AN ARTIST'S GOOD LUCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6811, 15 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN ARTIST'S GOOD LUCK.

A CLKVKK and hardworking painter, hithertf unknown to.fame, has suddenly been brough into the glbiv of publicity and fortune, thank to a piece ot good, luck that might be. con t-idered aboldscrokeia anovel. M. Alexande Dumas possessed a landscape signed Corot which, he bought three years ago for .12,001 frauds. It hung in his drawing-room, aut all his visitors regarded it as the glory of hi colledi iDj and one of the finest works of thi master wi oae nanie it bpre. One day, a con Uoisseur, admiring the picture, but not ob serving the came it: bore, remarked, ''Yoi have a fine Trouillebert there." M. Duma pointed to the signature ;■ but the critic ad ded tiiat, although he might be mistaken ii attributing the painting, to Trouillebert, i certainly waa not a (Jorot. Mi Dumas aske( M, Trouillebert to call and see the picture and the artist at once recognised it as one o his own which he sold, with" his nariie on it about Siven years ago, for 300 francs, tf> ai artists' Colour.man, in whose window it re ! maiued for two years without finding a pur chaser, until a dealer took it off his Daiui3 a 100 fraue.S profit. It no doubt passed througl other ham's before finding its way into th gallery of the well-knowa collector, M. Petit fr'.m wh. m it Was purchased by M. Dumas is previously stated, for 12,000 francs. M Petit, notwithstanding his great acumen ii I everything concerning the branch Of art ii which he dea's, was deceived; aud, sine the disc ivi'ry of the fraudulent signatttr has tik-n back the picture and and retufnai the money p:dd on it. He has also cailei ou the person from, whom he bought it for ai explanation'; the latter has called on oth'ra and theiO aw.tin on others ; and the piper have been busy H'i ii the curio.ua revelation thus arrived at. Meantime, M. Dumas ha informed M. Trouillebert that the place, oi his <irawin«,-ro:om w.ill left vacant by remova of tiie false Corot will remain empty until tha arti-t can paiut for him a picture bearing hi "Son, and for which he may nama his owi price. The moral of the tale is that Troutl lebert can paint pictures as well as Corot that lie. has thus been raised by a stroke o fortune's wand to the rank Of Corot, that or tiers fOr p linl ings by liim arc pouring in Upoi him beyond his power to execute, and tha " Trouill.lßber.ts" will now be quoted among the " t;ema" of galleries, like the works of others by whose names his own has been so overshadowed.