"LA GIOCONDA."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1414, 15 April 1912, Page 5

"LA GIOCONDA."

FRENCH POLICE OBTAIN A CLUE. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Rcc. April H, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, April 13. The police raided a house at Villenes-Sur-Seine and recovered many valuables stolen from museums. A packet of letters referring to Leonardo da Vinci's picture, "La Gioconda" (Moiva Lisa), stolen from the Louvro last year, was also found. The owner of the house, a man named Rerrand, escaped by jumping from a window. Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, "La Gioconda," was last seen hanging in the Salon Carre at seven o'clock on Monday morning, August 21 last, by two attendants, who were sweeping the gallery. 'I he first time it was missed was early on Tuesday morning, when tho guardian of the Salon Carro noticed it was not in its place. He did not pay any attention to this, because he supposed the official photographer had taken it down and had carelessly failed to replace it. It was not until midday that anyone became sufficiently nervous about the picture's long absence to report it to the Louvre's superintendent, M. Benedite. Tie reported the loss to M. Lepine, prefect of police; tho museum was closed, and after nil hour's search the sixteenth century carved Italian frame was discovered on a staircase leading to tlie cloak room. Since then no trace of the picture appears to have been fouud.