PICTURES DESTROYED.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 1672, 16 December 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

PICTURES DESTROYED.

Four oil paintings, valued approximately at £200, have been maliciously held by the Society of Women Painters at the Royal Art Society's rooms at 76 Pitt-etree. The police have teen acquainted with the facts, and are hard as work to effect an arrest. That the act is a most diabolical one is apparent on viewing the pictures. Across the painting for a length of three inches a sharp instrument lias been drawn, and not only the oil scraped away, but the canvas pierced. The affair has caused quite a sensation in art circles, and experts who have been called in to view the damage consider that a most malicious act has been perpetrated. The matter was freely discussed by the members of the society during the end of last week, but it was thought that no further act of a similar nature would be perpetrated. But such was not to be, for on Saturday morning Miss Docker found that another paint, ing by Miss Cusack had been destroyed. The subject is named "The Greetings to the Coming Morn," and [ its dimensions are 3ft by ljft. This oil, which is valued at ten guineas, was also scratched, and the faces of three owls disfigured. That the work of the same artist should bo maliciously interfered with gave an impression that some personal feeling against Miss Cusack was the cause of the act, but tse latter, who is one of the most popular members of the, society, disregards any such idea. . That another sensation was caused by the damage of a second picture by the same author goes without saying. But the worst was to come. Next mom- ' ing, while again seeing to the oils, the attendants found that two pictures by Victorian exhibitors, valued at nearly £150, had been damaged. The first painting found destroyed was that of Miss B. Teague, of Melbourne, entitled "Artemis in the, Bra wing Room." It is 6ft by 4ft., and is regarded as one of the attractions of the exhibition. The value of the work is 100 guineas. In this case the. arm of Artemis was scratched, and a hole half an inch in diameter pierced through the elbow. There ie every evidence that the damage was viciously done, and that no chance was left to remedy the damage Near this picture was found another Melbourne student's oil damaged, and this was a subject entitled "Miss Sixteen," by Miss Asquith-Baker, the picture, being 3ft, by 2ft,, and valued at 36 guineas.