New-York tribune., 1908-03-25
ACCIDENTS IN ART.
The Ruin Of Love Among the Ruins and
the Mending of a Turner
I. Spielmann. in The London Graphic

/ NJ H Spielrlann, in The London Graphic.
very curious history-never. I think, fully
| and accurately tOld-is that of Burne-J Jones'S
fayorite picture, Love Among the Ruins due
| TO come up TO auction at Christie's to-day. The
| original picture was in water color and
| sent 10 Paris by firm of publishers for
reproduction, and in that city forwarded TO
| their Photographic studios in the suburbs. The
picture unhappily preceded the letter of i'll
structions regarding il, warning the phOtogra-
pher OF the medium in which it was painted, 80
that Immediately on its arrival IL was brushed
over with white OF egg to bring out the colOTS
for photogra phing-an excellent procedure IN
the of oil pictures harmless and very effica
cious. But TO the Burne-Jones picture, Love
was very soon among his own Ruins, for every
swish of the brush brought off the final touches
and left mere srneared ground Sir Edward
Burne-Jones was heart broken at the loss Of 4
work on which his reputat tion, he considered
would in great measure rest. and which he
had spent many months Of patient toll, and the
very perfection of his execution. in the realiZa-
tion OF one Of the most poetic conceptions that
had sprung from his fanciful imagination.
Love Among the Ruins painted during
the years 1S70-'73; in October, 1893, it was
destroyed, and by the following year the oil
version was finished but was scarcely con-
ISOLATION the artist for the loss OF his first
ana spontaneous work.
Incidents OF this sort are. happily, not of fire.
quent occurrence, but one case has come within
my knowledge which has never. I believe been
fuI Of beautiful Turner drawings, was in the
habit OF instructing a firm well known as hon
orable picture dealers TO overhaul his drawings,
but his Turner's had not for some while been
touched. and the glasses had become much
darkened with dust On his leaving town the
senior member of the firm went 10 his house
and brought away the precious drawings and,
carrying them into the room behind the shop,
took the first drawing out Of its frame and
mount preparatory busting it, and laid it
the IA bic. Being suddenly called into the shop
by q customer, he covered il with a sheet Of
Whatman paper and left il. His brother en-
tered from the street and passed into the pri-
vate room A moment later the other followed
him. and found him. knife in hand. cutting a
mount on the top of the Turner With a cry he
rushed the paper and lifted II, and there the
Mortified brothers found the two thousand
guinea dra wing cut into two pieces, What was
10 be done? To make a clean breast Of II was
z ppa rently out Of the question. so ii was deter
mined call in the clever artist and repairer /
attached to the firm. and he Joined the pieces
and remounted the drawing, and down where I
the vertical cut he boldly painted IN tree! (
The picture was in due course taken back and :
rehung in time for the owners return. a couple +.
of days later came urgent letter calling the /.
dealer TO the house Look at this drawing" T.
said The collector. What does il mean? /
There's a tree here-I never saw that tree be-
fore," mo more did 1" quietly replied the .
dealer u told you that you would hardly .
the drawings when the glasses had .
been cleaned inside and out. Why. you could .
hardly see them The owner though still .
sstonished accepted the explanation and TO 3
mis- day has probably never guessed the truth /
The dealer told the story himself, shortly be
fore his death VIII il meet the eye Of the /
1oaxed proprietor. l wonder