Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
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The Magical Oil Painting
A CLEVER feat, especially suitable for in troduction in amateur circles, consists of the performer showing a frame covered with white paper, then placing it on an easel. The artist, who is provided with paints and other utensils of the painter's art, seizes palette and brush and in an incredibly short time, that is in the course of a few minutes, proceeds to execute an excellent oil painting before the very eyes of the spectators. As this experiment is not introduced as a trick (although it is one), every one will admire the wonderful dexterity with which the performer rendered such a handsome painting in so short a time.
The trick, which requires no artistic capability whatever, is an exceedingly simple one. Previous to the performance an on painting or an oleograph is stretched on a frame and over it is then pasted a sheet of white tissue paper of a good quality which effectually hides the picture. Should one sheet prove insufficient a second sheet is pasted over the first one. Besides the palette, the performer is provided with several wide, soft brushes and a number of small saucers for containing paint, which should have the appearance as if they had been frequently used. Instead of paint each saucer contains a little colorless oil.
In performing the feat, the conjurer apparently takes a little color from the saucers with his brush, makes believe to mix it on the palette and apparently proceeds to paint. The oil contained in the brush makes the tissue paper transparent and causes the painting to gradually appear. In order to create the proper deception, the performer should change brushes often and in other ways copy the style of working of an artist as closely as it is possible for him to do so.
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