Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/37

. i. JAX. 9, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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and in that small portion which the General Com- mittee have already agreed to make over to the Metropolitan Board of Works. The sub-committee therefore recommend (1) that an exact plan of the churchyard be made, showing the present position of the gravestones, and that such plan be kept in some part of the church ; (2) that a copy be made of the inscriptions on the gravestones, to be re- tained among the records of the church; and (3) that the churchyard be laid down with grass in the manner already indicated (without the addition of any trees or shrubs).

"Secondly: That, aware of the importance of obtaining the very best professional advice in carry- ing out this work, they have secured the services of J. L. Pearson, Esq., R.A., Architect to the Abbey, and have entrusted to Mr. Wills, of the Floricultural Hall, Regent Street, the laying out of the ground under his superintendence. The sub-committee recommend for the approval of the General Committee the plans for the laying out of the ground (and for the railings with which it is proposed to surround it) as prepared by Mr. Pear- son, which are submitted herewith.

"Thirdly: That, in accordance with the resolu- tion of the General Committee, the following letter, as written by the chairman, and approved by the sub-committee, has been sent to the members of both Houses of Parliament. [I would note that a copy of the letter alluded to does not appear to have been attached to the minutes.]

" Fourthly : That, with a view to immediate action, arrangements have been made to hold a meeting of vestrymen and other parishioners on Friday next, 8th of July, in the vestry room of St. Margaret's Church, for them to receive the plans as approved by the General Committee, and to sanction an application to the Bishop's Court for a faculty authorizing the proposed improvements in the burial-ground and the widening of the footway.

"Fifthly: That the following petition to the Chancellor of the Diocese has been drawn up by Harry Lee, Esq., and is now submitted for the approval of the General Committee.

(Signed) "F. W. FARKAR, Chairman."

There was no copy of the petition attached.

W. E. HARLAND-OXLEY. C2, The Almshouses, Rochester Row, S.W. (To be continued.)

LEONARDO DA VINCI : ' THE LAST SUPPER. (See 8 th S. vii. 488 ; viii. 136.) Frequent reference to this subject in the columns of 'N. & Q.' prompts me to supplement previous contributions by some notes made on a recent visit to Milan. Since my last visit the fol- lowing copies of the 'Cenacolo' have been affixed to the walls of the refectory.

1. Copy of Leonardo's ' Last Supper ' by Andrea Solari. Painted on canvas. The feet of Christ portrayed. Drinking glasses on the table, empty. It is alleged that Leo- nardo's fresco was mutilated by the Domini- cans in 1652, a door having been placed at the centre of the wall. If the lower portion of the central figure was thus removed, this copy is interesting.

2. Smaller copy, by Cesare Magnis, also showing the feet of Christ. Not a pleasing copy. It is gross, and lacks sublimity. Drink- ing glasses half full of red wine.

3. Copy^ by Marco d' Oggiono. The table is bare. No plates, glasses, or edibles. Although the doorway had not been pierced in 1510, when, presumably, this copy was made, the feet of Christ are not depicted. If we assume that this copy was made in presence of the original, my italicized words are significant. Possibly important additions were made to the fresco after Leonardo's departure.

4. Photograph of the fresco at Ponte Capriasca (Canton Ticino). Here the feet of Christ (as in No. 2) are seen. Drinking glasses void of wine. In the background we behold the sacrifice of Jacob ; also Christ praying in the garden. On the lower portion of the frame the Apostles are thus named, from left to right as they appear in the- original : St. Bartholomew, St. James the- Less, St. Peter, Judas, St. John, St. James T St. Thomas, St. Philip, St. Matthew, St. Tad- deus, St. Simon. Henry Beyle (De Stendhal) says in his 'History of Painting in Italy,' referring to the fresco at Ponte Capriasca :

" In spite of local tradition which fixes 1520 as the date when ' a brilliant youth from Milan' came there to escape from the turmoils of that great city, and, in gratitude for the protection afforded to him, painted the 'Cenacolo' I am of opinion that this picture was executed by Pietro Luini, son of the celebrated Bernardino, and was not painted prior to 1565."

It is especially noteworthy that in the pic- ture there is no wine on the table. Possibly the monks, more nearly to approach the- Roman formula in administering the Sacra- ment, removed all traces of wine from the- glasses. Only the figures representing Christ and the Apostles Peter, Thomas, Bartholo- mew, and James the Less pretend to be copies, of Leonardo's 'Last Supper.' The others- are purely fanciful. The features of Judas are remarkable.

5. Etching, by Rembrandt, in matifa rossa, lent by George, the present King of Saxony. It has no pretensions to be a copy of the masterpiece. It is merely a fanciful sketch.

6. A terrible performance by Antonio de Glaxiate, now almost entirely defaced.

RICHARD EDGCUMBE. 33, Tedworth Square, Chelsea.

JAPANESE NEW YEAR'S DAY. The Daily Chronicle of the 1st inst. had the following interesting notice :

" To a devout Japanese breakfast on New Year's Day is a religious rite. No ordinary dishes are con- sumed. The tea must be made with water drawn from, the Wll when the first ray of sun strikes it, a