, ART IN THE CELLARS.
[TO THE EDITOR OP VTR "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—Much has recently been written about the art treasures that have been hidden away for years in the cellars of the
National Gallery. Now that some of these treasures have at last been unearthed, may we not hope that other secret hiding- places belonging to the nation may be explored, so that this generation may have the benefit of seeing the heirlooms con- cealed in them ? Many still living remember the Waterloo Vase, which used to stand in the vestibule of the National Gallery. It is thus described in the beautifully illustrated catalogue of 1843, which, by the way, was the first illustrated guide to a gallery ever published :—
" The Waterloo vase is composed of three blocks of marble : they were quarried by Napoleon to form a vase-illustrative of his victories, and proposed to be placed in the palace of the King of Rome, then erecting in Paris. On Napoleon's abdica-
tion, these blocks were transferred to George IV., who, carrying out the original idea of making it a triumphal monu- ment, determined to dedicate it to our own great victory at Waterloo. As the space would not admit any great display of sculpture, Sir Richard Westmacott, to whom his Majesty con- fided the execution of the work, confined himself to the repre- sentation of the Duke of Wellington, attended by his officers, and
giving orders for a charge of cavalry The vase was presented to the nation by William IV. It is much to be regretted that neither the site in which it is placed, nor the reflected light in which it is seen, are favourable to its display."
Can this be the reason why the vase was removed and hidden from sight altogether ? It is rumoured that it was trans- ferred to the South Kensington Museum, and in all probability if the cellars there were ransacked it, and many another neglected work of art, would be found. The Waterloo Vase is surely of sufficient historical interest to find a place at Woolwich or Sandhurst if there.is no room for it in any of the London
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