Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-03
BOGUS "O1d Master" Sold
To American M,27,ona,res

the canvas ana glazing very thinly over
with pure color highly diluted with oil
until the desired tone is obtained. TO
do this the copylst only has to have a
good eye for color and a certain knowl-
edge OF which colors, glazed lightly, one
over the other, will produce the special
tint required. Very old looking cam
vases uncommonly similar to those
which the old masters used can be
also obtained. A skilled craftsman in
preparing this canvas can make IL
look hundreds Of years old When a
big swindle is in contemplation, how
ever, q cupyist Will buy a real old
painting of the school of Titan or Of
that period, for which he is willing 10
pay a good price. lie will then paint
over II a reproduction of a masterpiece
and sell II for snug fortune. Experts
examine the canvas and recognize age.
The wooden frame to which IL is at
tached also proves it's ancient origin
and II the copyist is clever, age Will
show in the paint This Is one Of the
reasons why good Judges SO often dis
agree whether a painting Is an original
or a copy.
1t would be utterly impossible to
fake a Franz Halls Of the period after
the great Dutchman had acquired the
superlative degree OF dexterty in his
technique. which is shown by his
tremendous brush strokes put on the
canvas with such accuracy and
braVuTa a copy of one of his most
dashing works, such as the Laugh
ing Girl" in the Louvre, could never
give the same impression of spontanei-
ty, while only an artist with the same
marvellous execution could make an
imitation. As no artist living has this
facility, not even Sargent or Mancinni
one can readily understand how use
less would be the attempt The 1880
period of French art is not 50 difficult
ii. IA al a. 90
century work.
STUDENTS POT BOILERS
II is known to many people that a
number of students of the BeauX- Arts,
in order to defray their expenses while
studying, make their living by paint
ing copies which are bought by the sec
ond hand and antique shops and which
are sold continually to foolish tourists
who think that for a song they have
Veritablc treasure TO take nome win
them That is why America II so Hood
ed with false Corots. Millets and Rous-
seaus. Notwithstanding the constant
exposure OF fake masterpieces, the nov
ice continues the purchase of wonderful
discoveries" found in these shops and
the thrifty student Is constantly busy
keeping up the supply
A drawing il practically Impossible
To fake as far as deCeiving the experts
is concerned. because each artist of re-
noWn has a certain touch, way OF
making his lines, which an expert can
familiarize himself with by painstak-
ing and dilgcnt study OF the authentic
examples in the possession OF the large
museums No matter how the imita-
tor may study the technique OF the
master whea he tries to reproduce II.
he must proceed slowly with the OBJ
iect that the master has done quickly
the copyist carefully studying each line.
Emile wautcrs, the greatest living Bel
gian painter and expert says
A sure test 10 ascertain the authen-
ITCHY of a drawing Is to put IL under
a powerful magnifying glass, III a copy,
one can easily see by the beginning and
ending of each little line, the hesitation,
the care with which the pencil OF cray
on touches the paper in exact oprosi-
tion TO the bold stroke of the master.
II che line of the master is a long one,
and the line under the powerful glass
shows certain shakincss and hest
fancy, the drawing is Immediately
stamped as fake"
LEFT-HANDED PAINTERS.
Wauters stated most cmphatlcally
that there Is no mista king a drawing
10y Raphael Michael Angelo. Leonardo
da NinCi OF Rembrandt. Some Of the
artists resemble each other so much
however that II is often difficult to al
tribute accurately the drawing 20 the
right master For instance. 10 the
casual observer drawings by Michael
Angelo and Benyenuto Cellini resemble
each other very much In every detail.
They have the same bold constructive
line, powerful and vigorous. hut Ben
venuto Cellnl was left handed which
makes his lines run from left 70 hight,
while Michael Angeles are made in
the opposite direction
Another great craftsman" continued
the Belgian artist. tone Of the greatcst
who ever lived. was Leonardo ia Vincs
lie, too. was left handed. II Is often by
this knowledge that one recognizes a
sketch of an arm or leg to be his
and not that OF Raphael"
DoUBLY A FAKE.
In conclusion let me tell the story OF