The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-23
MUCH PHILADELPHIA
ART CALLED FRAUD
T. II. Hart Says Paintings Of
Washington and Henry
Are in Fake List.
OFFICIALS MAKE DENIALS

r~ru,nrlrrt,. Nov. 22.-While off,
.e- ," .l. Historical Society. the Amer
M o."plicll Society. Independence
LII ..' the Academy of the Fine Arts
,.e .-, DENYING statements OF Charles
r..., Hart. given out to-day. that their
|I,.fHlus contain spurious paintings,
r1rc PICTURES were declared by him to lie
rsuls
Oc IN, famous composite portrait Of
Washington painted by Rembrandt peale
n l,.2. according TO Mr.. Hart. was
.oIra 300 the Academy 81 the Fire Arts.
-, WAS placed there by Charles l.. Ham
'or.
H. 'nc Academy of the Fine Arts
srry ''gri two portraits Of Patrick
l.ary. both Of which. according to Mr..
ltr; Gre deliberate frauds. one is the
.,f.i,ltcI painting Of Henry delivering
q "liNc Ne Liberty or Give Me Death"
ration tu the virginia Hous, OF Bur
.e.s,s IN 1865. PAINTED by Peter Fred
.r,k R5thcrmcl and deposited by MIR.
hamilton The other is "A bust painted
b, Thomas Suily, which Hart declares
VAS cop.vd rom Dances portrait Of
.lr'. james Cook. the navigator. sixteen
Crs t'ttr Patrick Hrnry'S death. This
., Wie a part Of the Hamilton colleC-
According To- Mr.. Hart. there Is
9i tu'Yrr'', portrait of Patrick Henry
n t.. s''HHc
copy OF Trumhulls portrai, Of Gen.
10 Anthony WAY G. in uniform and
cooked hat. which Mr.. Hart brands as
curious. was found IN the collection OF
..e Historical Society. There is no au-
lcNttcit.d life portrait OF Gen. Wayne,
Ar. Hart contends.
In the Historical Society was found
-.,...t . t.I,, Ls.~.., ,A. .,..r,.
d daughter of Benjamin Franklin. For
many years. Mr.. Hart asserts. this paint
ng was represented by the society TO be
portrait ~ Benjamin Franklin. When
1e proved conclusively that the picture
10. intended for John Foxcroft. Mr..
Hart adds. the name uf Franklin was
snove.i and 1t was left ~unlahelled.
IN the University OF Pennsylvania
args Il portrei, OF Or. Thomas Bond,
n, 81 he first trustees OF the univer-
1885,. then known AS the Philadelphia
Go lege. This portrait IL not of the
.t4s',c who lived from l7l2 TO 1884,
SO. o-d.us to Mr.. Hart. but that OF an
other Thomas Bond, who lived from
1870 TO 1853
To collection Of tho American Philo-
sofhirtl Society contains a marble bust
isn't from Paris in 1919 ny William
'.iHsH 50. AAlN ~ A'lih
.i'e the latter vas Ambassador e
France. This bust. represented foI
.,sly a century a that of'Condorcet
BY Houdon. is spurious. Mr.. Hart says
At circles In this city have beer
dee,ly stirred by Mr.. Harris criticisms
SID eN' eYts arose promptly to the de
fence OF the paintings attacked. Mr.
Har,- condemnation of the celebrated
amor portrait Of William Penn, IN TIN
election OF the Historical Society. wal
made the subject OF discussion AT .
meet, ne to-day of the governors OF thu
sov.riy.
Charles Henry Hart has made !
speciality Of the fraudulent in art ant
Published in 1914 a book on Frauds II
Historical Portraiture. He was Nh
director Of the Pennsylvania Academ,
Z F.ue Arts from lSs2 to 1907. an
; a member of many historical SO
,eties. lie began life A. q lawyer, bu
.fcr "A severe accident turned his atten
ION TO literature la art.
In May. 1905, NJ. Hart wrote to TIL
SvN dlspu;ing tn. authenticity of tw
stuart portraits. which had Just bee
nurpnis.d for the Metropolitan Mu
..am. The genuineness Of the portrait
J "a, vou,saci for by Sir Ctspar l'urdo
Nsrkc.