3735. These modern Russian painters found that there was no
market for even their best works, because only French and Italian works were in
demand at that time. Rather than suffer and starve in their attics they found
it worthwhile to paint little paintings in the style of Watteau or even
Caravaggio, and then sell them unsigned, to antique stores for a small sum.
3736. Sculptors were in the same difficulty as the painters.
The few sculptors of Moscow and Saint Petersburg did not have the resources to
cast large works in bronze, and so they restricted themselves to making small
plaster and wax models in the hopes that some collector would condescend to
finance an edition of large bronze castings.
3737. These
small works could often be found in antique stores. Some of then even had
contemporary signatures on the bases because the artists hoped to be recognized
and encouraged. But the older sculptors, who had long age given up all hope of
finding patronage, gave themselves up to doing works, “In the style of,” as
they say.
3738. The most common of the pieces of sculpture to be found in
the drawing rooms and entry halls of Patrician homes consisted of plaster casts
painted a dark greenish brown in imitation of the patina of bronze. From a
distance those works could pass for the genuine article, but close up they
always displayed some little crack or chip announcing that the object was
fabricated of plaster of Paris.
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