The Washington herald., 1908-01-05
ARTISTS GIT SHOCK
Louvre Museum Pictures to,
Have New Frames.
BERLIN METHODS ARE BARRED
Director of Famous Gallery Says
Paintings I'm Kaiser's Museum Are
Cleaned Far Too Much-RemoVtng
Varnish Takes with 1t Coating OF
Paint-WOrk in Paris Gradual

Paris, Jan. 4.-Many Of the artists OF
this city have been stricken with horror
at the idea of placing new frames on the
pictures in the Louvre.
Mr. Henry Duven. the critic, suggested
the renovation Of the Museum du Louvre,
and one OF the directors Of the famous
gallery says that the gentleman would be
staggered if confronted with actual con
ditions. At the same time a "hot shot is
fired at the management Of the Kaiser's
Gallery in Berlin.
Too Much Cleaning.
1--WE don't want to clean our pictures as
they clean them in Berlin" said NJ 7.
Homolle. of the ministry of fine arts, ana
director of the Louvre Museum When
at his residence under the Pavilion Mol
lion adjoining the Musee de Louvre. l
know all about the Kaiser's Gallery 10
Berlin. and there is no doubt whatever
that they clean their pictures far too
much True. the dirt is removed Dy TINS
process, but who is TO say that the var
nish Is not also destroyed, which leaves
the naked paint open to the cOTroding IN
fuence Of the air?"
Are the pictures regularly dustedE
was asked
''WeU. We cannot entTust an army OF
guardians with the task Of daily fapping
and ficking at these priceless pictures
with busters, as we should order do
mestie TO 20 and dust our furniture daily.
Great damage would thus be done. FROM
time to time the surface dust IS carefully
removed from the pictures. By constant
Iy beeswaxing the floors we keep the
dust from accumulatng n the galleries
of the museum
what about the dingy frames?" was
asked.
Now. Nr. Duveen mentions that these
frames need renewing but this is a task
which must necessarily De accomplished
by degrees. We began last year with
the Rembrandts, which were all placed
in new frames. and naturally this makes
the contrast with the old ones all the
stronger. We shall proceed to reframe
the other pictures by degrees But this
| is an enormous task, involving a great
/ EXPENSE. and we shall certainly not con-
slider frames when the question Of pur-
chasing a valuable picture arises. we
shall give preference to the possession OF
1 the work of art-even in an old frame
Fine Pictures stored.
rs it true that many priceless pictures
by old masters are stored away unseen
/ in the vaults of the LOuvre?'
I'VE have some fine pictures thus
stored" was the reply. -But-Qu'estce
que vous voulez, There is not room for
all. Mr Durveen, like many other critics.
If he found himself face 10 face with the
/ double problems Of expense and space
for uictures which constantly confront
US. would be considerably staggered.
In the absence of NJ Leprieur, the con-
/ servator of the pictures as we'll as tho
/ frames in the Louvre. NJ Jean Guiffrey.
who represents VI. Leprieur, made the
following statement. There are two
methods of cleaning or renOvating val
uable pictures. The first is simply TO
remove the entire coat Of varnish, and
lay the painting bare. In thus removing
the varnish it is practically Impossible
10 avoid removing some OF the paint
with IT, because the vaTnish OF Il picture
which has become mellow has mingled 10
| a certain extent with the paint Not only
is this the case, but we have TO face the
fact that the service of a painting is
almost always uutNtHs IlEEN anu NAS-N
the paint is thicker than in other parts
There are (to use the French word
'empatements. where the paint stand;
out sometimes a quarter of an inch from
the rest of the surface. II is absOlutelJ
Impossible to remove the coat OF varnisf
uniformly in such cases, and these pro
iections of paint have TO come OF Fol-
this reason we do not care about TemOv
ing the varnish and exposing the paint
ing which lies underneath, as they dC
in Berlin.
Makes Them Yellow.
The second manner Of preserving and
renewing the surface of a painting con
sists in putting another layer of varnisl
on the old one This certainly results
after four coats Of varnish, in a yellow
ness of tone being impaired to the, who'll
painting. But we do not find this dis
agreeable. Much Of tGe beauty which j
admired in Rembrandts, for instance, il
sometimes caused by this yeilowness o
meliowness Of tone.
{ LAS for busting the pictures, we canno
. dust them with cloths. nor with feathe
busters. Cloths are too hard. and feathe
busters. when one Of the feathers hap
pens to break, scratch a painting terribly
l We dust them with cottonwood, whicl
s l. s,,a3e;er,tIv soft 20 cause no injury"