New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-04-11
Manufactures Of Oil Paintings.

Oll paintings, ~ BY IS inches. mount
cd and stretched. are sold in this city at
= profit of $50 a hundred. Eight artists
have been known to produce l25 of
these paintings in q few days. Large.
handsome, Dutch gilt frames for the
paintings sell for 81. These are whole
sale rates. The pictures retail for from
y apiece up, and one of them has beef
sold as high as $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 execution which il would
seem impossible to command for ten
times the price asked. They are land
scapes, rs nothing else sells so well.
The paintings come in many sizes, but
the price does not vary much. They
generally represent river, mountains
in the distance, bit of country with
fences and trees, and here and there q
farm house. The tints are well blended
and at 4 distance produce pleasing
effect. This is especially true Of the
pictures intended for the Eastern trade.
Thirteen years ago, when the industry
WAS begun, loud, daring 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
castle. Castles of the most remark
able 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 tur-
rets and battlements.
One Of the largest Of these oil paint
Ing manufactures Is in Greenwich
street, where there are rooms contain
ing hundreds Of finished paintings. On
an upper floor the reporter saw eight
persons, six of whom were young wo-
men. They were hard ut work, and
painting rapidly. The proprietor, Mr..
William Levin. il an artist who studied
four years under Gerome, of Paris.
Finding very little money in fine art, he
invented process for the rapid produc-
ton 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 u square pine frame.
where it Is made fast. Next the muslin
is tinted light blue, and after this has
dried 1t is ready for the painter. A
coating 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 into it. A boy
stands on one side of the table and q
girl on the other. and near them are
several small pots Of paint. They danb
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 tho
muslin. and more paint is daubed in.
Two more stencils follow, and when the
work is done the muslin is completely
covered with patchwork of varied
colors. It is then handed to ayoung wo-
man, who blends the back ground. She
uses several brushes in running the
colors into each other, and finally goes
over all with large camel's hair brush.
The result is surprising. The patch
work becomes an harmonious combine
ton Of blended tints. The muslin then
goes to man who blends the fore
ground in the same manner. Next it is
dried and passed to the fnisher, who
works from model hung on her easel,
She outlines the trees, fences, shrubs.
and other accidents of scenery with ex-
traordinary rapidity. The colors arc
mixed ready in 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 TO 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
tints.
| MIR. 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 higher than others. He
has tried figure pieces, but they do no,
take we'll. The paint stands the test Ol
time very vol. and is softened and i'm
proved by age. When handsomel,
framed these paintings, Mr.. Levin says
are sometimes hung in private galleries
among expensive paintings. Inthe cities
the pictures are sold by auctionccrs,
and in the country by dry-goods stores
and peddlers. 1t is fascinating bust.
ness. as a high price may be obtained
for the pictures sometimes.
The frames are of pine, on which is
glued q molding made Of combination
Of putty and glue, and gildcd.-Neu
York Sun.