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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, January 1950-April 1951

ARCH.2003.31, Rendition: 804144

Qwen, qwen.qwen3-vl-235b-a22b

This image displays a vintage newspaper clipping from February 22, 1950, mounted on a white card or agency label.

The clipping is from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc. (Box 2078, Boston 6 • HAncock 6-9297) and is marked for distribution to the Times (e) BARRE, Vt., an Independent Republican newspaper with a circulation of 8,069.


Headline: Hanover, N. H., Painting Believed By Da Vinci

Dateline: New York, Feb. 22, (P)


Article Summary:
The article reports that a painting hanging in a Hanover, New Hampshire, home has been declared by a Vatican expert to be a “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo Da Vinci.

  • The announcement was made by Dr. Thomas MacCoughtry Judson, a spokesman for Dr. Ambrose W. Vernon of Hanover. Dr. Judson, an American, was the curator of the CICOGNARA collection of the Vatican.
  • The painting has been in the Vernon family since 1797, when it was brought from France by William Henry Vernon. A spokesman stated it was reportedly received as a gift for safekeeping from Marie Antoinette shortly before her beheading in 1793.
  • The painting is joint property of Dr. Vernon (a great-grandnephew of William Henry Vernon) and his brother’s widow, Mrs. Alice C. E. Vernon of New Jersey and Connecticut.
  • Dr. Judson claimed the masterpiece was painted earlier than the Mona Lisa currently in the Louvre in Paris.
  • The article notes that in 1933, technicians at Harvard University’s Fogg Museum reported the ancient canvas was “definitely of the period when Leonardo was known to have painted La Gioconda (Mona Lisa).”
  • The painting had been sent to the Harvard institution for cleaning.

Physical characteristics of the clipping:

  • The text is printed in a standard newspaper font.
  • The clipping is on aging, yellowed newsprint.
  • Red hand-drawn marks (underlining and brackets) highlight the headline and the final sentence of the article.
  • The date “FEB 22 1950” is stamped in black ink across the top of the clipping, overlapping the agency card.
  • The clipping is affixed to a white card that likely served as a distribution or filing label.

This clipping captures a moment of art historical intrigue, suggesting an alternative Mona Lisa with royal provenance, although such claims for paintings outside the Louvre are often met with skepticism in the art world.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct

The image is a scan of a newspaper clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated February 22, 1950. The article is titled "Hanover, N. H., Painting Believed By Da Vinci," and it discusses the authentication of a painting believed to be a "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci. The clipping includes a header giving the publication's information, such as the box number and location, and the newspaper's name is "Times (e) BARRE, Vt. Indep. Republican Circ. 8,069." The main body of the article provides details about the painting, its history, and the authentication process.

The article states that a "Mona Lisa" painting is on display in a Hanover, N.H., home and has been authenticated by a Vatican expert, Dr. Thomas Macoughtry Judson. It mentions that the painting has been part of the Vernon family since 1797, and it was brought from France by William Henry Vernon. The painting is said to have been a gift from Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI, shortly before her execution in 1793. The article also notes that the painting was sent to the Fogg Museum at Harvard University for cleaning in 1933, and that it was determined to be from the period when Leonardo da Vinci was known to have painted "La Gioconda." The article provides additional context about the painting's history and authentication, highlighting its significance in art history.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-72B-Instruct

This image shows a scanned news clipping on a light gray background. The clipping is from the "Times (e) BARRE, Vt." newspaper, with a circulation of 8,069. It is dated February 22, 1950, and contains an article about a painting believed to be by Leonardo da Vinci.

The article discusses a painting hanging in a home in Hanover, New Hampshire, that has been authenticated as a "Mona Lisa" by a Vatican expert named Dr. Thomas Macoughtry Judson. The painting has been in the Vernon family since 1797, when it was brought from France by William Henry Vernon, reportedly as a gift from Marie Antoinette.

The article includes details about the family's ownership of the painting, the involvement of the Fogg Museum at Harvard University in its authentication, and the painting's historical significance. There are also some red markings on the clipping, possibly indicating important parts of the text.

Amazon, amazon.nova-pro-v1:0

The image appears to be a newspaper clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated February 2, 1950. The clipping is from the Times (evening) newspaper, published in Barre, Vermont, and is from the Republican section, specifically page 8, column 9. The clipping contains an article about a painting believed to be by Leonardo da Vinci.

The article reports that a painting hanging in a home in Hanover, New Hampshire, is considered by a Vatican expert, Dr. Ambrose W. Vernon, to be a "Mona Lisa" by the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci. Dr. Vernon, an American who is the curator of the Cloggnara collection of the Vatican, made this authentication after examining the painting.

The painting was reportedly brought to the United States from France by William Henry Vernon, Dr. Vernon's great-grandfather, in 1797. It was kept by Marie Antoinette shortly before her execution in 1793. The painting is jointly owned by Dr. Vernon, his nephew William Henry Vernon, and his brother's widow, Mrs. Alice C. E. Vernon of New Jersey and Connecticut.

Dr. Vernon is quoted as saying that the masterpiece was painted earlier than the Mona Lisa currently hanging at the Louvre museum in Paris. The family reported that technicians at Harvard University confirmed in 1933 that the ancient canvas was "definitely of the period when Leonardo was known to have painted La Cloggnara (Mona Lisa)."

The painting had been sent to the Harvard institution for cleaning.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

This image appears to be a newspaper clipping from February 2, 1950, featuring an article about a painting believed to be by Leonardo da Vinci, titled "Mona Lisa." The clipping is from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., and includes details about the painting's history and ownership.

The article states that the painting is believed to be a genuine work by Leonardo da Vinci and is currently hanging in the home of Dr. Ambrose W. Vernon in Hanover, New Hampshire. The painting was authenticated by Dr. Thomas Maccourtney Judson, an American and curator of the Cioconagra collection of the Vatican.

The painting is said to have been in the Vernon family since 1797, when it was brought from France by William Henry Vernon, the great-grandfather of Dr. Vernon. It was reportedly received as a gift from Marie Antoinette shortly before she was beheaded in 1793.

The painting is the joint property of Dr. Vernon, his brother William Henry Vernon III, and his brother's widow, Mrs. Alice C. E. Vernon of New Jersey and Connecticut. The article mentions that the painting was previously known to have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci during the period when he was known to have painted La Gioconda (Mona Lisa).

The painting had been sent to the Harvard institution for cleaning, and the article notes that the ancient canvas was "definitely of the period when Leonardo was known to have painted La Gioconda (Mona Lisa)."

Overall, the image depicts a newspaper clipping that highlights the discovery of a painting believed to be a genuine work by Leonardo da Vinci, providing details about its history, ownership, and authentication.

Amazon, us.amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0

Description of the Image

The image shows a scanned newspaper clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated February 22, 1950. The clipping is from the Indep. Republican newspaper in Barré, Vt., with a circulation of 8,069. The headline of the article is:

"Hanover, N. H., Painting Believed By Da Vinci"

Key Details from the Article:

  1. Location and Context:

    • The article discusses a painting believed to be a work by Leonardo da Vinci, currently hanging in a Hanover, New Hampshire, home.
    • The painting is identified as "Mona Lisa", a famous artwork attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
  2. Authentication:

    • The authenticity of the painting was confirmed by Dr. Thomas MacQuory Judson, an American who serves as the curator of the Cicognara collection of the Vatican.
    • Dr. Judson stated that the painting has been in the William Henry Vernon family since 1797, when it was brought from France by William Henry Vernon, the spokesman for the family.
  3. History of the Painting:

    • The painting was reportedly given as a gift for safekeeping to Marie Antoinette shortly before she was beheaded in 1793.
    • It is the joint property of Dr. Vernon, a great-grandnephew of William Henry Vernon, and his brother's widow, Mrs. Alice C. E. Vernon of New Jersey and Connecticut.
  4. Expert Opinions:

    • Dr. Judson claimed that the painting was created earlier than the Mona Lisa now hanging in the Louvre in Paris.
    • Technicians at the Fogg museum at Harvard University reported in 1933 that the ancient canvas was "definitely of the period when Leonardo was known to have painted La Cionto (Mona Lisa)."
  5. Current Status:

    • The painting had been sent to the Harvard institution for cleaning.

Visual Elements:

  • The clipping is typed in a standard newspaper font, with clear headings and subheadings.
  • The top of the clipping includes the header information: New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., Box 2078, Boston 6 (Hancock 6-9297), and the date FEB 22 1950.
  • The article is concise, focusing on the discovery and authentication of the painting, with quotes from experts and historical context provided.

This clipping highlights a significant art discovery and the efforts to verify the authenticity of a purported Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.

OpenAI, gpt-4

The image is of a newspaper clipping from the "New England Newsclip Agency, Inc." The clipping includes information on the header such as the source "Times (e) BARRE, Vt. Indep. Republican Circ. 8,069" and the address "Box 2078, Boston 6," along with a phone number starting with "Hancock."

Below that, there's a date stamp saying "FEB 22 1950," and the headline "Hanover, N.H., Painting Believed By Da Vinci." The article, dated New York, Feb. 22, mentions a painting hanging in a Hanover, New Hampshire home that is believed by a Vatican expert to be a "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci.

It further states that Dr. Ambrose W. Vernon of Hanover said the authentication was made by Dr. Thomas Macoughtry Judson, an American curator of the Cicognara collection of the Vatican. The Vernon family had owned the painting since 1797, and it was reportedly brought from France by William Henry Vernon.

According to the article, the painting was said to have been a gift for safekeeping from Marie Antoinette shortly before she was beheaded in 1793. Additionally, the article reports that Dr. Judson believed this painting to be painted earlier than the known Mona Lisa in the Louvre and mentions technical assessments done on the canvas at the Fogg museum at Harvard University in 1933.

Lastly, it shares that the painting had been sent to the Harvard institution for cleaning.

OpenAI, gpt-4o-2024-11-20

This image displays a newspaper clipping from 1950, dated February 22, with the header indicating it was distributed by the "New England Newsclip Agency, Inc." The clipping is from the "Times" (e), located in Barre, Vermont, with a circulation of 8,069 listed.

The article discusses a painting in a Hanover, New Hampshire home that is believed to be an authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci, possibly predating his iconic Mona Lisa. The authentication was reportedly made by Dr. Thomas Macoughtry Judson, who is identified as an American curator associated with the Cicognara collection of the Vatican.

The painting has been part of the Vernon family since 1797 after being brought from France by William Henry Vernon, receiving it as a gift from Marie Antoinette before her execution in 1793. Ownership remains with descendants of Dr. Vernon and his relatives. The article notes that Harvard's Fogg Museum technicians confirmed in 1933 that the canvas dates back to Leonardo's era, aligning it with the period of the Mona Lisa's creation. The painting was sent to Harvard for cleaning.

OpenAI, gpt-4.1-mini-2025-04-14

The image shows a vintage newspaper clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated February 22, 1950. The clipping is from the Times (e) in Barre, Vermont, an Independent Republican paper with a circulation of 8,069.

The headline reads: "Hanover, N. H., Painting Believed By Da Vinci."

The article discusses a painting hanging in a Hanover, New Hampshire home that is believed by a Vatican expert to be a "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci. A spokesman for Dr. Ambrose W. Vernon of Hanover said that the authentication was made by Dr. Thomas Macoughtry Judson, an American and curator of the Cicognara collection of the Vatican.

The painting has been in the Vernon family since 1797, brought from France by William Henry Vernon. It is reported that William Henry Vernon received the painting as a gift from Marie Antoinette shortly before she was beheaded in 1793.

The painting is joint property of Dr. Vernon, a great-grandnephew of William Henry Vernon, and Mrs. Alice C. E. Vernon from New Jersey and Connecticut.

Dr. Judson stated that this masterpiece was painted earlier than the Mona Lisa now hanging in the Louvre in Paris. Technicians at the Fogg Museum at Harvard University reported in 1933 that the ancient canvas was consistent with the period when Leonardo is known to have painted the Mona Lisa.

The painting had been sent to the Harvard institution for cleaning, as mentioned at the end of the clipping. There is some red underlining near the bottom of the article.

OpenAI, gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07

The image shows two small newspaper clippings taped or placed on a light gray background.

  • The top piece is a white clipping from a clipping service header: “New England Newsclip Agency, Inc.” with contact info (Box 2078, Boston 6 • Hancock 6-9297) and a line for “Times (e) BARRE, Vt. Indep. Republican Circ. 8,069.” A stamp across reads “FEB 22 1950.”
  • The bottom piece is a longer beige clipping with the headline “Hanover, N. H., Painting Believed By Da Vinci.” It contains an Associated Press-style article about a painting hanging in a Hanover home being believed to be Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, with details about authentication by a Vatican expert, Dr. Ambrose W. Vernon, and Dr. Thomas Macoughtry Judson, family history going back to 1797 and Marie Antoinette, and notes about Harvard’s Fogg Museum and dating. There are red markings along the bottom edge of the clipping.

Overall, it appears to be historical newspaper clippings about a claimed Mona Lisa painting from 1950.