Frostburg mining journal., 1881-12-17
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AKIUTUNH FKXUU. :


psw They MsnafsoIsrs ON Paintings In
New Esrh for ths Wsssssa Art pssAs.
A writer In 9 recent issue Of the Art
Amateur has an Artiole uyen the bogus
picture trade In New York city. He
says: "In Lsvy's place the pictures are
not hung upon the wall. II weuld re-
quire large house to furnish wall space
enough to hang all Levy's pictures. In
stead Of this they are arranged In huge
piles about the commodisus storerooms
unframed. The would-be purchaser Ii
shown whole sets Of these at time in
standing frame. Pictures are sold here
according to their size, and not accord.
ing to merit, as they are all believed to
possess an equal amount Of that. Levy
regards pictures with commercial eye
solely, and if you inquire OF him the
price of his goods he will at once ask you
what size you want, and this makes you
feel as If he was about to produce
a tape line and take your measure.
"we have them," he will say, "from
biIty.Hve cents up to 3225." "Dsss
this include the frames alsor" you ask
In your innocence, and you are rather
surprised when he answers that the
frames cost more than the pictures, for
whom you ind that the pictures are
made by the yard you feel Is if the
frames should be made by the cord.
Scenes on the Hudson with strong
palisades and impossible clouds, pic
turss Of sheep and COWS feeding near
brooks that start in the olsuds and
come vertically down the middle Of the
canvas, are the favorites just now.
"Thsre is q great demand for these
pictures ont Wsst," you will be told,
"where the taste for art Is rapidly i'm
proving" Levy's establishment is gen.
orally full Of customers, and the hands
Of It's proprietor, to say nothing OF his
pockets, are full also. Il Is said
that some years ago Levy used to
be a mild, modest individual, who
worked side by side with bis men.
Now, however, since "ths taste for art
has increased in the West" Levy 10 .
changed man. He has sharp. resonant
voice and . staggering, brassn air. ~ il
he himself were the bAssoon Of the hu-
man orchestra. "Toll CAslo to put
some more trees on them yalisAdesP
he shouts to one Of his men, and At the
same time points to stack Of three
feet by two pictures representing the
palisades about to topplo over into the
Hudson. A customer, who came In
while the writer was there, wanted the
names of eminent artists attached to the
pictures he had purchased. "ThAtll
be extra" said Levy, With an insinua-
ting smile. "oh. that's all right" said
the customer, "only put on the names
of them Eyetalian fellers."
Up rickety flight Of stairs is the
attic, and here are the rooms where the
pictures are made. Do you remember
the gAudy paintings you have seen In
restaurants adjoining railway stations2
The focks Of shaggy sheep and the
obese COWS rambling beneath incredible
trees and over brooks flowing above
their sourcss2 They were painted in
this attic or if not then in some place
Of like character. Here there is no
romance. The artists sit about the
three small rooms in the front Of the
garrett and work like beavers. They
have the knack OF the brush and the
maul-stick, and they keep the spot
boiling" so to speak. Here is marine
picture on the easel Of the nearest man
as you enter. The ship in the back
ground seems to have partsken of the
vim and energy Of the artist and skins
the waves with no laggard prov. But
the pennant at the fore is streaming
one way and yet her sails are doomed
out in Just the other direction.
It is unfortunate that the artist
in his haste to complete the picture has
overlooked the fact that the wind never
blows from opposite points Of the COM
pass at the same time. els that sop
he says, when his attention Is called to
the fact; ooh, they don't mind little
things like that ont WestP On the
broad beach in the foreground are
strewn surprising kinds Of seaweed, and
climbing over the rocks hare and thasa