Treasures Protected

Ever since the start of Spain's Civil War the world press has been flooded with stories about the wanton destruction by both Rebels and Loyalists of Spain's important art treasures. Several U. S. correspondents in Madrid have now taken time off from reporting the siege to file the most complete reports yet made on the whereabouts of the art treasures of Madrid. Their conclusions: P: On Aug. i a committee known as the Junta of Requisition & Protection of Artistic Patrimony was organized to classify and protect Madrid's treasures. Head of the Junta is a young Spanish painter who refused to allow his name to be used, but whom correspondents were able to describe as "well known for works he has exhibited at the Carnegie art shows in Pittsburgh."* P: The physical work of impounding, packing and shipping to safety Madrid's works of art is in the hands of the Communist Fifth Regiment. Its work is not limited to protecting known works in churches, museums and public buildings. Daily the homes of aristocrats and other Rebel sympathizers are raided, the zealous comrades proudly hustling cartloads of worthless chromos, plaster statuettes and other knick-knacks back to the Junta. P: Though the Prado has been bombed by insurgent planes, all of its treasures have been saved. They were moved first to the basement, then to the vaults of the Bank of Spain, finally to Valencia. One of the last pictures to leave was Velasquez' greatest picture, the Surrender of Breda, better known as The Lances.

Few weeks ago correspondents saw it being loaded on a truck for shipment to the coast, packed in a crate that cost the Leftist Government 7,000 pesetas. P: Bombed and destroyed by Rebel planes was the Duke of Alba's gigantic Liria Palace, but it had already been seized as a museum, its paintings shipped to the coast. In Valencia last week paintings of the Duke of Alba, which the general public has never had a chance to see, were put on public exhibition.

Not moved in time was the bombed Alba library. Militiamen were hunting through the ruins last week for the diary of Christopher Columbus, written in his own hand. P: Partially to compensate for the artistic loss of buildings destroyed, works of art damaged, the Junta announced the assembling of 30 little-known Goyas from private collections, the discovery of at least one unknown El Greco and the rediscovery of the only female nude El Greco ever painted, The Assumption of Magdalen, found in a little church in Titulcia, Madrid Province. P: Few years ago Spain's National Library announced the theft of one of its most valuable manuscripts, the 14th Century Codex of Poet Gonzalo de Berceo. Few weeks ago the Codex turned up again in the private library of dilettante Larazo Galdeano. Nationalized and catalogued, the Galdeano Collection was found to include 730 pictures, 582 pieces of sculpture, many church ornaments, much jewelry. P: One of the "must" sights of Madrid in former years was the suburban Church of St. Anthony of Florida whose plaster dome bears a magnificent mural by Goya. Constantly under fire since the siege of Madrid started, the church walls are peppered with shell holes, but by last week not one shell had hit the Goya dome. Campfires of militia snipers, however, had sooted it badly. P: So many religious objects have been rescued from looted, burned or shelled churches that the Junta decided recently to establish a museum of religious art in the Church of Descalzos near the central Puerta del Sol. Hardly had the committee begun to install the objects than the building was hit by six Rebel shells.

P: The one great Spanish painting whose whereabouts remained a mystery last week was El Greco's Burial of Count Orgaz from the Church of Santo Tome in Toledo. Last authoritative report had it stretched out on the floor of the church, ready for packing and shipping, about two days before General Franco's troops captured the city. Whether it is still in the church, whether the Moors destroyed it in the two days of looting that they were allowed, or whether it had been smuggled out of the country, last week stayed misty. If the picture has not been destroyed and if it is eventually hung in a public museum, art lovers every-where will benefit. Its original location was behind the altar of a dark side chapel. For the benefit of tourists, the sacristan kept a bamboo fishing pole to which he had wired an electric bulb and tin reflector, was able to illuminate this greatest of El Grecos with a flickering glare. Most visitors got a far better idea of its values from any good reproduction. From other sources it was evident last week that if most of Spain's treasures in painting have been saved for the world of art, a great many of them have left their native land. Government officials have been liberally swapping works of art for French, Mexican munitions.

*Winner of the IQ35 Carnegie International first prize was a youthful Spanish painter, Hipolito Hidalgo de Caviedes. Last year Jose Gutierrez Solana won honorable mention, was given a one-man show.

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