The Rokeby Velazquez, purchased in 1906 from Messrs. Agnew by
the National Art-Collections Fund for £45,000, and presented to the National Gallery, was seriously muti- lated by Miss Mary Richardson, a well-known militant woman suffragist, on Tuesday morning. Before being seized by the attendants and handed over to the police she had slashed the picture with a chopper in seven places, six being clean cuts, and the seventh and most serious injury a ragged bruise. At the Police Court proceedings at Bow Street on the same afternoon Mr. Hawes Turner, the Keeper and Secretary of the National Gallery, said that the depreciation in the market value of the picture might be roughly estimated at from £10,000 to &5,000. Miss Richardson, who was com- mitted for trial, bail being refused, stated that this was the tenth time she had been brought before a Magistrate in one year, and declared that such proceedings were a farce. Mr. McKenna could not make her serve her sentences, but could only again repeat the farce of releasing her or else killing her, and either way hers was the victory. She also issued a statement through the Women's Social and Political Union to the effect that she had "tried to destroy the picture of the moat beautiful woman in mythological history as a protest against the Government for destroying Mrs. Pankhurat, who is the most beautiful character in modern history." Miss Richardson was sentenced to six months' imprisonment.
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