New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-10
FINE ARry

,ioN We IhE ARTIsr-yrs.a ANIMAL yyu,
The Winter Exhibition at tina .' SOCIETY.
has driven the Artist-Fund Societs saemy Of Dess
LOT quarters and 1t has found ve, look elsewhsr.
Messrs. h. d. Miner & Barker,s Pleasant one, :,
venient gallery. No. Ss5 Broodvs'eiiul and con
the character of the Artist.FnnS W late year.
changed, and instead of a douIIa ambition b..
pictures painted by both Amer,con uecton One. o,
ISIS ana contributed, for exhibition ioregn art.
owners the other, of pictures paD,a, OaS by tLs,
Oh tne society and intended to be soId " menben
OF the lnhd-we have now only tbo H.. The benefit
Tic Is 'he loser by the change onS ''' The pub
thihk, that the treasury 81 :, we should
would also suffer by it, M "e Society
not know the reasons Tho. VVu''e. we da
Council to make tho new arrar n"'e led the
heard but one given, viz: that .t We have
ior oAn,o''o' "'io 50 choice and nterrs,i,Oaned
,,'"A contributed for the benefit % ~
fund ial OF their proper effect upon tbe nnH, Oh the
ahother reason was mat now that the Ao.da ana
openeu us inter exhibition there i, no III hss
po louiu i',so enough to hold sucb = coIIaa.. 'J
the society mas oeen In the habit Of NAL. a.
for the last nine years In order % bo,a Yearly
tlon In any place where the public ron,I so HAni-
IT. 1t was found necessary, therefor - ~ see
collection exhibited smaller. and hi. ~ MAKE the
by cutting oil the very part that Womb ',e' uons
greatest number OF people. We do moi uiaw the
how the Society was TO escape from III. a, wen SOC
but il is to be presumed that they have 1asnma,
best practical course for the peeuniarv ooos Tue
fund. And if we trouble ourselves al an "a taa
matter that may be said not to concern ma !, ia,a
because miss the opportunity we formsrlv
of seeing pictures once year that for the roc.
time are shut uD in private parOrs and pietu,. -'
leries, and partly, too, because We are interest,"
the prosperity of this truly useful and herar.I.'
fund, and are sorry 10 see it adopt course th.,
fear. can haTly fail to mar its fortunes.
The Artists Fund Society is now in the s;u,.
year of ITS existence. Its history is briefly ,S;.'
When Mr. Ranney, an American artist died com.
twelve years ago. his pictures were sold a, an,,,..
for the benefit of his widow and children. tn.
was a mortgage on the house which he left nI.
widow, and it being thought the best way 70 hi.
her to pay off this mortgage, number Of the aria,
agreed to contribute each picture, to he sold viii
the Ranney collection. To accomplish this gens,ou,
purpose in the best way, the artists contulms,,
formed themselves into little society, andappcp,i
officers to transact the necessary business WhA.
the sale took place the results were so much hss
than had been hoped for that the artists Determined
to continue their organization, in order to be m.
pared TO meet similar emergencies that ght arise IN
the future, Several plans by which the ends ds.xd
might be secured were discussed at theirmeetins an,
finally the present Artists Fund Society was formed
and its charter obtained from the State in 1851 Tsr
are two funds-one for the Widows and Orphan. :!
Deceased Members, the other Benevolent Fund
which Is used TO meet the wants Of artists Of Whit.
ever country. in need here in America, whether tie,
be members of the Society or not. These funds an
kept supplied by the annual sales Of works cOntnb
uted by the members, and by gifts Of pictures
money from those who are interested in art. Th
annual sales have always been successful, we II
told and the treasury of the Society is not empt
though it would look better If il were fuller II
pictures now on exhibition will be sold at the gaie
of II. ID. Miner * Barker, where they are now
exhibition. on the evening of Tuesday, Dec - al
o'clock
There are co pictures in the present exhibition, B
side small but interesting collection of works
terra-cotta by Mr.. Charles Miller. 1t is true tb
the pictures make no pretensions. and in very ia
cases would il be claimed that the artists had do
"fher level best" Nothing more is demanded Of .
Uclnptis ny INC CObStltuilou bul Nnae Sd'H oh'
contribute either painting that the Council "
accept as worth SO, or that amount in money. v
are under the impression that if any picture sells I
more than the specified sum- the remainder goes
the artist. But however this may be, we are gu
that both the artstsand the public lose by the failu
Of any contributor to send the best work tn
he can prod Gce. No real good is ever effected, l
substantial benefit ever conferred, by people wi
are not enough in earnest, 10 put forth all the
powers. So sure as the Artist members OF ID
Society keep on year after year doing every man
little less than his best, the exhibitions must decu
Of course: they cannot imr-oye. and theJ certain
will not stand still. The objects OF the oo1csg a
truly benevolent, the men who manageit are actuaS
by unselish and honorable motives, but. for the p'
fianent good of their undertaking. they are on y
wrong path. When the exhibition is fairly open
we shall examine tho works IL contains.