It’s a story full mystery,
intrigue, fake paintings, and a major lawsuit that rocked the art world. It
all started with a family here in Junction City.
After World War I a former army
officer Harry J. Hahn and his French wife, Andree settled in Junction City.
Harry was the nephew of Dr. Henry C. Mayer and they stayed with the doctor for
a time while looking for housing.
When they were married they
received a painting from Andree’s godmother. The painting entitled “La Bella
Ferronniere” was authenticated by a French Art expert as being painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
While living in Junction City, Mrs.
Hahn decided to bring the painting to the United States and sell it in Kansas
City through an art dealer by the name of Conrad Hug.
On June 16, 1920 the Kansas City Star reported the arrival of
the art work; “‘La Bella Ferronniere,’ smiling her Mona Lisa smile, wearing her
wine red velvet frock and with a jewel shining on her brow, arrived yesterday
in New York and will leave tonight for Kansas City.”
Initially many jumped at the chance
to own the painting and the biding was fast and furious. That was until a
reporter for the New York World
telephoned Sir Joseph Duveen for his opinion of the painting.
Duveen was recognized as one of the
top art dealers. Among his clientele were the names Mellon, Morgan, and
Rockefeller. It was by his recommendation that many of the Old Masters' pieces
now displayed in the National Gallery were purchased.
Without ever seeing the picture Duveen
declared that it must be a copy because the “real ‘La Belle’ is in the Louvre.”
Because of Duveen’s reputation this off handed statement halted any chance Mrs.
Hahn had of selling the painting.
Mrs. Hahn immediately filed a law
suit against Duveen for $500,000 for slander and damages. She claimed that
Duveen’s comments were false and were designed to drive the cost of the
painting down so that he could control the art market.Her lawsuit rattled the art world
because it made dealers and experts cautious of offering opinions.
By the time the case went to court
the Hahn’s had left Junction City, but locals followed the story closely. In
1929 the case went to trial in New York and lasted for 28 days. The proceedings
were followed closely by the media and the trial was said to be, “a lowbrow and
highbrow circus-the smartest show in town.”
During the pretrial the “Hahn
Leonardo” was placed next to the “Louvre Leonardo” and both were examined by
experts. The trial was confusing and at one point it was argued that the
“Louvre Leonardo” might not be a true Leonardo.
A newspaper account of the trial
states that portions of the testimony revealed that “measurements of the Hahn
portrait tally with those in the old records of the original da Vinci, while those
of another portrait in the Louvre of the same name and generally conceded to be
the original da Vinci do not.”
After all the arguments and expert
opinions were heard the jury came back with a mixed verdict; nine to three in
favor of Mrs. Hahn. The judge ordered another trial but Duveen settled with
Mrs. Hahn out of court for $60,000 before the retrial.
However, the damage was done and
Mrs. Hahn locked the painting away. In 1946 the painting resurfaced and was on
display to the Nelson Gallery for a month coinciding with the publication of
Harry Hahn’s book The Rape of LaBella.
The most recent information that I
find on the painting is that it was auctioned by Sotheby’s in January of 2010
for 1.5 million dollars. An examination by a leading Leonardo expert concluded
that it is not in fact a Leonardo. It dates to the first half of the 17th
century and is believed to have been done by a French artist. The sale closed
the book on over a century of controversy and debate regarding the work.
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