New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-17
FRAUDS IN PAINTINGS.
PoRGERIEs PRACrIsED IN EUROPE AND AMERICA
PAINTERS WHO ARE INITIATED

PoRGERIRs PRACrIsED IN EUROPE AND AMERICA
PAINTERS WHO ARE INITIATED
Said prominent artist to TRIBUNE re-
porter recently: "There any number OF paintings
fraudulently said be the handiwork OF Verbceok-
boven. dealer IN Antwerp once told me that no had
shipped dozens of them to England and America aud
am Informed also by n6isputable authority that an
artist who the professor OF painting nj one OF the
great Continental art-schoos made Yerboeck-
hDyens in large numbers twenty francs EACH but the
dealer had to get another artist TO Initiate the signatures
at five francs each These copies were as good as the
originals. were sent TO New-York for the American
msrkes sold big prices. and In private colec
tons throughout the country.
received while In Antwerp an illustrated catalogue
OF certain pictures sold by auction In New-York.
Among the photographed pictures was one by an emf
nent Antwerp painter and marked sold Mt $1,000.
Underneath was printed highly finished example Of
this eminent MASTER called upon the painter and
showed him the photograph and the remark below It,
He was enraged. aud showing dozen or two little
panels upon which had roughly setched various sub
iects for future pictures, said, gave Dir. -, an
American OF thu rough sketches rs little SOU
yenir and lie has npished II and sold II as my picture
Last winter this same highly finished example "
la picture gallery In broadway In a collection "a noted
one at tbatio DO sold at auction II sold well again.
have a photograph of 1t in my possession
Are any of the French painters similarly copied ?"
asked the reporter
Diaz" replied the artist, Ia copied Ia Paris and
Brussels very successfully. COrOt and Rossesu are
seldom successfully copied in their best STYLE but they
are easily copied in the style Of pictures most affected by
dealers Daubigny in his best as Effet
du Soir' which hung long In Goupis and hhich vas
bon ght for the Boston Museum-cannot be copied; bat
In his poor work-te kind that he said had ruined him,
and that had produced at the temptation OF dealers
IL is easy initiate him. have seen here In certain
private number Of pictures purportng TO be by
these artists and for which large prices have been paid
n m
artists. and directly under the teachings OF
this grand school OF forest landscape ought 10 he a
Judge Of their works. Why not expose the fraud
Because dear sir, the dealer has been beforehand
and taught the American merchant that the American
artist Is jealous and nercenary wretch that ME
opinion Is not be trusted Hence, rather than incur
the suspicion OF being dishonest ana also the enty OF
dealer, kerp mouth 3hut. and there arc num-
Der o! artists who will tell you the same thing.
Yes" added another well-kn0wn artist close by, 1
well that the copying OF the works or modern
painters purpose of ftuu Is largely done abroa
either young Students to exc out their usually slender
means or by older Who have not been successful
with their paintings In Paris II Is also the custom
OF some artists, when they have painted successful
WORK 10 copies OF made by pupils or others III
necessary little fetUuching Is done ny the artist Mint
self and the signature Is then added The pictures
either sold batch 10 some dealer or aH Is more ire
qusnty the case, they arc distributed with differing
titles In the various exhibitions aferward"
IA any thing OF this sort done Ia America T.
sOf course there Is IL only last season that
Frederick Il. Church found at auction "A painting
cafaogued by hi which he had never seen before
The imitation OF work OF Bruce Cranes, too. ard the
forged copies by two young artists OF works by NJ f. H.
DE Haas are stin fresh In mind. am told that
la Williamsburg has made these fOrkeries his business
for years; and thnt combining himself formerly to Amer
icaa painters and then the Dusseldorf school, he
initiates the popular French masters"