The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-24
rHE OH MASTERS AND THB
GUARANTEE.
A Letter Frsm the GuarhhteF, MT.
Enrich.


To TuB EDIroa or tbs suN STR Your
editorial statement IN this mornings i1auo
In which, referring 20 the approaching sale
by the Enrich Galleries. you say that nFyeT
before. as far a. you know, has g collection
OF the works Of the old masters -been put
up here az public sale with such . singular
guarantee. Il IN error When ! sold my
private collection OF Dutch and Flonlsh
masters, Just ten years ago, gave idsntically
the Same guarantee, word for word. Ana
with all due modesty, II seems 70 me 70 speak
for the accuracy Of my attnbUtions and the
quality Of my paintings when ] state that
OF the nlnety-two examples then cold not
a single one was ever returned or questioned
by the purchaser.
The mention of the sals hrlnEs to mind
an attendant incident which seems worthy
OF recall. In TIN Suns oTitioism Of my
then collection your critic. after mildly cues"
tlonlng some OF my Rttributlons, made q
specific state ment against the example which
i called "Gaspard Hetscher,- which be
claimed was neither n Eetsoher NOS even an
Imitation OF q Netscher in fact, that Il had
no relation with NetsoheT whatsoeveT, There
upon l addressed a letter 70 your paper,
which you had the fairness Immediately 70
publish. In which, referring 70 your criticism
! called attention 70 my guarantee with the
added statement that, as your critic speoin-
Ghuy QueblOn0Q my hltflDuhOu VI N0SSuoAt
would In that instance change the guarantee
In 30 far as to agree 70 give the purchaser
twice his money back II the painting was not
exactly what ] represented II 10 BE-. After
the sale l called the attention Of the pur-
chaser Of the Netscher 70 the orttlcism in
TIE SUN and 10 my supplemental guarantee.
insisted on submitting the painting TO the
judgment Of DR.. Bredus, the director OF sthe
Hague Gallery. who Is recognized as the
Ind q Oh AZ n
The painting was sent 10 DR.. Bredius, and In
a few weeks his reply was received, In which
he stated that the painting In question was
an absolutely genuine Netsoher. with Netseh-
eT's absolutely genuine signature. This let
ter w6 given 10 the purchaser, who has II in
mis- possession. The purchaser IL . banker
in William street. whose name and address
are at your disposal Further comment seems
20 he unnecessary. LOUIS X. Enrich.
NEW YoRK, March -.
The guarantee itself Il an Old Master.
Read alphabetically, 1t seems TO hold the
generous guarsntor responsible for the
correctness Of his attribudons; that is, 20
put him under penalty Of the return Of
purchase money with interest II within .
year the 'genuineness' OF the painting
shall be disputed by competent authority.
V0 ltdA IuhN NoIluOuB hhA wv HSRhA--
ticated inteIlects will find another meaning
but how unjustlyl-in the guaIantee's
definition Of 'genuineness':
The OenuiHsnSIs Of this painting b guaranteed
that II ia an original, not copy thai II WHs painted
In the epoch In which II IL placed. and that Il is
characteristic and worthy Of the artist 70 whom u
u attributed
Scrutiny Of the phraseology viii indicate
that this admirable guarantee does not
necessarily guarantee that the painting
called q Ferdinand Boil or a Canaletto or a
Murillo Is by Boil or Csnaletto or Murtllo, but
that it is genuine painting, copied from
nothing, produced in the epoch Of the ar
list whose name is attached to IL, exhibit
ing his characteristics and worthy Of his
brush. 1t is not the commences Of the
attTibudon that is warranted, but the
genuineness Of the painting itself, the
epoch, the similarity In style, and the
worthiness.
Thus appears the doubly protective \
character Of Mr.. Ehrioh's old-mAsteTly
guarantee. It actually protects the pur-
chaser against acquiring an uncharacter-
isio or unworthy example, though genuine,
Of the artist mentioned. And II the buyer
cannot be absolutely confident that be is
getting the real thing, he possesses the
precious assurance that he Is getting some
thing equally as good.