New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-06

by Cosimo alona" but he proceeds to point out
that Lorenzo the Magnificent grandson OF Cos
imo. was not content to possess n superb col
lection OF antiques in his garden. but sought to
his day. HE wished to raise sculpture in Flor
ehce to the level OF painting, and placed Bar
toidO follower of Donatello in charge of the
sculptures that he might help and instruct the
young men who studied them" This seems only
an anticipation of the generosity and public
spirit OF many collectors OF own day, until
1t is perceived that Lorenzo personally
constant source of stimulus and criticism in that
WONDERFUL pleasaunce of his. Nowadays the
patron is. on the whole. inclined to accept what
ever famous artist chooses to give him with
out asking questions demanding corrections.
The great name of the painter covers every
thing. Hence we distinguished master of
portraiture or a celebrated painter of the figure
imposing upon the public and upon his patron
work which is entirely unworthy of him. If the
connolsseur upon whom he relied for support
were to rap him over the knuckles sharply at
shortening in the picture statue he was
desired to purchase. and made the artist feel
that he could not be taken in, that he knew
quite as we'll as the artist just what the work
should be, We would a stifening of the ar
ustic backbone in quite another sense than that
which is commonly the case to-day. The patrons
OF the Renaissance were devoted to the painters
and scuptors and craftsmen who surrounded
minds when production was unsatisfactory.
and many is the story of the individual mon
astic committee, would call it to-day.
whose objections eliminated in a curt refusal
to pay for the work in question until it was made
right
There is the more reason for a collectors TAX
ing thought before launching out into the sea OF
the aucton-room when it is considered that mis-
takes are so easily made at times 10y even the
cIe roSf NJ
interesting tales of forgery and fraud. He
fers for example. to the so-caed golden tiara
OF the Scythian King Saitapharnes. which was
purchased by the Louvre for 10000 "Dr.
Burgess, of the Vienna Museum, it leaks
out had been offered the tiara and had declined
it. Now comes Professor Furtwangler.
the great German expert, and decides against it
as a vulgar imposture He claims to be able to
point out the published sources from which the
medley or anachronistic ornament has been
borrowed Some clever workman in a small
town named Otschakow in South Russia is sus-
pected of the manufacture Even though Pro-
fessor Furtwangler were proved in there
would be many other instances showing the
fallibility of the most accomplished experts.
Bastianini, the poor Italian peasant whose name
ultimately came to tremendous notoriety in
the late sixties, could fabrcate Renaissance
sculpture SO we'll that to this day the practised
eye is nearly deceived. and at the time the
modelled his forgeres they completely con-
quered the authorities at the Louvre and "A
South Kensington. Mr.. Robinson alludcs to a
willy Quaker in Staffordshire who got hold of Il
lot of pate tendre china made at Sevres. He
secured many thousands of pieces in the white
and added the colored ornament with such skill.
sometimes venturng upon details original with
himself, that his handwork readily passed $
genuine Sevres ware for many years No doubt
there are relics of his art preserved with rever-
ence in the cabinets of many an astute collector
! of Sevres. One anecdote of collectors discom-
future is somewhat trivial, to be sure. but Mr..
Robinson does well to repeat it, 1t concerns the
once famous Ralph Bernal. whose collection
dispersed in London in 1870 He canny
buyer and the dealers knew it, He
think at last. probably with some truth that
they concealed their best things from him.
Calling one day at the shop of Messrs Town and
Emmanuel, he caught sight of Mrs Town
hastily shutting something out of view into
drawer. Bernal was Immediately alive with the
keen instinct of the collector. What haze you
got there. Mrs. Town" he sad let me see it,
let me sec it, oh, sir. it is nothing that you
| would care about she replied Come. come
| said Bernal i know il is something good >
| Whereupon. the bashful lady displayed to the
eager eyes of the virtuoso a pair of her hus-
| bands old socks which she had been assiduously