Melbourne 6th Septr. 1877
To the Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria
Gentlemen,
The undersigned1 are desirous that the picture of "The Pool of Bethesda" at present in the lecture Hall of the Athenaeum should become the property of the Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria and be placed in the Public Gallery.
We earnestly request that you will gratify us in this respect by securing it for that purpose and we confidently assure you that, although the names attached to this petition only number about One hundred and twenty, they express the desire of thousands who have frequently seen the picture in its present position and who, time after time, renew their visit to it with increasing pleasure.2
| Hugh M. C. Gemmell | George Tait Ladies College |
| Thomas Alston | A Harper Do. |
| R. Twentyman | Ferd. von Mueller |
| Henry B. Stiles Manager Bk NS Wales | James Roberts M.D. |
| W. K. Thomson | T N Fitzgerald |
| S. Renwick | David Masterton Mayor Brighton |
| James Orkney | Alex Morrison Scotch College |
| Edw. S. Watson | Thomas Cahill S.J. St Patrick's College |
| R Blackwood | James S. Waugh President of Wesley College |
| J. R. Tuckett | Edwd E. Morris C. E. Grammar School |
| John Blair MD MRCS | Joshua Lake ditto |
| C Lempriere Surgeon | Alexander Sutherland Carlton College |
| C. R. Blackett analyst &c. | Richard Connebee Kew |
| Thos. Hy. Walton Chemist | James Paterson Mayor |
| Wm. Rigg | Robert Ramsay M. P. |
| Wm. Crosby & Co 14 Queen St. | Ephraim L. Zox M.P. |
| Charles Stuart Art Journal office 4 Queen Street. | W. A. Brahe German Consul |
| Isaac Hart | W. J. Wallis Translator of Foreign languages |
| Richard Marr. Murray G.L.S. | L. Thoneman Austro. Hungarian Con. |
| C. F. Roberts | J. Damyon Russian Consul |
| S. V. Winter Mayor Richmond | Wm. J Daly Curcier & Amet |
| W. Gleadell | Daniel Ploos van Amstel Netherlands Vice Consul General |
| F. H. Biddulph | E. Ploos van Amstel |
| James Gall, Architect | Geo. R. Cox Architect |
| Wm. Irving Winter | W. Lawrence |
| William Salway Architect | J. Bosisto Richmond |
| Thos A Kelly Architect | Chas T. Perks Richmond |
| Thos. Watts Architect | Alex[?] Kennedy Smith |
| Horace Laws Druggist | J.F. Arnold |
| Hemmons Laws & Co. Wholesale Druggists | T Jaques Martin Insurance office 77 Collins St W Colonial Mutual Life Assoc Compy |
| H. Johnson Architect | Simeon Cohen 49 Collins St West |
| B Baker Chemist | John Watson Standard Life Assurance Co agent |
| James Mirams M.P. | City of Collingwood Council [this page] |
| F.W.T. Evans Fitzroy Council | Thomas Hood |
| Peter Cunningham Do | Wm. Kidney |
| Robert Showers Do. | Joel Eades J.P. |
| John Hackett J.P. Do. | James H. Turner |
| Frederick Cooze Town surveyor | Andrew Wright |
| John B Jones Town Clerk Fitzroy | Thomas Upton |
| Benjn. Woodhead Council J.P. | Alex McNaughton City Clerk |
| John H. Aylwin | Thomas Holland Councillor |
| G. K. Parker | Hy. Walker J.P. Do |
| Thos. Kidney J.P. | Wm. Smith R. W. the Mayor |
| Samuel Lyons Fitzroy Mayor | Thomas Peters Councillor |
| Rob. L. J. Ellery Observatory | Henry Keele Do |
| J Rudall | John M Garratt JP Mayor of Geelong |
| A. D. Tull | Andw B White J.P. Mayor of Newtown & Chilwell Geelong |
| G. H. Ryder | Charles Ibbotson Merchant Geelong |
| J. H. Matthias | James Volum Brewer Geelong3 |
| Edwd King | Robt A B Johnstone M.P. Geelong |
| F. Litolff | J. Botterill Melbourne |
| F. A. Kohler | |
| Julius Seide | |
| Andrew Lyell | |
| G D Langridge MP | |
| A L Tucker M L A |
Not all signatories have been identified; those that have been have entries in the biographical directory.
The painting was not acquired by the Gallery: At a meeting of the Trustees' National Gallery Committee on 9 September 1877, it was resolved ’That the good gentlemen signing the Memorial be informed, that the Trustees, are not prepared to consider the question of the purchase of this picture without satisfactory proof of its authenticity, and value as an example of this great master’ (Committee of the National Gallery, Minute Book, 1876-1882, pp. 266-7, State Library of Victoria).
The painting was subsequently advertised as a prize in an art union raffle (Argus, 27 April 1878, p. 7), and the pamphlet may have been printed in connection with this.
In 1882, Volum acquired the picture from Robert Black, and a year later presented it to his home town of Peterhead, Scotland, to be hung in the town's Arbuthnot Museum (Widnes examiner (Liverpool), 18 March 1882; Aberdeen evening express, 16 November 1883; Aberdeen evening express, 11 December 1884; East Aberdeenshire observer, 8 January 1884). The painting cannot now be found.
On cover of file, 'Mr Black's picture'. The letter appeared as a public notice in the Argus, 8 September 1877, p. 10, with the names of the signatories rearranged, under the heading: 'The Pool of Bethesda. | By Paolo Veronese. | Size, 11ft. x 6ft 3in. | Subject: St. John's Gospel, v. chap., 8 ver. — "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."'. It is followed by a statement of provenance and letters regarding the painting's authenticity. Later newspaper advertisements indicate that 'Mr Black' was one Robert Black, probably the person of that name who with his family emigrated to Victoria in 1853 from Newburgh, Aberdeenshire (Catto (2018).
The only known painting by Veronese of this subject, now lost, was in the Palazzo Grassi in Venice in the eighteenth century, but is now known only from an engraving that was made of it by Teodoro Viero (1740-1814).
For a printed pamphlet including both the letter to the Trustees and the associated statements, see State Library of Victoria, RARES 704 AR75, v.14.
Not all signatories have been identified. Those for whom details have been found have entries in the Biographical Register.
Please cite as “FVM-77-09-06,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on