ART FORGERIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 70, 4 January 1936, Page 8

ART FORGERIES

SOME RECENT REVELATIONS. Labelling every exhibit of Etruscan art in the Carnegie Aluseum at Pittsburgh as a forgery, Dr.. David Aloore Robinson, the man who discovered and excavated Olynthus, one-time powerful and beautiful centre of Greek culture and also disclosed that similar “fakes” have duped museum authorities throughout the world, says the “Christian Science Monitor.” Alost of these forgeries Dr. Robinson traced to Enrico Pennelli whom be branded as a “master faker” of art works. Pennelli began his work about 1850. Coincident with the announcement of his discoveries of forgeries in America, news reached Dr. Robinson that the curator of the Greek-Roman section of the British Aluseum, Dr. E. F. Forsdykc, has relegated a supposedly ancient Etruscan sarcophagus to the cellar upon discovery that it, too, is a forgery. The tomb, now definitely established to be less than 100 years old was formerly a most prized possession of the British Aluseum and has for years been pictured in leading archaeological publications as the famous Cervetri Sarcophagus. “I would not have believed it,” Dr. Robinson remarked, “if Forsdyke liad not acknowledged the forgery. I know the piece well. It has been pictured in all the leading archaeological works. Because of the jealous guard the British Aluseum keeps on its treasures, the acknowledgement shows Forsdyke’s sincerity. ’’ Following li.is stay in Pittsburg, Dr. Robinson expects to visit other leading museums in the country to determine just how much American museums have fallen prey to art fakers. He suspects that other forgeries will turn up at the Feld Aluseum in Chicago, and the Royal Ontario Aluseum at Toronto University. To ease the hurt felt in Pittsburg the eminent archaeologist told of viewing the exhibits of the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. He went from statue to statue and peered at all their vases and other supposedly Cretan and Etruscan relics. Fake — fake—fake—he labelled them all, and then descended to the cellar where nondescript and hardly-worth-saving items are hidden. Here among the rubbish and cast-offs he found inconspicuous hut nevertheless genuine pieces of art. Even the Louvre was duped recently by forgers. It purchased what was represented to be the famous Corneto Greek vase and so wrote to the Q'orneto Aluseum for accompanying information. By way of an answer it was advised that the vase was still in Italy and it was the intention of Corneto Aluseum officials to keep it there. Now the Louvre places its “prize” on exhibition as the “best copy extant.” Apparently Pennelli’s brother Pietro was the “go between” in deals between somewhat of a reputation as a discoverPennelli rind art collectors. Enjoying somewhat of a reputation as a discoverer of antiquities, he is reported to have sold the fake British Aluseum sarcophagus to a Rome dealer with the story that he had dug up the broken bits at Cervetri. On the strength of this tale the pieces were bought by British Aluseum authorities and “reconstructed.” Because there was no other sarcophagus of similar nature with which it could be compared, its authenticity had to be taken lor granted.