The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-02
In AL0NDON GALLERY
WHERE AMBITIOUS ART STUDENTS
THRoNG FOR STUDY.

On two days in the week, Thursdays and
FRIDAYS, fee is charged for admission to
the National gallery, Trafalgar square, Lon
don. This does not diminish the attend
ance, but changes its character Instead
of the usual throng of tourists and home
visitors, most of whom stroll in u bewilder-
ed manner from chamber to chamber in the
great building, there is an attendance of
men and women who gather in groups be-
fore tie most famous masterpieces Most
.of the women chatter volubly, and not n
few of the men will join in conversation
The visitors for the most part are painters,
Students, dealers or conuoisseurs.
OF course these painters are at the gallery
70 make copies of pictures, but what con
noissC 'lr or amateur would care to invest
in copias' Well, copying paintings is bread
and butter to small army of London
painters, but it must not be supposed that
such mettN of earning a living meets .
with the approval or even knowledge Of .
those in authority at the museum and gal .
leries. On the contrary, every possible eff /
fort is made to discouutenance the practice
g using the privileges Of the galleries as
4 immediate and direct source of pecu-
mary benefit. \ painter who was known to
sell his copies rs originals would not be
permit led to enter the galleries on student
days.
On the other hand, encouragement is
shown to students who desire to copy Any
one car get immediate permission by pro
ducing a specimen of work which will
serve pass, even if it show but little
merit, or by letter of recommendation
from Iny known artist or art teacher. I'm
der such circumstances it is no wonder that
clever painters, who are willing to stoop to
fraud, are able to pursue their business I'M
disturbed in the great galleries painter
of this class usually is a specialist-that is,
he devOtes himself to acquiring the style of
some enc master, copying his pictures eX-
clusiv,ly, and cases are not altogether rare
wherein famous paintings have been so
Cleverly reproduced as to deceive connois-
sears.
The writer knows of one instance in re
cent Years in which the INSCRIPTIONS
painter spent the greater part of his life in
copying the water cOlOrs of a recognized
master and had no difficulty in disposing
of every copy as an original. The copies
were generally disposed of through dishon-
est dealers, but though purchasers paid
liberal y for the fakes the painter him
self proflted little by his skill, for he was
always miserably poor and died at last of
starvation and drink. An especially re
markable feature of this mans work was
the fact that he copied from memory. Dur
ing the last years of his life, at least, he
never brought his easel and palette to the
National gallery, but he often went there
and stood for hours at a time before the
picture he had selected, committing to
memory every detail Of outline and color
effect. Whether it was his method to re-
turn after having completed his copy TO re
view his work by a second or third study Of
the orig nal the writer does not know.
The number of copies made in the great
oil. 20, Ia, g,1I fol az a
tions is small compared to the immense
amount of work done there every year
Most Of the work, if sold, j. sold for what it
purpOrts to be, and therein lies the oppor-
tunity Tor purchasers who want good paint
ings. Not a few painters of unmistakable
talent give themselves up to copying be
cause it assures them living less precari-
GUS than might be earned by creative work
alone. Moreover, to copy on fee days in the
National gallery is in itself an advertise
ment of no mean value for dealers are
lowering about all the time ready to pick
up an excellent copy at a bargain, or, rs is
frequently the case, to give a commission
tGr new work, IA real original, from the
ush Of any painter whose work strikes
them having the requisite style and
power
Besides the dealers there are always pri-
vate BUYERS OF hand. some of them Ameri-
cans, VINO happen to know the possibilities
of obtaining good pictures at low prices
and als not slow to take advantage of the
opportunity That the opportunities may
be excellent, so far as prices 20, may be in
ferred from the plight of an Italian who
was patiently copying an old Dutch pic
ture lie frankly admitted that he had no
commission; that he was copying solely in
the hope that he might sell his copy for a
little food He came from Naples, where
he had run through a fortune, and had been
four months in London. During that time
he had sold one small picture of his own
and that for mere trltle. 80 have taken
TO cop ing" he said simply.
Some of the copyists make good incomes
One IN N who came under the writer's oh
sorvaton had lived for several years on one
picture in the Bethuel Green museum. H,
had copied it more than 80 times A ia
vorite among the copysts is Murllo's st
John the Baptist" One painter alone ha'
made and sold dozen copies Of it,
There are more women than men among
the copyists, and critical observers of long
standing say that in recent years the worl
of women has undergone a remarkable i'm
provement in breadth and strength of treat
ment. Perhaps this has not been unatfect
ed by the better accommodations afforded
to women than men In the National gal
lery. 1t becomes veritable club for won
en- painters and their friends on fee days
The friends trot along and take their sew
ing and ply their needle industriOusly Will
the artists stick colors on canvas and tax
part in conversation. Whenever they ar
hungry or thirsty, they repair for refresh
ments to a room in the basementespeciall,
prepared for them, where ordinary lunch
cons may be purchased. The men do no
come in for this. Ample room is provided
for the storage of easels and unfinished can
vases for all artists, but those of the NAL
persuasion must go to the nearest pub
for their mug of ale and veal pie.-Nev
York sun.