Show I I History of Picture I Closely associated with the Titian picture of II The The Raising of Lazarus owned here is a romantic and arid at tie the same time pitiful story that story that of the wooing of f beautiful and attractive Elizabeth Elizabeth Elizabeth Eliz Eliz- abeth Patterson bv by the spoiled and pampered Jerome Jeromo Bonaparte youngest brother of the man of destiny destin Napoleon Na- Na Bonaparte It was this scion of the family of the mighty mig conqueror who brought the picture with two other priceless canvases to this country country country coun coun- try when he came a This canvas was at one time rudely rudely rudely rude rude- ly cut from its original frame possibly possibly possibly bly at the tho time of some sonje vandal inv invasion invasion in in- v sion in the destructive wars that swept over Europe Fully four inches of the priceless canvas had been left in inthe inthe inthe the original frame The canvas also ha ba hafl 1 been pierced with witha a lar large e calibre calibro musket ball at a point a little below the kneecap of tho the left leg of the figure figure fig fig- ure of Lazarus Subsequently the tho remainder of the canvas was taken from fronI the original frame and the whole picture was carefully care care- fully ully patched l and repacked on heavy canvas aJ and d was again mounted on a I stretcher or backing frame It is in this condition today and the traces of the patching and piecing are plainly plain plain- ly visible Jerome Bonaparte the younger brother broth broth- er of Napoleon Was born at Ajaccio on November 15 1784 1781 and remained with his mother there in Corsica and Marseilles Marseilles Mar Mar- seilles until 1797 when he accompanied her to Paris Napoleon the conqueror had hoped that this spoiled boy his greatest friend and closest companion would choose a career in inthe the army But the younger Bonaparte disliked the rement regiment regiment re- re regi regi- ment and he was transferred to the French navy In 1802 Jerome was commissioned as asa asa a R lieutenant in tho the French navy It was a time of rejoicing for all concerned concerned con con- for the y youth uth had found his career Meets Pretty American Girl One year later later- began the pretty romalice romance ro roo ro- ro mance malice tl that at was to have such a a. pitiful ending Jerome was commissioned by his brother the emperor to visit America America America Amer Amer- ica as a course of foreign travel to aid aidin aidin aidin in his education The young man was received with distinguished courtesy in America and all the honors due to royalty royalty royalty roy roy- alty were accorded to him It was on this tour that he brought the Titian canvas to America Jerome met the tho beautiful Elizabeth Patterson at a fete given in his honor He was fired with infatuation for this charming girl daughter daue of a man of the tho now almost vanished type an American Amor Amer ican ican- ship owner She was enraptured enrapture with the young young- Frenchman who by an accident of fate ml might ht become an emperor emperor em em- perot and they were married on the day before Christmas 1803 I I. I Napoleon was incensed He had made madeI I other plans for his bis brothers brother's marriage plans plans that meant th the further weldin welding of the gigantic empire empires ho he had haL in mind He refused to reco recognize nize the marriage and forbade the youn young husband from bringing his bis bride to the soil of France Jerome must obey oboy his autocratic autocratic autocratic auto auto- cratic emperor and his young bride was gi given ven a refuge e in En England land land- There she shega ga gave crave ve birth hirth to their son and there a afew afew afew few d da days s 's later the e hapless young worn womb an who had built her love on such sandy foundation pined away and died virt virtually ally alone and in a foreign land Jerome was later wedded to the daughter of the the new king of History in America From the hands of Jerome the canvas canvas canvas can can- vas passed into the possession of Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- Admiral miral Bounce in which family it remained remained re re- re- re as an heirloom for Thence it went to the family of E. E Bates of Worcester Mass from whose possession it passed to the present owner Thus by a picture is the history of today linked with that of a shattered dream of love and a tale of ambition gone mad that raised an empire to greatness to crumble afterward to dust before the conquering hosts of the allied allied al al- allied al- al lied armies armies |