Show Broker Defends Deals In Mexican Paintings SAN FRANCISCO Jan 15 UP UP-A UP A Los Angeles Angel s art broker revealed Saturday that he is probably probably probably ably the doctor pill pm sought by police to determine if more than 1000 old master r paintings found here were stolen from Mexican churches Dr A. A Thiel who runs a medical laboratory in addition to his art brokerage business said the paintings paintings paintings paint paint- ings were mostly junk and laughed when told that th they y have been appraised by some critics at Thiel said he sold the collection of ot canvases which reputedly in includes includes in- in eludes one unsigned Rembrandt and one unsigned El Greco to art dealer Paul Metcalf of Pasadena Metcalf sold them to two San Francisco collectors The possibility that the collection collection collection tion may have been stolen from Mexican churches 23 years ago arose after they were discovered by a woman superior court judge who studied art as a hobby Immediately a battle broke out over the own ownership of or the c canvases canvases can can- n- n I vases vase which include works by I painters of the Flemish Italian and Spanish schools Mexican legal experts and historians historians historians his his- said the paintings were the property of the Mexican government government government govern govern- ment under the constitution of 1857 which stripped the Catholic church of all its property He said he bought the collection from the estate of a Los Angeles art collector named C. C I. I Althouse Althous who in turn bought them from a 8 dealer named Herrera in Mexico Mexico Mex Mex- ico leo City But he insisted the entire collection collection collection col col- col- col lection was not worth a fraction of They're mostly junk junkas as art values go he said They were painted In the Mexican churches several centuries ago but they're in very bad shape now Archbishop John J. J Mitty of the San Francisco diocese shown sho the paintings by Police Capt James English said sald We believe these paintings are arc the property of the church But art dealer Metcalf contended th they y were vere not stolen They were acquired legitimately legitimate legitimate- ly by an on American collector in the early he said And Thiel backed up Metcalf in inan inan an interview with the United i Press 1 V 1 |