ARTISTS CLAIM FOR £157

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 772, 19 September 1929, Page 1

ARTISTS CLAIM FOR £157

AWARDED £25 FOR WORK ON OLD MASTER PAINTING BY PALMA Preaa Association CHRISTCHURCH, Today. Aa old master, entitled the Feast of Belshazzar, painted by Palma Vecchio early in the 16th century, was much discussed in the Supreme Court yesterday in a claim before Mr. Justice Kennedy. William Henry Stitches, defendant in the action, said he purchased the eld canvas at a sale in London many years ago for £3. He worked on it at intervals for 20 years until he discovered a monogram on it, which showed the picture to be of great value. He eventually sold the picture to Dr. J. c. Pairman, of Christchurch, tor l,soogns. A claim was made by William Sidney Smith, artist, of Christchurch, tor £157 10s, for restoring the picture. ii was alleged by him, and on ids behalf, that he had done a great 'leal of work in restoring and retouching parts of the painting. For defendant it was alleged that the canvas was handed to Smith for the repair of a small rent in a corner the canvas and that much of the of restoration, especially the retouching, was unskilfully done and nad actually depreciated the value of ike painting. Pairman said all Smith’s work, even the repair of the rent, would kave to be undone, and that it was therefore of no value. Defendant and other witnesses said Smith had agreed to make no charge tor the work.' Defendant also stated f nat Smith had asked *for 150gns. °oly when he had heard of the sale a * l.SOOgns. Mr. Justice Adams gave judgment [ or £25 and costs to Smith. He n €id that the remuneration to which tke artist was entitled, in the absence °t any agreement, was the same w hether the owner succeeded in findln& a buyer or whether lie failed to sell.