_Paintings of our Saviour_ (Vol. ix., p. 270.).--Your correspondent J. P.
may hear of something to his advantage by visiting the church of Santa
Prassede (Saint Praxedes?), not far from Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. In
the former he will see, as usual, a list of wonderful relics preserved
therein, and amongst them "A Portrait of the Saviour, presented by St.
Peter to Santa Prassede." A valuable gift, truly, if only authentic. The
name of the artist is not given, I believe, in the above veracious
document. They had better have made the catalogue complete by putting in
the name of St. Luke himself, whose pencil, I rather think, is stated to
have furnished other such portraits elsewhere. "Credat Judæus!"
The Santa Prassede above alluded to is stated to have been a daughter of
Pudens, mentioned in the Epistles of St. Paul.