New-York tribune., 1920-04-15
Did Renoir
Or Unknown
Draw These?
C.. Lewis Hind Announces
Group of 96 Drawings in
Anderson Galleries Will
Be Sold on Their Merits
First Sketches Doubtful
Paris Paper Reproduce
Letter From Son of Artist
Doubling Authenticity
By Royal Cortissoz

The Anderson Galleries provide the
scene for piQuant episode in the cur
rent disposal Of art collections. They
present for inspection a group Of ninety
six drawings catalogued as by Auguste
Renoir. But. in view of certain cir
cum stances, it is stated that when these
drawings are offered for sale tomorrow
evening they will be sold "entireiy on
their merits" To explain this it is
necessary to summarize the circum-
stances aforesaid.
Last February there were exhibited
and sold at the Anderson Galleries
thirty-three oil sketches on canvas
and three studies in other me-
diums by Renoir, which Mr. c.
Lewins Hind introduced in the cata-
logue. saying: "They were purchased
nine years ago in Paris by New York
collector, who obtained them from
lady, an intimate friend of the artists
Renoir gave them to her" The present
writer was laid up with the "fu" at
the time and hence missed seeing them
All he knows about them is that, ac-
cording to The American Art News"
the tbirty-three sketches fetched S7,140
at prices varying from $50 to $500
each. The sale has its sequel in the
nlnety-slx drawings mentioned above,
derived from the same source and
again sympathetically introduced by
Mr.. Hind. But a supplementary state
tleman. in the shape of a circular hark-
ing back to the February affair.
Authenticity in Doubt
Mr.. Hind notes that when the thirty
three sketches were shown certain
authenticity" This didn't deter him
from cataloguing the ninety-six draw
ings with complete confidence. Then.
copy Of lie Bulletin de la Vie
Artistique," published by Bernheim-
Jeune ct Gle, the dealers in Paris.
was put in his hands. 1t contained
disparagement of the thirty-three
sketches and reproduced also a letter
written by NJ Pierre Renoir, the
artists son, to NJ. Durand- Ruel, in
which he said his father never made
gift of that many productions, even
to very intimate friend. Mr.. Hind
retorts by congratulating NJ. Pierre
Renoir on being "the one son in his
eoly VIM Auo"S All lndt MS 1atHer
ever did" and remarks that neither
NJ Pierre Renoir nor NJ. Durand- -Ruel
has seen the sketches in question.
Whereupon NJ. Georges Durand-Ruel,
the representative Of his firm in New
York, pointedly states: 81 have seen
them and I know enough about the
work of Renoir to consider these
sketches and studies as not being by
him" Here we return to Mr.. Kinds
circular.
He is unshaken in his loyalty by
NJ. Pierre Renoir. by M. DurandRuel
and by the editor Of lie Bulletin"
but he closes as follows:
Will Be Sold on Merits
Doubtless those gentlemen will also
deny the authenticity of the ninety-six
Renoirs which will be sold April 16,
and as it is the privilege of the Ander-
son Galleries to attempt to please
everybody. am desired by Mr.. Mitch
six Renoirs will be sold entirely on
their merits, as delightful, delicate and
dainty works of art. You are invited
20 decide whether you will buy through
your eyes or through your ears. You
can bid for them as by Renoir, or as
by somebody else. some amazing un-
known who ought to be Renoir but may
not be. 10 dogmatlze on the matter
OF their authenticity is ridiculous
That could only be done by some one
who was in the masters atelier when
ne made those springtime pastels.
do not dognatize. I but reiterate my
opinion that they are by Renoir, and
place before you this statement of all
the facts known to me about the
Renoir sale"
One might wish for some more facts.
1t would be interesting TO learn the
names OF the lady cited as the original
owner and the New York collector who
obtained the drawings from her Mean
while, it is pleasant to know that bid
ders may vote as they choose upon the
question Of whether the drawings were
made by Auguste Renoir or by an un-
known artist. For our own part, we
vote for the unknown. They look more
Ike his work. They are clever draw
ings- We can we'll understand how
Ar. Hind liked them. But they do not
seem TO US TO possess the SAVIOR of
Renoir. The vogue Of that artist is
great just now. At the Emmons sale,
IN January, one painting by him
brought $4,000 and another only
$1,000 less. 1t will be interesting to
see how the cult for this famous i'm
pressionst affects the forthcoming
sale OF drawings.