The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

or the Barbizon painters, the Art NetDs,
after some correspondence, Is enabled
to publish the following letter in sub
stance from a most reliable and COM
petent art authority in that section:
II regret to say that accusations
made against certain art dealers in
this section seem to be well founded.
We have realized conditions in a more
or less definite way for some time, but
I have made o point OF looking into
the matter closely of late, as re-
quested. and flnd q truly deplorable
state Of affairs, one which I imagine
exists all over the country to certain
extent but seems to be particularly
thriving in this State.
"A professional appraiser Of pictures
here confirms very definitely what 1
have heard from numerous other
sources, namely. that a group Of nine
or ten men are engaged in manufac-
turing and selling fake pictures and
that they are carrying on thriving
and exceedingly lucrative business.
They supply many of the department
stores OF the middle West and West
with pictures the majority Of which
are fakes and also maintain two
stores with collections containing a
few good pictures, which they take
care to keep. and many spurious ones
They pick up pictures all over the
country and have them touched I'D
by men employed just for that pur-
pose. Many are manufactured in this
section by the same men and signed
with names whose popularity insures
quick selling-Keith, Inness, wyant,
Martin, Corot, &C. OF course the pic
lures follow the styles Of the artists to
a certain extent, but many of them
are so frankly spurious that one mar
wells at the credulity Of the buyers.
The prices are placed attractively low
| and they are auctioned Off or sold d.
rect. accompanied by a recital Of how
the prices are being slaughtered in or
der that the dealer may meet heavy
| Indebtedness, &C.
"A man who, It Is reported, claims
some relation to the late William
| Keith is with the group, and, 1t is
sad, for s25 to $50 will swear to the
genuineness of any painting attributed
to Keith by any of his fellows, or will
Identify any brought to him by the
customers they refer to him. / under
stdllu, II Is reported, tnat ne also is
having many 'Keiths' manufactured
and is selling them all over the coun-
try, but particularly in the West,
where the demand for them is great. !
hear that a small painting attributed
to Keith and painted on the lid of
cigar box (keith being known to have
| done this on various occasions), when
| examined closely on the back was
found to have a date stamped on the
wood Of one year ago. Mr.. Keith, as
We know, died in 1911. This group of
men is composed OF four or five dealers
and othe g."
Sir Claude Phillips in his article on
the Royal Academy In the London
Daily Telegraph gives the following &C
count of Sargent's war picture which
has aroused the greatest interest
among critics and public:
Were It not that Mr.. ]. S. Sargent
makes a memorable display-one, In
deed, by which this years academy
will be remembered-the exhibition
could not fairly be said to rise above
the level of recent years. The place of
honor in Gallery III Is most justly ac-
corded to his vast friezelike compost
ton .'Gassed' (No. 800, lent by the
Imperial War Museum). In the tender
light of waning day, fast turning from
rose to silver under the pale beams of
the newly risen moon. the terrible