Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-02-09

How SOME on PAINTINGS ARE MADE oil
paintings, - by SO inches, mounted and
stretched are sold in this city at "A profit for
$50 a hundred. Eight artists have been
known to produce l2j of these paintings a
day. Large, handsome, flat Dutch gilt frames
for the paintings sell for 81. These are
Wholesale rates. The pictures retail for from
- apiece up, and one of them has been sold
as high us $3.50. They are sold chiefly by
peddlers, who carry stocks Of them through
all the mining towns Of the West. Many
show an amount Of labor and skill in execu-
ton which it would seem impossible to COM
maud for ten times the price asked. They
are all landscapes, AS nothing else sells 30 we'll
The paintings come in many sizes, but the
price docs not vary much. They generally
represent Il river mountains in the distance, a
bit of country with fences and trees aud here
and there farm house. The tints are well
blended and at a distance produce pleasing
elect This is especially true of the pictlres
intended for the Eastern trade. Thirteen
years ago. when the industry was begun,
loud, haring colors and broad effects were in
demand, but now such paintings are only
wanted in the far West. There they want the
gayest of colors, and above all, they must
have u castle. Castles Of the most remarka-
bic design are thrown in anywhere. They
are erected on the side Of steep mountain
or on an island in the wild woods. They
must have plenty Of turrets and battlcments.
One of the largest Of these oil painting
manufactures is in Greenwich street, where
there are rooms filed with racks containing
hundreds of finished paintings On an upper
floor a reporter saw eight persons, six Of
whom were young women. They were hard
at work and painting rapidly. The proprie-
tor, Mr.. William Levin, is an artist who stud
led four years under Gerome, in Paris Find
ing very little money in high art, he 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 the required
size, and stretched by machine on a square
pine frame, where it is made fast Next the
muslin is tinted light blue, and after this
has dried it is ready for the painter coat
ing of oil is first put on it, and then stencil
plate is laid on the muslin. This stencil is of
thick paper, with all sorts of odd shapes cut
in it, boy stands on one side of the table
and a girl on the other aud near them are
several small pots Of paint. They daub the
paint into the holes of the stencil plate with
great rapidity. When the stencil is removed
the muslin is seen to be spotted here and there
with paint. Another stencil is then used,
whose holes correspond TO other parts of the
muslin, and more paint is daubed in. Two
more stencils follow, and when the work is
done the muslin is completely covered with a
patchwork of varied colors. 1t is then hand
cd to a young woman, who blends the back
ground She uses several brushes in running
the colors into each other, and finally goes
over all with large camels hair brush.
The result is surprising. The patchwork be-
comes a harmonious combination of blended
tints The muslin then goes to man who
bIavdg fnrarfrppn1 II, no
Next it is dried and passes to the fnisher,
who works from model hung on her easel.
She outlines the trees, fences, shrubs and 9TH
er accidents of scenery with extraordinary ra-
pidity. The are mixed ready to her hand,
and she has simply to lay them on. A fourth
and more skillful artist gives the finishing
touches of light and shade. 1t finally goes Ia
the artist, who may be called the architect
He puts in the palaces, castles, houses and
boats. The rapidity and skill with which all
work is done is due to long years of practice
The paint used is common house painters
paint. In the paint room are racks contain
ing small pots of paint of 5000 different tnts
Mr. Levin says he is obliged to sell very
cheaply in order to compete with artists who
paint at their homes. He has 100 different
styles of pictures, but some sell much BETTE
than others. He has tried figure pieces, bu
they did not take well. The paint stands thu
test of time very well, and is softened and i'm
proved by age. When handsomely framed
these paintings, Mr., Levin says, are sometime
, hung in private galleries among expensive
, paintings. He knew of wealthy Western
man who had his private gallery completed,
J filed with these paintings. In the cities tn
) paintings are sold by auotioneers, and in tn
/ country by dry goods stores and peddleTs,
' is fascinating business, as high price ma
0 be obtained for the pictures sometimes
The frames are of pine, on which is glue
' a molding made of combination of putt
and glue, and gilded.-N. Y SIN.