New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-11-17

Our Art-Union.

Att mon has met with sucl rzraeitl success anu
has al length grown co great and o. such Tast import
snee and influence for GOOD or for evil ihat 5eaooves
every 70 acogaint himself with ,s Plrf oses and
70 watch over is acts
ArtUulous aye associations oi TIE masses ior re &C.
compAshment IL size aggregation Of snis- means OF .
more ef-ctua patronage OF Arr ihaa any lal-F-ila.
e1or; can possibly achieve. such Institutions have .
been FOR several years slccessil. operation II Lon
don and IN other cities O.; Great Britain and o. TIE
Continent. Z they are found desirable and effective
there where the me Arts are held IN such 1sh pllc
esteem sad where governments protect AID preserve
them how much more important are they ters, where
from peculiar e!rc1mstsIces TIE pu5c ,aolshi IS bit
TOO a., 70 be absorbed IN tie primary aid so-ea.ed .
utit.risn ends OF Life and where Government onsy .
tres,s the subject with absolute indifference.
Few among u are sufficiently opuent 20 give that
announcement 70 the Arts which VII enable them %
shine as they have done IL other lands 90 brightly -
. shed lllt.r over their memory Vaic- ".4 .aii
through coming centuries when a.. otrer sssoe.sr5rs
10 thelr history have been hlred 10 oblivion N-iils
remains, therefore b., Tor Us 20 unite cur e11rts and
b. concentration Of power &c accomplish taai wa--a
no one OF us or al O: -, singly could achieve For
this purpose he American ArtUnlon was .nsui1i. O.
Al association Of publospirted gentlemen having the
good Of their country a. heart and fully res4ns row
greatly ihe promotion Of this end would contribute
thereto ten years ago sei themselves % WORK 10 tns
matter They proposed 10 receive an annra! su5serp
ION Of g from o.! willing 70 .o.n then IN their noble
euterpr.ze aad q hold the thus collected IN trust
for the members and % exqend It n works u Art y
American artists. which should be Distributed By loi
among all tnls aiiing 10 the effort
A, frst A. might have been expected, the Associa
ton met with many obstacles butthey struggled sgairst
them and each succeeding year with more and more
success The first season sufficient sum was SUB
scrbed % purchase fourteen pictures TIE second year
larger amount the third Sui more and 50 on year
by year until lsst season the grand number OF ten
thousand Of tie people came forward and subscribed
the magnificent sum Of FiFrY THOUSAND DOLLARS for
the PATRONAGE and promotion OF the Arts. These ten
thousand contributors had not only the pleasure Of re-
aecin upon the valuable assistance they had thus rem
dered 10 the Arts Of their country but they had $50 tne
more selfish grautc aton OF receiving i4l4 AeLt
for their money Zach member was supplied with
copy Of two beautiful engravinss from American pc
fiir,s-enrravincs worth more than their subscription
aud which could been produced through 10 other
agency that oi sucn an institution az az Aft Mon
Every one aso had equal CD ance 10 the distrcutou
% draw valuable picture worth nunifti uines tle
sum Of their donation. ana nearly three hundred o.
them did draw aud receive such prize. SUI more
beside the pictures and engraving several hlnirci
beautiful medals Boo bronze and ~ silver we're di-ilp
u.ed Thus Last year alone. through lis agency htfy
thousand dollars were expended Tor the al fanceneut
Of tho Arts twenty Thousand valuable cnsravinss
three hundred medals and nearly ~ many la.ntn-s
we're sent abroad over the land. THIS year the sl1.
scrigti0n VII De- greater the number oi pictures
engraviu.s and medals a. De distributed VII Dc Alcl
increased the coming year u VIII Dee set larger and o
on from 90 season untl one weares 10 the cnJt
70 c.tlmefe its elects.
We have thus shown how great Is that which n the
CONNER OF this paper called tle influence OF
The Alil uou. FOO the cause oi Art We have now Dut
O. lol.re into fla results oi tbs influence and 90 sag
fy ourselves whether 90 boz beneficial otherwise i
NOT the an-sser obvious o. every thinking mind II
not the sLd pure pleasure which tnr rult-t and
most uucuitvaied heart experience il the couienD.a
ton %. me WORK OF art "a sufficient response VINO
90 people who WAX through the ucaullu galleries.
of our Art MON year by year 1ut reply o. toe
query IS the kr scenes which there meet the eye
come up alter hours OF O. sooiLe and Qlt tAr
yexed though not the recurrence OF sucn pictures
OF natural ucss o historic record OF OF pJec and
moral truth, 90 their minds and hearts the thing
OF beauty winch the poet calls JOY forever Are
not contributions 20 our highest Intellectual euoymenls
objects OF importance % usf u % not desirable to eN
tend and dfuse such peesures 20 scatter them over
the lana place them IN the homesteads OF the poor
vel 10 tue parors Of The ricn-ln short 10 pat
them possible fliQ the grasp Of tue Wlue
saiiou ls NOT this eud douby desirable when We re-
collect that the result is uot amply o. give pleasure o
the heart but 90 teach and bless u We read more
plainly the sweet lessons breaihed Ia al the works oi
Nature when We are taught t0 understand ana love
them by the pictured canvass and 90 the dwelers DO
cities these sembances the Interpreters ~ Goo
works, which as they are not permitted Oh commune
with the originals would otherwise remain b them
forever unknown. The great Or. Doddrdge received
his earliest lessons Ia religion from the pictured ues
which were ever before bis eyes as be mu-, ~ hls
Preside Thousands have been taught Lessons 90
beauty OF genteness of hope ot EFFORT and ID tndu-
rance by like silent but certain monitors.
Beside all this the cultivation of the Arts Is 0i the
last importance a. means OF national wealth. Those
whom IL fails interest by Us other mighty henetis
will certainly bee reached iy this Are not at our fab
rics Of every species our houses the furniture which
nils them, the dresses wear the carriages n which
ride and everything which contributes O. our con
venience our luxury. our refinement indebted Tor
hrre-fourhs Of their value % the embellishments of
Aut Where Art h0urishes IN it, highest perfection, .
viii also be prscced more eaectualy ln each Of iis
lower grades. The existence % Raphael " an An
cello who furnishes material for our highest intel
ectusl and moral enjoyment, VIII call into being
thousand others. who VII serve as ia our less noble
pleasures 10 the higher developments % Art arc not
cherished, the lower VII dlieri0rate and -nay as
appear.
Happily the public mind fully realizes the import
OF chrrisLing the Fine Arts This IS aolndauly
evidenced To the unsnmity with which the people have
come up 20 tire aid " The gentlemen who labor a.
siduousy In the Art Union and who have so0red %
many years with 10 reward but the pleasant reflection