New-York tribune., 1905-02-25
CALLS STATUE MODERN.
Italian Dealer GiUes Aphrodite a
Hundred Years or So.

Signor AIessandro olivott dealer in antiques
expresses strong doubts to the age OF Frederick
Linton's much discussed Aphrodite
signor Olivotti when he had viewed the statue,
which is at the National Arts Club WAS sure,
according to last nights Evening Post" that ne
had It before. He was quoted as saying:
have been somewhat amused at the agitation
here In New-York over the so-called Aphro9dilITT 9iT
Of Praxteies on the slendersst Of foundations
1taly see n9thing @ in q The statue Itself to make
think it may not be modern work quite possltDIS
it dates from one hundred years or SO ago, whe9
cheaper than now. and it is very likely that the
marble OF this statue is antique But antique mar
Bile alone does not make an ANTIQUE statue. 1,a,us
nave lnIoTnatlon from Florehee bo Ind. sod q from
a certain marquis in Florence by a dealer IN an. an
it was resold in 1889 TO Englishan of the name
Of Linton. AS the name of the present owner & u n
was acquired by him in 1859 1t seems seen m NOT nhroe
of the Arts Club are Identical
To a Tribune reporter last night Mr. Linton not
only repudated Signor Olivottis statement, but
declared that eminent sculptors with whom he had
consulted in Italy in 1891 had stated, after seeing
photographs of his Aphrodite. that the Venus OF
Medici in the Uffiz Gallery absolute forgery
Mr.. Linton courted examination of his statue
by scientists and experts: the sooner the better
he said.
II am certain of the date I negotiated for
and bought the Aphrodite." said Mr.. Linton. L
It was board ship in the London docks, and
to the best Of nay knowledge the statue has never
been IN Florence. Signor Olivotti says that pos
sibIy my statue dates from one hundred years
ago. DR.. EIais says 1t Is antique
Does sny reasonable man believe that with the
strict government law forbidding the taking OF
antiques out OF Italy, the statue could have been
carried out of the country-by way OF Florence
which Is not seaport-over railroads actually
owned by the government? am prepared to make
declaration oath that in 1891 visited Rome
Turin and Milan, and there consulted with four or
five leading sculptors, who told me they had never
heard of or seen the original Of my photographs
before
They said, then that they believed the Venus Of
Medici in Florence to be absolute forgery, thau
the who had restored 1t had never seen the
original. They based this statement the rea-
tive position of the hands in the Florence Venus
and my Aphrodite statue. SignOr Olivottt may, as
he says have seen my statue before, but nave no
knowledge of il. As against the statement OF Sig
nor Olivott, there that of Dr. Pals the director
of the Naples Museum, who believes my statue TO
be an ancient Greek marble of the time of Praxit-
eles."
Provided you arrange TO sell the statue, and the
negotiations mature" asked the reporter. are you
willing give a full true and particular account
of now the statue came into your possession What-
ever the consequences"
4 am" said Mr. Linton ''and / only ask that the
statue be judged its merits If scientists md It
be a genuine PraXltileS, well and good. II they
find it not, and modern well and good, also