The Defregger Madonna

A letter from Franz Defregger settles the dispute as to his Madonna. It is written in German, and bears date from Munich, May 12th, 1889.

"Gracious Lady: Would gladly discuss the subject of your wishes with you, but a history of my Madonna would be of no value; is not worth discussing. I painted this in the year 1886, then exhibited it in Berlin, then it was sold in New York to a wealthy Mr. Einstein. This is actually the whole story of this picture. You will perhaps ask how I, a pastoral painter, came to paint a Madonna? I had already, fifteen years ago, painted a Holy' Family for my parish Church, and shall perhaps attempt another of this class. Moreover, it gives me much pleasure that this picture has found favor with you.

"Respectfully,

"FRANZ DEFREGGER."

The rumor that it was painted for the Empress of Russia, and that she failed to pay for it, cannot, therefore, be correct. This beautiful Madonna has elicited so much admiration that its history has been eagerly sought--and such a great departure from the usual style of Defregger led lovers of art to suppose that there must be a history. Franz Defregger (born 1835) has justly earned a foremost position as a genre painter (see Vol. I.), having taken the great gold medal at Munich, and great and small medals at Berlin. His subjects have been largely chosen from every-day life in the Tyrol, but each picture has a distinct individuality of its own. Defregger has also been successful in representing animal life. Some one says "his dogs and horses appear almost human." "The Prize Horse," one of his finest pictures, is also owned by a resident of New York city.