The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-22

for the art dealers, made this state
ment to the court:
IT was going to call this morning
Mr.. Langton Douglas, curator of the
Dublin Art Gallery, who took the same
view as the other experts that l called
that this was picture by Romney,
but since the hearing in court yester-
day a very dramatic thing has hap
pened. A photograph Of AN original
sketch by Ozias Humphrey "a noted
miniaturist and friend of Romney).
with his initials o. H. at the bottom
of the sketch, haA come into the
possession of my client, Mr.. Lewis.
On Mr.. Lewis's seeing the photograph
he felt 1t essential in the interests Of
ustice that It should be brought to
your lordships knowledge. = That
sketch by Ozias Humphrey is un-
doubtedly a sketch which was made
for the picture which Mr.. Lewis and
his partner. Mr.. Simmons. and SO
many distinguished experts who ad-
vised them thought was picture by
Romney.
Mr.. Lewis Immediately offered to
take the picture back. repay the $780,
900 with interest, and pay the costs.
and the court permitted this. The
picture later turned out to represent
the Ladies Horatio and Marie Walde-
grave, painted by Humphrey in Rom
ney's studio, and DR.. G. c. Williamson.
who discovered the sketch which ended
the suit, stated that in his opinion
an arm and part OF the drapery in
the painting had actually been done by
Romney.
One affair in New York not many
years ago caused a wide split in art
circles That was the suit instituted
by William T. Evans, chairman of the
art committee of the Lotos Club and
wealthy collector. against William
Clausen, art dealer, to recover $3.50
for two paintings which he bought
from the dealer in the belief that they
had been put on canvas by the late
Homer D. Martin. the American
| painter.
The pictures, entitled. "Old Mill
Near St. Cloud" and Near Newport
were bought by the connoisseur in
1908 and later presented to the Ma
tional Gallery OF Art, but were after
ward recalled by Mr.. Evans when he
| be came convinced they were forgeries
| The long standing friendship OF the
two ,men was broken and in addition
| to bringing a civil suit against Mr..
| Clausen in the Supreme Court here
Mr.. Evans had him arrested and
locked up in Ludlow street Jail in
May. 1908.
Both Sides Holly Championed.
Both sides were hotly championed
by leading artists. At the trial +. Hop
kinson Smith was positive the pictures
were by Martin. Henry w. Ranger,
the landscape artist. on the other hand.
testified against Mr.. Clausen. Wit
nesses called by the plaintiff declared
that an artist was hired by Mr.
Clausen TO turn out pictures by I'm
| ness, Wyant, Martin and Blakelock. +"
Mr.. Clausen, however, called the artist
to testify that he merely acted as
restorer of real pictures by these art
lists, and brought witnesses to refute
the charge that limitations OF their
work had been foisted upon the mar
ket.
The trial ended In a disagreement OF
the jury. Mr.. Evans announced his
intention of having a new trial. but
the matter was settled out OF court.
Apropos of the stir created at the
time by this case and the general
questioning of the authenticity OF an
! uque pictures that ensued, Sir CaspaI
! Purdon Clarke remarked that It was
quite possible, as some critics con-
tended, that two portraits in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art listed as
the work OF Gilbert Stuart were not
the product OF his brush. These were
portraits of Don Josef de Jandenos y
Nebot, one time Spanish Minister to
America, and his>American wife, who
was Matilda Stoughton.
What aroused the scepticism OF con.
noisseurs was the fact that these por-
traits were signed with Stuart's name
Ia practice he did not indulge in as a
rule-and also were marked "R. A.
though he never was a member of the
Royal Academy. But Sir Purdon took
the attitude that objects of art should
be judged more for their real worth
and less for the names attached 10
them. So long as names governed the
choice OF art patrons, he held. Their,
would always be the temptation &c
fake.
Takers OF Botticellls and other oil,
masters became so numerous In Ital,
at the opening OF the present centur,
that the italian Government in 1911.
started a laudable movement to wip,
them out OF business--and in III;
course of It the Italian authorities
were fooled by faksr themselves,