New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-21
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81 1850

appreciation of the members in 1913, and has been
received with marked and emphatic favor BY sub
scribers in every part OF tee country 1t is hoped
that it may be made of service in inducing sub
scfiptons at en early period OF the year. The in
terest upon five dollars is al that auy person can
lose by becoming member in January, rather
than in December while be will gain full
years subscription to the Bulletin, abounding in
original pictorial illustrations and embodying a
large amount Of valuable matter upon topics cor.
nected with the various departments OF Art cry
great inconvenience is felt from the postPonement
Of subscriptions until the last week OF the season;
it is hoped that the gratutious offer Of the month
ly Bulletin may induce change IN this respect.
The Committee of Management are required by
the Constitution to report the principles which
have governed them IL their selection of Works
OF Art" No change, III this respect, has been
made during the year now closed. They are re-
stricted, lii their purchase OF paintings, to works
of resident artists or OF American artists resident
abroad and thus precluded from adding to
their collection many very valuable aud attractive
works They have felt it due to the members
that the average price paid fer paintings should
not be 90 high as to make their number unreason
ably small, IN proportion to the number Of men,
bers among whom they 10 be distributed; and
as a matter Of course the Gallery contains pic
lures of various degrees OF merit Had they felt
at liberty to eXpend the whole amount placed at
their disposal upon one third or one halt as many
Dictures the collection might have bad fewer paint
ipgs of inferior merit, though the number OF good
ones could not have been very greatly increased
for no decidedly good pictures offered during the
wear beve been refused 1t must be borne in
mind by those who look for masterpieces only IN
the Gallery OF the Art-U Mon, that the number of
Artists of the highest rank in America is not yet
so great that the selections to SO large an amount
can be easily made from their annual productions.
Within the limitations thus imposed upon them,
fhp tfpn hQU Iq1Ht bpIr Opct fD1y
ment In the selection and purchase o! works OF
Art. They have bought no picture, at any price,
which did not, in their opinion, contain some mer-
it,either of design or execution-or eyince promise
Of advancement and improvement on the part OF
the artist They have endeavored to guard az ainss
exorbtant exactions without the exercise of par
simony. They have preferred American subjects,
and have sought to encourage compositions OF ma
tiona and historical interest They have not
yielded, in any instance, to threats either express
or implied OF active hostility unless pictures
were purchased. They have endeavOred to use
the money placed in theirhauds economically ard
iudicousy, for the welfare OF the Art-U MON, for
the interest OF its members, the encouragement OF
Artists and the promotion of the Fine Arts in the
United States.
The plan upon which the American Art MON
is organized is commended more and more warm
ly, BY the experience of each successive year, to
the sound judgment of every unparalleled obser-
yer. 1t is adapted at once to the nature
of the work to be performed and to the ex'
tent of the field in which its operations are to be
carried on. The exclusion OF professional artists
from the management Of the Institution, deprives
it of aid and counsel which might be, IN some ca
SEES Of essential service Butt has also saved 1t
from influences that might have been INJURIOUS
from professional iealouses and rivalries, from
the collisions apt to arise between Contending
schools Of art, and from the imputation OF seli-ln-
terest or tavoritism which, under any other organ
4 10 IA TO- a
manner of distributing works of art by lot is
open to some real and to more fanciful objections
but as these works are the actual property OF ali
the members, and must by some mode be assign
ed among them, it is not easy to suggest any me.
thod Of doing this convenient so equitable ana
so thoroughly open to public supervision as that
prescribed by our fundamental law The assign
ment of prizes in money, to be expended tor
works of art by the drawer himself might be pref
cradle if the city of New York and its immediate
vicinity alone, formed the only field OF our opera
tions but no one who remembers that the great
majority of the members of the Art MON reside
at distance Of hundreds and thousands OF miles
from the center of its abors, and from the metrop
oils of art, fail to that any such system Tor
This Association W uulu impose pom lUs members
degree of care. expense and risk which they would
never assume and upon its management an eX-
tension and complication of labor which no Com
mittee competent to the task would willingly IN
dertake.
The Free Gallery, moreover, 10 one OF the most
popular and benefcent features of the American
Art Union;-and its existence depends, directly
and entirely, upon the method OF assigning the
pictures which has been adopted
The experience of the past affords the best and
the safest guide for the future. Twelve success,
sive years have tested the system upon which
the Art Union rests and have shown conclusive.
" that the only limits to the benefits 1t may CON
fer upon the Fine Arts in the United states, Is
found in the character and extent of the efforts
which may be put forth on its behalf
Grateful to the members Of the American Art
Union for their confidence and support, and earn
estly commencing it to the continued and effective
friendship of all lovers Of Art, the Committee en-
ter, with renewed energy and zeal upon the labors
and responsibilities of another year.
The Report was adopted.
Mr.. Austen, Treasurer, then read his report,
! which was as follows
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Dr. RECEIPTS =.
Dec 20 1880 cash from It, $40 members $751; $50 90
from sale of bulletins Lies 10
from, sDTlFI mi