The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29
FRAUDS IN The ART WORLD.
1OGUS TIARA or SAITAPHARNES.
uJTHDRAWN FROM THE LOUVRE.
Now said to he the Work q Russian
o,dohaser--Ex posure Of Ar Forgeries
in England--NIany limitations Of the
works Of Turner. Constable and Cerst.
special Con Despatch 10 THH Sun.

,speetoi Co1 Despatch 10 rnn sun.
IospoN, March 2s.-The controversy
over the eenuiness OF the tiara Of Saita-
nbarnes. the tyrsnt Of Olbia, which was
did some years ago to the Louvre, has
aroused interest In the whole question
~ the antique market, and u causing q
deep searching Of hearts among enthusiast
,ic amateurs whose enthusiasm 10 more
fully developed than their judgment
John Macwhirter, r. A.. writes to the
Times to-day, saying in regard to the para
graphs that have bean printed about the
alleged art foreeries In Paris
1T has been suggested to me that It Ii
time to expose certain art frauds In London
and England generally. ! will speak OF
landscapes only. For years have known
that there must exist o sort OF mandatory
Of spurious pictures. / myself have seen
DOZENS but there are hundreds OF copies
or limitations Of works by Turner, Consta-
ble. Corot, Muller and others sold as genu-
inc. and many of them are In weI-known
collections In London. Glasgow and other
cities. The Corot and Constable frauds
are notorious.
Turner, the greatest OF landscape
painters, Is not easily initiated. His subtle
qualities Of refinement and exquisitely sug-
eested detail are far beyond the reach OF
imitators; nevertheless, there have been
plenty Of attempts made to copy them.
-Corot's early works are thorough
highly finished and precise, a. the early
works of all artists should be. HIS later
works are always charming. graceful
fluent and full OF light. Nevertheless, he
can easily be initiated in . hippant way.
The copies, OF course. haven't the light
touch and silvery light. The forgeries OF
this master are extremely numerous.
Constable, especially in his later works.
used the palette and knife freely and glazed
over broken color. This sort OF thing u
easily mimicked by a clever rogue. These
things are sometimes very clever and some-
timee very clumsy, but In all cases the
fraud can be detected by . lover OF nature
The obvious want of knowledge OF tree
growth and plant life gives them q coarse
ignorant look In contrast to Constable
mastery way.
.very likely, In spite OF this warning.
and moro that could add, collectors WI
continue to buy Is real works Of deceased
masters the chine limitations with closed
ewes. % long as IL ID the fashion and So
called art experts will advise them.
Meanwhile the much discussed tirara
has been Withdrawn from exhibition at the
Louvre until committee OF Investigation
which has been appointed. makes ts re-
mort. M. Elina. who first brought the mat
ter to public notice by declaring that ne
himself designed 1t, now says the statement
was only joke. He know Il was forgery
and only said be was the designer IN order
TO insure attention being called 70 the
spuriousness Of the tirara.
The Odessa goldchaser. Ramonchowsky
alleges that he made It. and Respectable
friends Of his. who are seemingly worthy
OF credit and who are now In Paris de-
clare that they saw him at work on the
article. Nothing that has hitherto ap-
peaped IN regard to the tiara sseme TO coo'
meet this clever Russian artist With par
ticipation in the fraud. He was ordered
TO do certain work. the gold was supplied
he got his pay In advance. and executed the
task. There his connection With the tiara
appears to have ended. He may even
benefit from the controversy. which may
bring him from obscurity and give his real
talent more favorable field than he has yes
found.