The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-26
3he Manufacture of Paintings by the
"Old Masters"
BY JAMES PARTON.

There is one class of picture.dealers and pic
tnre- makers whom this beautiful process OF
chrome o-lithography will seriously 1njure.
mean those who make and sell the landscapes
which are offered at the New York ferries for
five dollars pair, gilt frames and all; also those
who sell at auction splendid OIL paintings col
lected in Italy by a well-knoWn connoiSseur
recently deceased" Some of hese hne works,
| am informed by one who has done them "a
German artist whom poverty and ignorance of
the English language compelled tor few
months to misuse his brush in this way), are
executed a dozen at time, and are paid tor by
the dozen. Twelve canvases are set up i'll
large garret-room; The painter, with Palnt'pot
in one hand and brush in the other, goes his
rounds; first putting in all the skies; next,
perhaps, all the grass; then, his trees; and
hDally dots in a few cows, sheep, children, and
rior dozen in week, for which, in these dear
times, he may get as much twenty dollars.
Before the war, the established price for good
article of an oil painting was twelve dollars
dozen, and hnd your own paint.
The principal mandatory in the United
States OF this description OF ware is in certain
broad and noisy street OF a city that need not
be named. 1t is styled by its proprietor The
American Art Gallery for the Encouragement of
AIT and Young Arlists;n but, among the un-
happy young men who earn a sorry livelihood
by lying the brush therein, the establishment
is called THE Slaughter-house," and its master
"The Butcher This man OF blood was once an
auctioneer IN street that has little in common
! with the illustrious orator and statesman whose
cumstances can either sell superhuous or buy
indispensable garments. 1t is now his boast
! that he is the greatest patron OF the fine arts
in America" and his ways Of patronizing art
are various. He will have pictures painted by
! a young artist whose necessities are urgent,
which he Will keep as part OF his stock in
trade. In room partitioned of from THE
| American Art Gallery" Just mentioned he has
number of "handsn multiplying copies of
these pictures as fast as the brdsh can
dab on the paint. These 'hands," 10 whom he
| pays weekly wages which average less than
| the wages OF laborers, acquire by incessant
practice deXteTity III making the copies that
| is truly remarkable. Besides these, he has out
door hands, who, ike journeymen tailors, take as
| their work home and do it by the piece. The
pictures are offered for sale in the Gallery; but
as they accumulate rapidly, the proprietor holds
| an auction every few weeks, either OF the Old
Masters or of Great Living Artists. The auctions
| take place, by tufns, in New Iotk, Boston,
Philadelphia Buffalo, Cincinnati, Chicago, ST.
| Louis, and San Francisco. The Calttornans,
my German artist says, are liberal patrons OF
the American Art Gallery Tor the Encourage
ment of Art and Young Artists, +" the sales in San
Francisco being both frequent aud profitable.
| Even TO Australia, on the other side of the
globe, consignmeuts OF these precious works are
sent from the Gallery in the Dameless city. The
pictures offered at the auction sales are fire.
quently advertised and declared to be "origInal
oil paintings by native artists from the Amerl-
can Gallery for the announcement OF Arts and
! Young Artists The frame is, of course, an
item of the first importance in this kind of pic
ture. The butcher manufactures his Fn
frames. and takes care that they shall be splen-
did, This is probably the secret OF his success
for what Is there dearer to the heart OF mau and
woman than gorgeous parlor? This amiable
passion burns in the breast of every true Anne
rican and 1t is this which creates the demand
for splendid gilt frames with something in them
that looks little like picture.- atlantic
Montbyt for March.