ART NEWS- Somethin' Smells Fishy!

[Pub Wench]

A lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci has been identified in an American collection and will be exhibited for the first time this November/ 2011 at the National Gallery in London.

Its called  Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World) and dating around 1500. 

FISHY NOTE:  The painting was first part of the collection of King Charles I of England in 1649. It was sold after his death and later given back to Charles II of England.  THEN it was given to the Duke of Buckingham. The Duke’s son (needing a few extra bucks), put it up for auction in 1763.  After that- all trace of the Leonardo's painting was lost until 1900. It was discovered Sir Frederick Cook had acquired it. THEN Sir Fred's relatives decided to sell the painting in 1957 and IT COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED for the past 54 years!!

Somehow or another Leonardo’s painting showed up JUST RECENTLY in an AMERICAN COLLECTOR'S YARD SALE - excuse me - ESTATE SALE.

When ’the suspicious culprit’  American collector was asked how he acquired it- he said- “ I can’t divulge that.”

HUH???   Smells fishy to me, Mr. Yard Sale!

[Gimnick]

Sorry. I'm really not at liberty to discuss how I, as an unknown American citizen, happened to come into control of a 500 year-old masterpiece by an Italian icon that's been in my family for all this time without a single hint of it's existence or location. Or why I thought a grass-roots estate sale would be an appropriate venue to offload such a historically prestigious piece. Please simply pay me cash up front and take no further action to validate the authenticity of my sophomore Art College term project family's greatest treasure.

[Pub Wench]

Ha, ha, ha!  You are so funny. That's exactly the sort of thing that went through my head. Whaaaat?

I'm so glad to see you back. WE HAVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH LELAN!

[Gimnick]

sadly, I'm not yet all the way back... but I'm working on it. The upswing is that I am no longer homeless and steps are being taken to secure custody of my children, so after a few trial runs and reconfiguring IFS will be back up and runnin' hellbent for leather. It'll be a little bit of time, though before I have the ability to be as active in the Challenge as I'd like to be. Thanks for the warm welcome back, Vikki.

[ArtisticRhythms]

Hi Lelan! It is very nice to see your words again and I extend good wishes for your complete journey back to us whenever you are ready  

[Gimnick]

Thanks, Sarah. Sorry to hear about the Inferno; just so you know, your hard work was appreciated.

[ArtisticRhythms]

Very kind of you to say, Lelan  Do consider when time and inspiration permits to keep writing for your art...I'm going to try and as Vikki says (and does with her writing) we can post them (not necessarily in their entirety) on the Challenge...