Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-02-21
PAINTINGS AT WHOLESALE.
a SHOP wHERBTREYA ARE TURNED
OUT BY THE THOUSAND.
New York Factories Which VIII
Furnish an '-Old Master at q
Few Hours' Notice

city, saws writer In the New Ork NeSs,
where this Is done ell the time These
establishments are located in different
parts OF the city and the proprietor has
in his employ number of artists, some Of
them really Skillful and oil of them rapid.
These are employed by the week and
kept constantly st work. As pictures &C
cumulate they are shipped to agents or
branch houses in the West. There they
are put on exhibition, and as many as
possible disposed of at private sale. The
balance are then sold at public auction
under the announcement of ARTISTS
Sale" The cost Of production to the
dealer has been light, and, though be at
first asks high price, he is ready 10 &C
cept a much smaller one rather than lose
D sale. Pictures that he has marked up
ut private sale to perhaps $3.50 are let go
pc auction at 325 or $50, the purchaser
thinking that through force of necessity
She sale has been made, and that he has
Eos great bargain. The truth is that
the dealer at the reduced price still real
ICES over 100 per cent. profit.
"How are these pictures produced at
such small cost2'
"In the first place the artists receive
comparatively little or nothing for their
work"
Glow much do they get7"
"When the business was first started
in this city they received from S25 to
$50 week, now they do not get more
than $15."
"Are they not competent mem"
40 IL A. l.
Many of them are men of considerable
talent, reduced to the necessity or work
ing for a mere pittance by misfortune,
generally by dissipation; others are
quick, apt men, who have served an APP
premiership and acquired considerable
skill in panel-painting for cars"
Glow about the materials used in pro-
ducing the picture2"
Both the canvas and the colors are of
the cheapest kind. The colors are what
are known as tin oOlors' used by carriage
painters. The regular artist of finest
colors are sold in tubes. The tube col
OTIS are seldom used in these picture fac
tories, except to touch up some piece in
the foreground Of a picture where brill
fancy of color is required. THIS is one of
the tricks Of the trade to deceive the IN
educated eye as to the coloring Of the
entire painting. Ihave an acquaintance
employed in one of these factories who
bas been quite successful in resorting to
this trick. He will paint a landscape,
the coloring being a dead green; in the
foreground, however, he will put q single
tree with brilliant autumnal foliage, using
the best of tube colors. The work will
be exquisitely done, and to the ordinary
observer the bright coloriHg OF the piece
in the foreground lends brilliancy to the
entire painting. But, of course, every
artist knows that the autumnal foliage
of this single tree is merely to catch the
uneducated eye, and that it has no bust
ness in picture where the entire back
ground is arrayed in the green garb of
spring or summer"
"Do these tin colors last2"
"Oh, yes, for very long time. Ia
these days the very best artist colors do
not retain their brilliancy like those OF
the old masters. You see, the latter
were chemists as we'll as artists, and
made their own colors."
care many of these factory pictures
sold In this city,"
comparatively few. Many of them
find q market through the West and
South. Sometimes persons on a visit to
the city go directly to these dealers to
purchase some particular painting"
"Suppose the dealer does not have the
picture in stockf'
Then it is painted for him, and that
too, In a space of time incredibly short
to the uninitiated. For instance, sup
pose a gentleman should call on the pro-
prietor Of one of these large establish
ments and state that he wished to
purchase copy of Coles Voyage of
Life'-a series of allegorial paintings ex-
tending from the cradle to the grave.
The proprietor does not happen to have
it in stock, but he does not turn the
would-be purchaser away. He says: -
haven't a copy of those paintings here,
but will send up to my other store for
them. Please call tomorrow and will
have them here for you
I" but I wish to leave town this even
ing says the purchaser. The proprie-
tor hcsitates o moment, then says:
"'Well, it is now o'clock; you come
In this afternoon at o'clock and will
have them for you.
mo sooner does the visitor leave the
store than the proprietor shouts up stairs
through the speaking tube:
"'Copy of the Voyage Of Life"
wanted by 8 o'clock
"Cheap canvases stretched on wedge
frames are always ready for orders re-
quir4ng just such celebrity in their filing.
In q moment q sufficient number of