FRANCE'S ART LOSSES IN THE WAR.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17126, 22 April 1921, Page 8

FRANCE'S ART LOSSES IN THE WAR.

COST OF GERMAN VANDALISM.

. The special comihission appointed in 1920 by the Department of Fine Arts to estimate the amount oi damage done by Germans'during the war to French artistic treasures-has' arrived at tlic conclusion that damage was dpne to pictures, monuments, and other worKs of art to the amount" of over 1,000,000,000 francs*. The I>ulk of the portablo artistic wealth of the invaded North and East of France (says the Paris coriespondent of the "Morning Post",) was removed by the Germans soou after ■'lie beginning of 1916 to Valenciennes under pretest of its protection, but in reality to facilitate removal into Germany. In-this way the museums of Lille, Laon, Cambrai, Duuai, and La Fere were stripped of their treasures. When things began to go badly for the Germans tUie whole of this vast collection was transferred in baTges to Brussels, where the greater part was found after the armistice. • Many of the best specimens, however; had .been wantonly damaged, while others had- simply disappeared. Thus it was found that German soldiers at Douai -had amused themselves by gouging out the eyes of mhny of the ,-eare portraits and other pictures, while statuary had, been irreparably mutilated. The great part of the valuable collections belonging to • the town of Cambrai had disappeared entirely. Two watteaus, a remarkable Ruysdael, a Ribera, a Claude Lorraine, and other treasures - from La Fere had also been stolen. .^ About 800 public monuments and churches have been entirely destroyed The total damage to public monuments is estimated at 900,000,000 francs for materials alolle. This, of course, is only a minor part of the real damage, for many, of the rarest relics" of old historic France have been destroyed beyond restoration of any kind.