The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-15

Soir, ""La Refine du Bal, "".ayotlrd'hui ct
Demain," etc, ETC.; works of school Vi
cious both in execution and sentiment.
The price of admission to this gallery
was twenty-five cents, but the proprietors,
finding that exceeding few visited it at
that price, and also seeing what lively
and extended interest in art had been
created by the American Art Union, whose
free exhibition was crowded by intelligent
visiters, conceived the plan of turning to
their own private profit the spirit awaken
ed by the public institution, of converting
their private gallery nomlnally into an Art
Union exhibition, and of course of admit
ting the public without charge. They
were fully aware of the profit and conve-
nience Of disposing OF articles by rattle,
and saw in this way very desirable
method of selling their paintings and en-
cravings.
The American Art Union gave to each
member an engraving, and distributed the
paintings il purchased by lot among its
members; 50 GoUpIL, VIBERT & Co. prom
ised an engraving to every subscriber to
their project, and exhibited certain paint
ings which it was understood would be dis
tributed by lot among the subscribers J;
they promised to devote part of their re-
ceipts to the education of an American art
ist abroad they secured the names of
highly respectable committee of reference,
and dubbed their establishment an " In
ternational Art Union" They established
agencies and collected subscriptions. We
see it stated that they did not confne them
selves to these proceedings, but tempered
with the agents of the American Art
Union, and endeavored in every way to
make use of and appropriate to themselves
the prestige attaching to the name of that
noble institution.
Now, the only claim which the establish
ment of Messrs. GoUpIL, VIBERT s. Co.
has upon the American public, rests solely
upon its being International, and Union,
It's object being declared to be ''the pro-
motion Of the taste for the fine arts in the
United States," and of /" fraternity and
universally between art and artists of all
nations We will not stop to inquire the
meaning of the term g universally be-
tween art and artists of all nations" but
will merely say that the whole of this dec
laration is evidently the merest pretence.
The object of the so-called international
Art Union is pal pably the promotion of the
private interests of Messrs. GoUpIL, VI
BERT s Co. That they desire "the pro-
motion of the taste for the fine arts in the
United States" we can well believe, for
such desire is most directly compatible
with their interests for the more that
taste is promoted the greater their gains,
whether under the proper style and title of
their firm, or under the assumed and de-
cephve name of an Art Union.
There is no such thing az Union, or
the pretence of any, in any paper or pro
posal OF defence which these gentlemen
have set forth. All they say amounts
simply to this. They have certain paint
ings and engravings to sell, and they have
determined to sell them by lottery. Every
one who buys ticket is sure Of an en-
craving, and has chance to get one Of an
indefinite number of paintings. The paint
ings and engravings belong to Messrs.
GoUPIL, VIBERT & Co., who will be well
paid for them-as they should be j; and
into the hands of these gentlemen and of
certain French artists, the whole of the
money subscribed passes. The subscribers
have no control of the funds or the man
agement. There are no managers. This
grand International Union is the private
property Of Messrs. GoUPrL, VIBERT & Co.,
who, by means thereof, hope to dispose of
engravings which otherwise might be un-
productive in their portfolios.
The only shadow of public feature on
the face of their project is the somewhat
questionable one Of making an American
artist a stipendiary upon their bounty
But even in this point the American Art
Union is far beyond them, as it provides
young artists with the means Of studying
abroad, while at the same time it imposes
upon them no humiliating obligation, and
makes full return to the members for the
funds so expended.
II is badly manifest that project like
this, in which there is no resp visibility of
managers to subscribers-no union of
many to accomplish public end-no Sc
curity, ercept on one side, in which all the
subscription money is paid into the hands
Of the very persons to whom that money is
to be again paid as the price Of the paint
lngs and engravings to be distributed-is
but private speculation, and one having
not the slightest imaginable right TO its as