AN ART FRAUD .

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1930, Page 3

AN ART FRAUD .

ON EXTENSIVE SCALE

‘United Dross Association— By Eleutrh Telegraph—Copyright)

PARIS, May 5,

TVe art world is thunderstruck by the revelation of dean Charles Millet fraud. For some time a flood of pictures from Bai’bizon (French impressionists) lias been marketed and has given collectors cause for anxiety. A wealthy collector recently paid Millet

£2OOO for a picture said to have been painted by Millet’s grandfather and duly signed J.F.M. Only when an American buyer offered £6OOO was the genuineness of the picture questioned. The grandson-, who lives next door fo the Barbizon museum then made a complete confession. He said he had been accustomed in

his early childhood to imitate- his grandfather’s sketches and had attained such skill that finally it was almost impossible to tell his own products from his grandfather’s. He

was. thus tempted to add the initials of J.F.M. and sell the pictures. :'\

As the business flourished he employed a professional painter named Lazot to produce an oil painting similar .to his grandfather’s. Cazot states he was unaware his pictures were being sold fraudulently. He was actually engaged on Millet’s canvas when the police came to enquire. The ease with which Millet’s pictures wore sold suggested the 'enlargement of the operatings to include Diaz, Corot, Daubigny, Money, Dazaz and Cezanne. The output of siich “masterpieces” is estimated at betweenthree thousand and four thousand sineo 1923., The extent of the fraud will only be known when all the dupes come forward. Probably a majority bf the dupes will refuse, preferring to hide their errors especially wealthy Amerioans.