The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-14

AMERICAN COMMERCE AND AMERICAN ART
1t is a remarkable fact that when art attained
its highest point Of Development in the me-
di@val republics of Italy, the rich merchants of
those days were not only its most munifcent
but most discriminating patrons. Under Cosmo
de Medici, simple citizen and trader of
Florence, that city became the resort of all the
genius and learning of the time, and he col
lected together the nuclei of those famous
galleries which his grandson, Lorenzo the
Magnificent, and other members of the family,
completed. Until the discovery of the passage
to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope
caused the decline Of Venetian commerce,
the merchants of that republic were also
the most liberal patrons of the arts. 1t was
there, no doubt, that the Medicis, who owed
their first rise to their success in trade in the
"City of the Sea-" contracted those tastes which
elevated their race to such power and distinc-
ton, and which shed SO much glory upon
Florence.
We stand now in regard to art pretty
much in the same position which those
two republics occupied when fourishing
commerce enabled their merchants to devote
large portion of the wealth they had accumu-
lated to the cultivation of the luxuries and re-
fnements of life. We have plenty of million
aires amongst US, who, having exhausted all the
interest that the mind can derive from indus
trial pursuits, would be much better and hap
pier if they applied themselve1 TO those intel
lectual occupations which can alone satisfac-
fari1 he 81 @1okb orr
on their hands. What more delightful or
pleasurable pursuit, for instance, can they find
than that which the study and encouragement
Of art al'ordss 1t not only gratides the sensuous
portion Of mems natures, but it conduces to the
development Of their intellectual and moral
faculties. There is also this additional argu-
ment in its favor that next to religion it brings
them nearer the sources of divine inspiration
than any other subject of investigation TO which
they can devote their attention.
We are glad to witness evidences of the pro-
gress which these convictions are making
amongst the wealthy portion Of our community.
Although as yet we are but in the in
fancy of their results, it is impossible
to mistake the indications of the great
movement which is setting in towards q libe-
raj patronage Of art When, therefore, we 60
into raptures over the genius which created
"the White Captive we must not be so unjust
as to ignore the discrimination which prompted
the Hon. Hamilton Fish to give handsome
commission for the work. Neither, in awarding
to Church's "Heart of the Andes" its full need
Of admiration must we forget the generous
appreciation of the liberal minded merchant
who offered ten thousand dollars for the pic
ture before it left the easel, giving the artist
the privilege Of selling it within given time
for such larger sum as he could obtain for it.
Scarcely had Mr.. Barbee's two admirable sta
tues been brought here from Rome. when a
merchant of st. Louis, recognizing the genius
displayed in them, became the purchaser of
"tbe Coquettc" The best of the two-thc
"Fisher Girl''-still remains, and we would
look upon 1t as an irreparablc loss were it to
depart from among u.s. 1t is one Of the most
exquisite works of the kind, both in concep-
ton and execution. that We have seen.
10 ull,iS L4-orcan ircauc.ioa approaching