Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-03-13
MAKING OIL PAINTINGS.
How Cheap Daubs are Turned
out in New York.
Factories Produce Them BY the Thousand
for $50 a Dozen.

real oil painting" ''copies of old mas
ters, and "copes of the works of the
most famous Of modern artists" in ''ele-
CANT gilt frames at prices which are
described as "deiying all competition.
Agents in this city who send the cir
culars profess contempt for chromos
and cheap engravings, which. they de
clare di,fgure the walls of many
homes. They claim to have made
contracts with rising young artists for
the production of celebrated paintings,
which they can sell to favored few
for sums which amount to little more
than the cost of the materials. They
also have purchased, at bankrupt
sale, a collection of fine gilt franz Ies,
which they wish to sell at sm,a all
profit. BY such means they can offer
an Oil painting and frame for S.
which would cost $50 if purchasedin
the regular way. The result is that
in many rural homes are found high
ly-colored paintings i'll imitation gilt
frames. The pictures are usually ex-
pressionless landscapes, marked by
dimness of outlines and haphazard
blending Of colors. City people often
wonder where such daubs come from
In boarding-h houses and in many hum
Die homes IN the city the cheap oil paint
ing have male their appearance in re
cent years through the medium of
mock auction sales Many busy New
orker has his attention drawn to
more than one Of the mock auction
rooms which abound in the downtown
districts. The open door is close to
the sidewalk and persons passing can
see at the further end of the room an
oil painting on an easel which is light
ed brilliantly, by a row of gas jets
from above. Seen at a distance and
i new gilt frame, the picture has
an attractive appearance to an un-
practised eye. The loud tones Of the
auctioneer can be heard plainly in the
street. His words are seductive to
men on the lookout for bargains
Several other men inside the place are
his assistants, or "cappers,. but they
play the role Of outside buyers. When
stranger enters the room they bid
eagerly. Daub after baub is knocked
to them at SO. $50 or s25 until the
stranger makes a modest lid. If he
offers more than $ for a painting and
frame the auctioneer lets him have it.
Most buyers think they have secured
bargains until their gaudy paintings
have hung in their homes for few
months. Then the imitation gilt be-
gins to crack like the paint on a fire
board, the bright hues darken on the
canvass and each owner suspects he
has been sold.
"There are dozen factories in New
York and Brooklyn where such daubs
are made" said a picture dealer to q
Nail and Erpre>s reporter. 1T j:
said that the factories turn out from
500 to 1000 oil paintings day, ac-
cording to the condition OF trade
The bulk of such pictures IS shipped
West. but thousands of elaubs are solo
in New York and neighborng state.
every year. Any one who looks close
" at the ordinary run ot them cal
guess how they are made. With big
paint brushes, pots OF different coloret
paint and set OF stencil plates.
workman who has no knowledge o
art matters can produce one of tn
regulation daubs Even the prepara
ton of the stencil plates does not re
quire much artistic ability. Canva
for the pictures is made OF cheal
stuff and hastily tackled on frames
Copies of paintings in which there i
little variety of color are the fag0rltes
Ordinary paint IS used. First, IN
prevailing colors or groundwork. Of
painting are put upon canvas WIZ
one stencll-plate, AM the canvas
placed drying RACK while the sam
stencil is used for other copies Is
the time the last canvas OF SCI ha
received its groundwork the flrst on
is ready for the addition Of dlfferen
colors with another stencl!-platr- ;
the work goes on un.-l workman Ia
completed a set Of 10 or 2lD picture.
all alike and all worthless from an a,
tistlc standpoint. Among p!ctu7
Gealers such paintings are known .
Buckeyes In most factories ID
stencil work does not complete n
pictures, and poor artists re osrei b
the week 10 sdf hastv finishing touch