The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-31
Making Oil-Pa1ntings.

| vi P"ihtiuhe' OF Wy 90 lnCnGS, nnCly
mounted and stretched, are sold in New
YORK at profit for fifty dollars q hun
dred. Eight artists have been Known to
proouce 40 OF these painting in day.
large handsome fiat DutcIf gilt frames for
| the paintings sell for 81. These are
wholesale rates. The pictures retail from
80 apiece up, and one OF, thcm has been
sold as high as $3.50. They are sold chief.
ly by peddlors, who carry stocks of them
through ali the mining towns of the West.
i1any show an amount OF labor ond sk,ll
IN execution WHICH 1t would seem imnns.
slDle to command for ten times the prce
that is asked. They arc all landscapes. as
nothing else sells so well. The paintings
come IN many sizes but the price does
not vary much.r~ They generally represent
river, mountains IN the distance, a bit
OF country with fences and trees end here
ana there farmhouse. The tlntb are well
blended, and at distance produce pleas
ing elect. This is especially true of the
picture intended for the Eastern trade.
ihlrteen years ago, when the industry was
oesun, loud, faring col0rs and broad cf-
iects were in demand, but now such pant.
ings arc only wanted in the West. There
'ney want the gayest of colors, and, above
an, they must have a castle. Csstles of
Tue most remarkable design are thrown in
anywhere. They are created on tho sido
ol sleep mountain or an island in the
"lld woods. They must lave plenty of
turrels and battlements. Que of the iarg.
est CT these oll.painting manufactures ia
ia greenwich street, where there are rooms
nileu with racks containing hundreds ST
nhlsucd paintings. On an upper floor
report!SISsszE s.gsst.a ssn9s, Six OF Rhnus,
work and painting very rapidly. The pro-
prletor ls an artist who studied four years
under Gcrome, III Paris. Finding very
little money in high art, ho invented
process for the rapid production of cheap
paintings. The paintings are made on
heaVy muslin which Is first wet and
stretched tightly on long frames. 1t is
Then cut INTO tho required size, aud
stretched by d inachine on a square pine
trame, where 1t is made fast. Next the
muslin ls tinted light blue, and after this
hes dried 1t is realty for tho painter. A
coating OF oil ia first put on 1t, and then
stencil plate is laid on tho muslin. This
stencil ls of thick paper, with all sorts of
odd sbapes cut III 1t. A boy stands on
one side OF the table and q glrl on the
other, near them arc several small pots Of
paint. They dGub the paint into the holes
III the stencil plate with great rapidity.
When the stlncl! is removed the muslin is
seen TO bo spotted here and there with
paint. Another stencil ls then used,
whose holes correspond to other parts OF
the muslin, and more stencils follow, and
when the work Is done the muslin is COM
Pletely covered with patchwork of va
rled cclors. 1t Is then handed to a young
woman, who blends the background. She
uses severa! brushes in running tho colors
into each other, and finally goes over all
with a large camel's HAIR brush. The re-
suit is surprising. The patchwork be-
comes harmonious combination Of blend
ed UNITS. The muslin then goes to man
VINO blends tho foreground In the samc
manner. Next it Ia dried and passes to
the flntshcr, who works from model hung
on her easel. She outlines the trees, fen
ces, shrubs and other accidents of scenery
with extraordinary rapldity. Tho colors
arc mixed ready to her hand, and she has
simply to lay them Oh. A fourth and
more skilful artist gives the finishing
touches OF light and shade. 1t finally
goes TO the artist, who may bo called the
architect. lie puts in the palaces castles,
houses, and boats. The rapidity and skill
with which all work Is due to long years
of practice. The paint used Is common
house painters paint. In the paint room
arc racks containing small pots OF paint OF
5000 different tlnts. MIR. Levin says he
ID obliged to sell very cheaply in order to
compete with artists who paint at their
homes. lilo has 100 different styles of
pictures, hut some sell much better than
others. lie has tried hgure-pleces. but
they did not take well. The paint stands
the test Of time very well, and is softened
and improved by age. When handsomely
framed these paintings, Dir. Levin says,
are sometimes hung in private galleries
among expensive paintings.