New-York tribune., 1922-11-05

done his faxed picture can be sent out for the
most rigid inspection. There is the artists
signature, cleverly inserted by the doctor
The whole work has something which suggests
the style OF the artist who has been initiated.
The canvas is undoubtedly old. 4 good story
invariably gees with it.
A collector is convinced Of the genuincness
of the canvas. He pays big price for it, He
is satisfied that he has treasure. The clever
doctor" IS indicated, and he proceeds with
his gentle art OF faking, from which he derives
an ample, If questionable living. There is
case on record where q fakcr even got one of
his own faxed paintings for restoration when
it had become damaged
Undoubtedly many fake art pieces Of ali
sorts have been bought in Europe and have
been brought to this country. Such works
have to pass the export officials. They are SO
cleverly done that they deceive those officials
Either that, or the officials know that taking
is going on and wink at the takers, who are,
after all, merely bringing much good American
gold to European countries that are in need of
financial bolstering
In Italy recently valuable triptych was
stolen from church near Rome 1t was
traced to a collector who had bought it of
man whose business was known to be the imi-
tation of antique works of art The significant
point is that the collector had bought the orig
inal on the representation that it was an inii-
tation done by this recognized faker. Associ-
ated Press dispatches last summer told Of the
discovery of eight pictures signed by Carriere.
These were found in an artists studio and
were alleged to have been forgeries. 1t was
said that canvases signed with the names Of
Corot, Manet, Puvis and other artists
had been coming from the same studio.
The painter in whose studio these master
pieces" were found said they were genuine and
that he had accumulated them by patient
search
This news of apparent swindles in Paris
ed the League of American Artists to an
hounce that it would take steps against art
dealers in this country who We're found sell
ing forged paintings. According to an official
of the league forgeries have been found in
this country not only of the names of dead
artists, but of some of our living ceIebrities
These conditions have been investigated for
more than year and the league has formed
legal department and is ready for prosecu-
tions. 1t is announced that the league would
form a bureau, to which any prospective pur-
chaser may come in search of expert opinion.
After the many stories began to ap-
pear in the papers about the sale of art
treasures belonging to the Russian nobility.
These treasures included many paintings of
great value, which, it is said, were being picked
up at absurd prices from Bolshevist
hooters into whose hands they had
fallen.
All this undoubtedly led to TIE sale of faxed
paintings Russian treasures" It made
matters easy for the faker, as it provided
him with good story, which is half the bat
tie in the sale of faxed painting. skill
fully "doctored" old picture. of no particular
original value, could be sold readily when it
was put forth as a masterpiece which had
been stripped with others, from the walls of
Russian palace.
The sales of faxed pictures range from
canvases which command thousands of dollars
to those which go for few hundreds II is
impossible to specify an approximate amount.
but the loss in the purchase Of such master
pieces" IS enormous. One has only to glance
at the extensive literature which has accumu-
lated on the subject of the gentle art Of taking
to realize that the old masters truly started
trouble for posterity when they began turning
out their masterpieces and founding their
various schools of art