The sun., 1916-09-03
FAKE BLAKELOCKS
ARE SOLD AS REAL
Conspiracy to Flood Market
with Spurious Paintings
i Revealed.
>TrpIO ~ BROOKLYN
The District attorneys Office
Working Out Plan to Prose.
cute FOrgers.
STrpIO ~ BROOKLYN

cute fOfHcTSs
~oofs ~ > cprsriracy 20 food the art
. ,ic,s with spurious Rlakclocks have
, IN nIac.d In tho hands OF the District
,.,.rc, by Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Adams.
.r, launched Tire movement TO release
y lph A'be-, Rlakelock. ne Of the great
., Of American landscape painters,
,,.n the Middletown state Hospital for
.e Insane. where ne has spent the last
,~s,sn,ecn years OF his life. and to place
'n in a comfortable nome near Engle-
,ori. ". j. .
Mr.. Adams. interchangeable In her ef-
t,r,s TO assure for Mr.. Blakelock a pleas
IN, retreat for his old age. as much
,'an income as may be possible from the
| sale cf his once neglected paintings and
| r~fotection from foreers. has discovered
sores Of imitation Rlakelocks are being
manufactured In a studio In Brooklyn
b. a capable painter. who she UNDER
sand. IL connected with the Brooklyn
Museum Of Art. Mrs. Adams. taking to
assistant District Attorney william
team Embree the information which she
tss rathered. gave to him the name ot
tbs artist. who appears to be acting a.
producing agent for crafty art dealers.
Had II been necessary. Mrs. Adams
aid yesterday, she could have COM
Stained to the District Attorney that
albtle influences had been at work to
delay the release Of Mr.. Biakelock from
'he state asylum until the co%nspirators
sd realized heavily on the numerous
mutations Of his moonlight pictures. She
| h not 20 into this with Mr.. Embree
because she lacked DEFINITE proof that
any special individual was concerned in
re obstructive campaign. but she In
aware. with her colleagues in the Blake
lock Fund. Incorporated. that the de.
parturs Of Mr.. Blackjack from the asy-
lum will b detrimental to the interests
|. o. persons who have been trying 70 sell
spurious Blakelocks At astonishingly
high pricea
Date 81 Release Secret.
me order Of the Supreme Court d.
'ectine Blakelock's release and placing
hlm In the custody OF Mrs. Adams and
q John g. Agar. president Of the fund.
DEBATED the moves OF the obstruction
Its. Mrs Adams and Mr.. Agar will
nike Hlakelock from the Middletown In
s:.v.:os within a short tina They are
purposely conceaiing tho date because
they consider II wise to keep their plans
secret from persons suspected Of the plot
'sG. Before this month ends. however,
slakslock. In his SEVENTEEN year. with
genius unimpaired and with perfect
recollection Of the details Of his own
York. will be at work at his easel in his
tsv home. Lynwood Lodge. near Engie.
seod.
Friends Of Blaxeiock have hesn aware
mr . long Time that paintings purport-
'as to Be- from his brush were on the
market. many Of them 30 skilifuliy done
"te defy detection by any ave a few OF
6lakelock's former intimates. Harry ".
watrcus, secretary Of the Nationa!
Academy Of Design. In particular. Last
April. when the fund held an exhibition
o. Blakeiocks. ten paintings were sent
here from the West. every one bearing
Blakelock's signature. every one painted
N his manner and all shrewdly con.
c.!ved.
Mr.. watrous. Blakeiock's long time
associate and devoted friend, was asked
=" pass on the authenticity OF these and
denounced every n Of them q forgery.
from time to time others equally spur.
'9as turned up In art sales or in private
'"Nections and were rejected by Wat.
'oiss unerr!ng eve.
Recently the offerings Of false Blake.
'''ks increased. Mrs. Adams. who has
ID occasion TO do more than one bit Of
ls'ective work. not only In this city bu,
= Chicago In connection with her Il.
y's for tho Blakelock fund and to pre-,
serve It untainted. raced the origin o.
pseudo Blakelocks 10 Brooklyn ant
hanv To q certain studio and Q certain
.itiv'dia'. Then h carried her In,
'ormation TO the District Attorney. Mr.
nhree is now at work verifying Mrs
'damss discoveries and IN seeking Il
N a legal foundation for prosecuting
the forsers.
Picks out One Forgery.
hr to B!ake!ock himself will be ier
We ultimate judgment as to the authen
city OF the numerous landscapes nov
hr'Vate galleries or offered for sale I,
,hsenrns OF a.ienists and artists that
m'.!e Mr.. Blakeiock's mind In neve
rSely 70 regain it's clarity toward world
affairs, ~ the mere business Of liv
"f II remains and Il likely to renal,
foso!n'ely sound as regards art and hi
'rn contributions to art. When no cam
, THIS city last April to look upon a cit,
mat startled him and to warm his hear
over the evidences Of his finally recog
A',cd genius, he walked with Mr.. Wat
f'us along a hne Of Blakelock land
apes, He paused before one of these
'relling an accusing finger.
That IL not my work. he said posi-
''ely at is clever-very clever--bu
y - not mine"
Several days previously Mr.. wa,rou
had pronounced the painting spuriouI
Though other excellent critics weY
.''nf"d TO accept II as from Blakeiock'
hrnsh.
The incident illustrates Mr.. Blake
.o"k's unimpaired faculties In art. VIII
- goes 20 his Engiewood home he wi
as enc Of a committee OF three whic
VIII attempt to assist art dealers an
-oacr'ors IN rejecting the false and CO.
'yinG the true Blakelocks, THIS con
'"''tte IL composed Of Harry w. Wa
'ous. Eiho. ~Daingerheld and Mr.. Plak,
mt himself. Any person owning
b'atelock will have the privilege of sui
.'l't'ng y 10 this committee. Witho'
he c%ert!fcation Of the committee u
pa'n'trgs bearing Blakelock's ssnatul
WI not h accepted a. bona hde.
NJ. Blakelock's temperance, I
stksr with tho work Of the Distri
Attorney and the efforts OF the Blak
lock Fund. Incorporated. n expected
pr an end 10 tho now Of imitation
Artists and art dealers look forwa
WIN pleasure 10 tho work OF the cert'I
'a'on committee, Rlakelocks have
-" IN value that they soil now 4
thousands OF dollars where dealers We
sad 20 get hundreds n where Blak
nav himself Nth nn aense Of the wall