The NJ millionaire who owned a Da Vinci painting and had no idea

Imagine owning a painting by one of the greatest masters of all time and having no idea of its value. Or who really painted it. And especially if you ran into financial troubles.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to one of Paterson‘s wealthiest residents, Catholina Lambert, an English-born silk maker who was one of the nation’s premier art collectors and lived in Paterson at the beginning of the 19th century.

According to an article on JerseyDigs, Lambert was extremely prominent in the silk industry. What many do not realize is that Paterson was once a major hub for the silk industry. It used to be called “Silk City,” since many of its residents were millionaires in the silk business. Lambert was one of the wealthiest.

At some point, probably when the silk industry began to shrink, Lambert ran into financial problems and needed to raise money. He decided to sell some of his enormous art collection. One of the pieces that he sold was called the “Madonna and Child.” At the time, he believed that the painting was done by Leonardo da Vinci‘s assistant, Andrea Szalai.

In 1916, he sold the painting for $1,950, still a pretty big price tag for the time. Forty years later, a true artist was revealed. The painting had actually been done by da Vinci himself and priced it over $1 million. This certainly would have saved him from financial ruin.

Lambert’s mansion, the home for this expansive art collection, was named Belle Vista, and many prominent individuals of that era, including President McKinley, visited the Lambert family in their luxurious residence.

It was built in 1892-93. It still exists at 3 Valley Road in Paterson and is known as “The Lambert Castle,” or simply, “The Castle,” and has become a well-known landmark in North Jersey. It’s situated on Garret Mountain and has a stunning view overlooking the City of Paterson. As of this writing, it’s being restored.

Unfortunately, the magnificent art collection is no longer there as it was sold off in 1916. This was a true loss for the city of Paterson.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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