardinal's hat, also has a history. It 

 was found in the knapsack on a dead French soldier's back on one of the battle- 

 fields in Spain, and had evidently been cut from some large altar piece. In the 

 three doors the six upper panels represented emblems of spring and summer 

 and the six lower panels emblems of autumn and winter. The original designs 

 were drawn by his uncle, Mr. W. J. Bankes, and executed by Italians in Italy. 



Leading the way into the saloon, Mr. Bankes explained that until 1835 it was 

 the entrance hall, and reached from the outside by means of a flight of broad 

 stone steps, such as exist at present at Kingston House, near Dorchester, 

 belonging to Mr. J. Herbert Benyon. The ceiling was painted by Italians. The 

 pictures are of exceptional value and interest. Mr. Bankes pointed out the 

 portraits by Van Dyck of Charles I. and his Queen, Henrietta Maria, and their 

 three children, afterwards Charles II., James II., and the Princess of Orange, 

 and Eichard Weston, Earl of Portland, Lord Treasurer to Charles I. and a great 

 personal friend of Chief Justice Bankes. Next he mentioned the portrait of Mr. 

 Altharn, painted as a hermit at Naples by Salvator Eosa. Mr. Altham was a 

 cousin of Sir Ealph Bankes, whose brother, Jerome, he accompanied on his 

 travels through Italy. This picture was believed to be the only portrait of any 

 Englishman by Salvator Eosa in existence. Mr. Bankes, with a quite unneces- 

 sary apology for " taxing the patience" of the party, next drew attention to a 

 few more unrivalled paintings. The first was by Eaffaelle, "The Virgin and 

 Holy Children," known as "La Madonna della Euina," cited by Vasari as 

 having been painted by Eaffaelle for the Duke of Urbino. It afterwards became 

 the property of King Charles I., whose crown and cypher (the mark of his 

 private collection) still remain stamped on the back. The tvro portraits flanking 

 the fireplace, one on either side, were perhaps the most refined and finished 

 pictures ever painted by Peter Paul Eubens. Both were purchased by Mr. 

 Baukes in Genoa from the Grimaldi Palace. Lastly, also by Eubens, was a 

 lovely group of four children playing with pigeons beneath a rich festoon of 

 fruits and flowers by Snyders. 



