The sun., 1910-05-15

Of pictures az present 30 much in the pub
lac eye. my own opinion is that IL will
always remain a subject Of dispute
Without going into the technical details
for or against IN tell Of an instance which
came under my personal observation
One of the best customers of a New
York dealer was for years a wealthy
widow rrziding in a Western city One
day she wrote she was sending 10 him a
Daubigny TO be restored. IL came. a
beautiful example, well worth the t2O 90
which It's owner aid i had cost her The
dealer decidsd that the picture ought 20
be refined. which. 20 put IL in plain terms.
SIMPLY means reinforcing the canvas az
the hack
In the hands Of an experenced restorcr
this Is a simple and entirely safe process.
hut instead of placing the picture in such
hands and with that little knowledge that
is always 10 dangerous he undertook %
do the work himself The result was 4
serious injury 70 the picture. Undis-
mayed 10y thl rum he had wrought, the
dealer plunged into his restoration
| Rocks gray with age. and graceful
clumps of bushes disappeared under the
strokes Of his heavy brush. 10 be- replaced
1 by meaningless patches Of ~ matching
color for 10 reali1s the full enormi1y 0t
] NAAM performance NhA AuAaA AAAANENNMAA
that the pseudO-reatorer was color blind
/ Finally the work was completed and senI
/ 20 its ANXIOUS owner. and Il her lack ol
| knowledge and a thick plate glaslt towering
/ the picture prevented her from at once de.
| tecting the fraud that had been imposed
ahe il certain 10 learn Il in time. when ths
new paint has changed color and hecOms
mOrs than ever ont OF tone with the rest
Of the work.
Every picture lover must have been
struck BY tho awkward appearance Ol
! the stter's legs in the full length portrait,
: of men by Romney and hiss school In
many case, though the upper portions
J Of the body arc easy and natural the
lower extremities are uncompromiaingly
: stih in their small clothes.
One day In the gallery Of = London
/ dealer I noticed an Interesting ROmnsy
/ portrait Of a man which. nOtWithstandina
I that it gave the effect Of being intended
I for a full length. ended just above the
sittar's gneas Later | was taken 20 the
/ loft by one % the dealers attendants and
/ there what did 80 but the dianembared
/ laga Of the C0mplacent gentleman who's
/ portrait I had Just been admiring In the
gallery below. I've Often laughed AZ the
remembrance of those stout calves
standing alone with an awkward sOlidity
Il NFlliW wfiVans NOuu NnHiH uANN uNau !
recTuiescencS Of another portrait bull
upOn those noble foJmdations3 Ths
dealer in question is not the man 20 ALLOW
any portion Of an Old master 20 20 20 waste
/ and thoss legs may have had a value.
Il spoke a few minutes ago about IN
readiness 0f amateurs 10 believe u possible
10 outwit q dealer A a rule you won
hear a dealer advancing any argumentl
for or against. but sometimes WheI
he hears Of a circumstance like the follow
ing he cannot refrain from chuckling.
MIsTAEE OF THE NINE OWNER.
Certain dealers tour tho country viii
Il their collections, always on the lOokou
for fresh and unWOrked material On,
% thoss found himself in q Western min
! ing town where tho virgin field seemeS
20 suggest the possibility Of rich returns
He was a persuasive salesman and a per
son 0f infinite rHgourc8.
Among those attracted 20 his artiatiS
net was a mine owner, a RhreWd manage
% his own business but innocent a.
child of tho pic6Irs deAier's wilss. IN,
dealer displayed his choiosst waras. bu
the prices seemed high 10 the mind un
tItorad On an. Ths willy aAlaaman Wul
By no meana a the end of his zane: N
had reserved another card % play.
'It waa n4ceugaFy Tor him. hs aaid. h
make an immediate rsndittance % pnFi
% secure certain very valuable purchraa