Beachcombing's Bizarre History Blog

Victorian Urban Legends: Fine Art February 25, 2025

A couple of fine art urban legends. We live in a world where painting no longer has the same social value: what would be the modern equivalents of these? Drbeachcombing At yahoo DOT com

A man who was furnishing saw in Wardour-street an old portrait which he admired, but for which the dealer asked, as he thought, an excessive price. Several times he returned endeavouring to beat him down, but without success, and, on his last visit, he found the portrait gone. Shortly afterwards he visited a friend who, in showing him his pictures, pointed out the identical portrait with the remark that it was one of his ancestors. ‘Ah! precisely, precisely,’ remarked visitor but you don’t know how uncommonly near was being ancestor of mine!’

Gloucester Citizen  (13 Jun 1893),

A capital story reaches from Vienna. A distinguished Austrian painter recently exhibited at the Kunsterhaus an historical picture in which was seen very fine head of an old man. Shortly afterwards a mysterious personage called on the artist and desired to knew the name and address the model who had served him for that splendidly-executed head. After some explanation the painter gave the desired information, and the police forthwith proceeded the lodging this strikingly-handsome old man. In portrait the detective had recognised a dangerous criminal who had some time before escaped from prison.

Dundee Evening Telegraph (13 May 1880), 3

This last one is not really an urban legend, but it is irresistible…

Here is a good story of a doctor and a painter’s wife. The doctor’s name does not appear, but the painter was Meissonier. Mdme. Meissonier sent for the family physician in a great hurry. He came, thinking some illness had overtaken the artist. But it was not the artist, was only lap-dog. He pocketed his pride, and attended the patient, who soon recovered. At the end of the year the bill came in, but there was item for attendance on dog. Mdme. Meissonier noticed the omission, and told the doctor to charge. He would not charge; he said he could not charge, he was not a vet. He was very glad to be kind to the dog, etc etc. The lady insisted. ‘Well, said the doctor, the hinges of my garden gate are rusty, ask M. Meissouier to bring his brush and paint them for me.’

Dundee Evening Telegraph (26 Jan 1892), 2