The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-14

in his gallery was induced by a plauN-
BILE story OF financial difficulties caused
In Russia by the war to purchase no
less than twelve water cOlors by
Bakst" and signed duly ny that artist.
all OF which turn out to he fakes.
Naturally he Is furious. and every
effort Is being made to trace the
swindler.
Such a thing could hardly happen
except at a time like the present, but
Bakst Ia only afraid that others may
have been or will he similarly deceived
In England or perhaps in the United
States, the sketches being rather in.
g%eniOusly made to deceive any but q
very experienced critic. and the sigma
lures being. as he says. real works
Of art; 30 good that he could moi tell
them from his own He has already
let 1t be known In England that he Is
willing to tell m one who furnishes
him with a photograph Of any sketch
offered for sale as his whether Ii Is
or Is not genuine, and he hopes that in
oil cases in which the authenticity Of
the work is not absolutely undoubted
collectors will thus communicate with
him.
Fortunately indignation at these
frauds has in no way destroyed
Bakst's sense Of humor. and as usual
Immediately upon his arrival at Ouchy
he became the life Of the company,
starting to teach Massin how to dance
and an Englishman the proper way to
box.
Since he Possesses a personality
! strikingly individual. rs well as ar
tistic, II Is good news that his friend
n. de DiaghileK has persuaded him
to make the tour to the United States
next January with the company.
Bakst's last whimsical fad has been
to develop a passion for the cinemato.
graph. upon which he held forth at
length. declaring II to be the most ar
tistic enterprise Of our day. "Next
to the RUSSIAN Ballet. Of course" he
added, with side glances at Diaghilef
and his fellow artist. the stalwart
L.arianof. who CHANGED to be on either
side Of him.
He mentioned that during the pre-
vious forty-eight days in Paris he had
been to the cinema forty times, FOR"
as he said. 1.-The whole tendency OF
modern art In all its many forms 10
toward d~irectness and rapidity OF ex-
preston, and where can one find these
qualities better developed than at the
cinema. where In ten minutes one can
see the whole Of a drama that would
take three hours to perform upon the
stage Of a theatref" To prove his
point he then and there insisted upon
the whole company going with him to
the nearest performance.
With regard to the new settings
upon which Leon Bakst Is at present
engaged 1t will be especially interest.
ing to see what he makes Of the popu.
lar Fire Bird" the picturesque plot
Of which should provide unusual
opportunities Tor his highly original
genius,
Ernest Lawson, the impressionist,
Joined a group Of fellow artists one
day this week, and, blushing with
pleasure. announced:
Say, fellows, l think perhaps at
last ! am really arrive. have Just
been up to the Metropolitan Museum
and l found an old lady copying my
picture"
"Why don't you buy It from her
sign 1t and sell 1t at a proit?" coldly
remarked n OF Mr.. IAwson's rivals
entirely unmoved by the evenement.
perhaps he pays the old lady tc
copy his picture for the sake Of the
'ad'," remarked another.
Say, what's to prevent 4 fellow
from going up there and copying hi
own picture?" said an Academician
getting excited at last. There's NJ
law against 1t, is therei"
Zone might learn something even a
that." replied Lawson. "Often wheI
you see n Of your pictures after ,
few years you wonder how you did It
also Why you did itv
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