the small cowper madonna, which mrs. gardner had coveted, was sold to the wideners in 1914 for the highest price that had ever been paid for a painting. outside philadelphia, the wideners built one of the grandest estates of the gilded age. re, they lived the life of american princes. p.a.b. widener made his fortune in street railways. he was eectic in his tastes. his son, joseph, was more discriminating. of some 500 paintings originly in the widener collection, joseph reduced the number to 100. as at fenway court, lynnewood hall had a raphael room whose focus was the small cowper madonna. the years following the acquisition of the madonna saw the group of raphael collectors widen. sir joseph duveen, the flamboyant dealer, provided these collectors with many of the raphaels that are now in america. in 1924 clarence mackay bought a small predella panel, "agony in the garden." in 1928 jules bache acquired the portrait of giuliano de medici. a broker himself, bache would have identified with that great family of renaissance

the small cowper madonna, which mrs. gardner had coveted, was sold to the wideners in 1914 for the highest price that had ever been paid for a painting. outside philadelphia, the wideners built one of the grandest estates of the gilded age. here, they lived the life of american princes. p.a.b. widener made his fortune in street railways. he was eectic in his tastes. his n, joseph, was more discriminating. of some 500 paintings originly in the widener collection, joseph reduced the number to 100. as at fenway court, lynnewood hall had a raphael room whose focus was the small cowper madonna. the years following the acquisition of the madonna saw the group of raphael collectors widen. sir joseph duveen, the flamboyant dealer, provided these collectors with many of the raphaels that are now in america. in 1924 clarence mackay bought a small predella panel, "agony in the garden." in 1928 jules bache acquired the portrait of giuliano de medici. a broker himself, bache would have identified with that great family of renaissance