MILLETT’S PICTURES

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1930, Page 2

MILLETT’S PICTURES

GREAT FRAUD REVEALED

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

(Recd. May 6,2 p.m.) PARIS, May 5

The art world is thunderstruck by the revelation of Jean Charles Millet, of fraud.

For some time, a flood of pictures from Barbizoners, the French impressionists, has been marketed and has given the 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 to the Barbizon museum, then made a complete confession. He said that he had been accustomed in 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 “J.F.M.,” and sell the pictures. As tho business flourished, he employed a professional painter named Cazot, to produce oil paintings similar to the grandfather’s. Cazot states that he was unaware his pictures were being sold fraudulently. He was actually engaged on a Millet canvas when the police came to enquire.

The ease with which the faked Millet pictures sold, suggested the enlarging of the operations to include Diaz, Corot, Daubifiny, Money, Dagaz, and Cezanne. Tho output of such “masterpieces” is estimated at between three thousand and four thousand since 1923. Tho extent of fraud will only be known when all the dupes come forward. Probably, the majority of the dupes will refuse, preferring to hide their errors, especially the wealthy Americans.