ROYAL ACADEMY SENSATION.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20225, 1 May 1931, Page 11

ROYAL ACADEMY SENSATION.

PHOTOGRAPHS PAINTED. BRITISH ARTIST'S DECEPTION. . (united press association* —by electmc TE I,E Glt A PH — COPYKRSHT.) LONDON, April 2V. A 'Royal Academy sensation "has been revealed by the announcement that three pictures sent to an exhibition by an English artist- of international repute wore returned, owing to the discovery that they were based on enlarged photographs. The "Ncws-Cbrouicle" disclobes that the artist concerned in the attempted Royal Academy fraud is Reginald Grenvillo Eves. An Academy official says the discovery was made at a meeting o' Academicians and Associates, which was called to elect new Associates, l'he President, Sir William Llewellyn, asked the meeting to view one of the three pictures, which was found to be an enlarged photograph thickly covered with paint, whereupon the name of the artist was immediately withdrawn and the pictures sent back. The sensation is unprecedented according to the "Evening News," which interviewed the artist, who has made portraits of Royalties and many cclobrities. The newspaper says: This is a terrible shock, when his career was about to culminate in an Associateship. It \v«is foolish to send tho pictures to the Academy, though it must bo emphasised that he did-not attempt to secure election by this easy deception. . Sir William Llewellyn says that the incident does not bar Eves from reseeking election as an Associate if his artistic work reinstates liim in the eyes of the Academy. [Mr Reginald Gi-envillfe Eves is So years old. He is a member of tho Royal Society of portrait Pinters, and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. AS a student he won the TrevellVan Good sill scholarship at tho blade School of Art. and later gained the Sftide Scholarship. Ho has exhibited at the R.A. and Salon, and won the Silver Medal in 1924, and.the Gold Medal in 1920. His works include 43 portraits of British celebrities. He is represented in the Tato Gallery by his portrait 'of Thomas Hardy."] AN EXPLANATION.

(Received April 30th, 11.30 p.m.) T/ONDON, April 30. The "Daily Express" interviewed Reginald Eves, who said lie did a foolish thing because he had been suffering from neuritis. He used photographs to suve time. He retailed that Gtinaletto used the camera obsoura in painting similar architectural pictures, A YOUTH'S CANVAS. another strange happening. (Received April 30th, 11.50 p.m.) LONDON, April 30. The sofcoiid strange happening on the eve of the Royal Academy exiubitlon relates to a canvas entitled "On Board the llispaniola," by a sixteen-year-old Coy6nt Garden salesman. The picture, which had been widely discussed, was removed from the walls as the president was convinced it had been copied from a book illustration of Stevenson's "Treasure Island." The ' boy artist denies having ever read "Treasure Island" or having seen the book, though he saw the play. Ho says that he painted the picture entirely from his imagination.