The San Francisco call., 1910-07-24

eign gallery and studied under n new
master or set up a studio of their eNvn.
There were few millionaire artists
in the olden days, for the primary
market for paintings was the church.
which called for madonnas AMI mar
tyrs, and very likely did not pay lib
orally for them.
Visitors abroad, who fairly walk
through miles of old masters. ask why
they especially the fourteenth. If
teenth and sixteenth century ones,
painted only holy Subjects. and this
is quickly explained by the fact that
the church being the only market of
the painter, it had to be a biblical
subject or nothing.
With some of the old painters 1t
was a common practice to select the
work of the best pupil, TO give 1t few
telling finishing touches. before the
master signed his own name to it. and
then unload 1t on some sucker collector
for fair price.
When the old masters, in their greed
for money, are charged up with such
acts of alb initio dishonesty, in some
instances, the evidence of originality
produced two or three hundred years
afterwari is apt to be rather fifmsy.
Van Dyck. one of the greatest of
portrait painters. when commissions
began to come freely to him. never
face and possibly the hands. turning
over the canvas then to a pupil to put
in the drapery.
1t is said of Rembrandt that he had
way of touching UP pupils work
with few master strokes and then
signing his name to the canvas.
In the history of art charges OF this
kind are freely hurled at the heads
of some of the old masters. 1t is GER
tain that the old painters were keen
on the dollar and keen how to work
the collectors, for Rembrandt had a
way of taking impressions of his
plates at various periods OF the etch-
ing, and these becoming necessary to
the Complete collector, q good price
was obtained.
Now when you consider the frailty
of the original old master, who did not
refrain from forging his pupils work
and foisting the same upon the public,
and then remember that the business
of producing old masters is today just
as established as would be European
shoe factory, furniture mill or any
other manufacturing industry you are
a little bit uncertain when the question
of old master originality is raised.
1t is a matter OF fact that you can
visit Europe today and if you make
your wants known supply yourself with
liberal number of truly genuine" old
masters, not one Of which is over three
or six months old. There Is no end to
the business for the newly rich man
must have his gallery of paintings, and
the market demanding old masters, a
means is found to meet the demand.
The. extent to which the fraud in old
masters has been carried is almost bel
yond belief. If all the Murfnos. REM
brandts, Rubens. velasquez. Titians,
Raphaels. ETC.. were gathered together
they would run into the thousands.
Murillo was an industrious painter, but
he died comparatively young, and yet
the paintings credited up to him are
legion. No gallery seems to be COM
piete unless it contains a genuine
Murillo.
Yet there are paintings, genuine
ones, OF his in America. for he had a
way in the beginning Of his career Of
purchasing large sheets of canvas.
motfnting them, after subdivision, on
small stretchers and pointing pot boil
ers' and disposing of them at the
Seville fair Many of such paintings
were taken to South America by the
Catholic clergy for decorating the home
churches. So the finding OF q genuine