Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22
Paris and London the Center Of the In
dustry in Old Paintings
NEURfMBURe ARTISANS MAKE CURlOS
Not All of the Gullible Ones Are Rich
Americans by Any Means.
BARON RoTHscHILD SEVERELY BITTEN
Pays Thirty Thousand Dollars for 9
Spurious Antique Bell Said
to ne from st. Peters,
burg Palace,

Copyright, 1903, by Press Publishing Coz
PARIS, March 21-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram.l-Another sem
sational scandal is cropping out in the
Paris world Of art Acting upon informa-
tion given, partly for spite, partly for con-
science sake, the Paris police have raided
sne premises OF seventeen dealers in OBJ
jects OF art and have conhscated a great
number OF fake pictures, paintings, paint
ings fraudulently bearing the names Of
eminent artists.
A picture factory in Lontmarte has
been found In which several Bohemian ar
lists, who are expert copyists, are reg
ularly employed in initiating the works
Of old masters. These pictures, signed
with the names OF Diaz Daubigny, Corot
and other famous painters, are sold to
American collectors. One of the raided
dealers, on learning that rivals in busI-
ness had put the police on his track, has
made revelations showing that art frauds
have been committed for years on large
scale and with impunity.
The Tiara Of Saitaphernes," now in the
Louvre, was bought by the state for s4O,-
600. The purchase caused much discussion
at the time, and now the dealer who is
in a mood to tell tales out OF school,
says he made a plaster model for the tiara
from designs furnished by persons whose
names he has given to the police. He
believes that similar frauds have beeu
perpetuated on other Paris museums, nota,
bly, the Musee Carnavalet. Several can
vases in the Splitter collection he pro-
nounces fraudulent limitations.
The revelations have proved beyond
question that the statements recently made
by Gerome and other eminent artists about
m.
more than justified.
Paris IL not Alone.
LONDON. March 21.-New York WorlC
Cablegram-Special Telegram )-The manu-
faoture OF fake pictures by old masters 4
not confined to Paris. The great Increase
in the value OF Romney, Geinesborougl
and Lawrence portraits caused the produc
IS tions OF many spurioas-eanysses, and latel!
these masters" have been put on thu
American and English market One copy
lat in London has attained astonishing &C
curacy in reproducing Romney's work
These fraudulent pictures are never ex
posed to the test OF a sale at Christie's
They change hands privately, and mos
collectors are so vain about their knowl
edge that when they have been deceive
they make no fuss, especially as the dealer
do not favor a guarantee.
Antiquities are manufactured on tn
biggest scale of all in Nuremberg, wher
sham brssses of the sixteenth century, sill
yer cups. worries or whatever curios ar
In special demand at any time, are turne
out in profusion The art displayed
these copies is scarcely inferior to tha
in the original. II deceives the keenest an
most knowing collectors. Baron Rothschil
bought here recently a silver bell suppose
to have come from the Hermitage palaC
at st. Petersburg and reputed to be
famous work of Benevuto Cellini. Roth'
child paid 100000 for 1t, but discovers
afterward that two OF his continental re
atives had bought similar bells about II
same time. Each OF the three containe
one third Of the genuine bell. which hs
been broken up and the original piec'
had been worked in with the imitation.
Tho leading collectors here are talkir
OF establishing an international registry 4
works OF art in which the genuine ped
gree" Of all works of art shall be rel
istered so that their history may be trac
able But there are many dlficulties In Il
wav of such a project, not the least beil
that the dealers are dead set against it.