, 1875-06-27

AHcHT SERMON.
Brethren Of thu Acadsmy; An honest man il
the noblest work Of God. Great opportunities
imply groat responsibilities. The application o1
this wisdom is this:
| Ftrst-An honest man, eto. Everybody who
has had anything to do with pictu1e-sales, even
looking On. is aware OF the great opportunity for
! fraud which they present. The temptation il
rarely resisted by private agents and dealesa.
| The value Of pictures is au uncertain quantity,
| dependent upon various elemonts Of diverse
| kinds the actual merit Of the pictures tho rep
| utation Of tho artist, tho atate Of the market,
! etc.-of which few persons can hava the rneanB
Of forming correct judgment; and ths few
who possess the necessary discrimination fro
quently are not Identical with the persons who
havo tile money with which to bny. Conse-
quently picture-aa'es are frequently 8 kind Of
lottery, in which both dealer and purchaser run
risks and worh in the dark. Bnt as ID all lotteries
the advantage is altogether on tho SIDE OF the
seller, and, il he is not extraordinarily honest,
he will 900 to it that he himself comes out whole.
Not to 20 farther for illustrations, there uas
grave dissatisfaction with tue lte eAles Of East
ern dealers 1t the Exposition Building because
pictures knocked OF ut ona dar's sale at definite
prices to particular names wcrs openly put up at
auction on subsequent days. It il possible, OF
course, that thny wern turned in oy Purchasers
TO be 1esold, bus no one believed this to be true,
aud the general opinion was that no one who pur-
chased pictures there could be sure he was not bid
ding against himself. The simple and chiidEake
explanation given by gentleman long familiar
with such sales vaa, that ''hs supposed it uaa
the only Way they could make sales" Lot the
sales be made though the heavens fall
Seeond-Great opportunities, etc. An nso-
s;Ation OF academy has great adsantages 10 the
market,-betser means Of collecting pictures.
bettoz Advantages TOR making them known, and
1nore weight with tho public. An honorable
a. feasible aa tt il desirable. Sup
pose the Academy Of Design, for instance, wcre
to appoint Committee Of Appraisal, vhoae
duty it should be Oh the approach Of evefY sale
TO set price upon all tile pictuzea. Lot this
valuation bo understood to be the opinion OF tho
Academy OF what each picture ls, u any rate.
fairly WORTH in the market. At the sale the
picture might be started At any price 1t which
the artist or owner was willing to part With it.
and Il compsition carried it far above the
Academy price 20 much tho better, thero would
be no injustice DONE The rich ard Ignorant
public would have \ guide to the value OF \ pio-
tura, aud it is ceer that after few sales the
Academy would attract to Its auctions large
class al buTers who want pictures, but distsust
their own judgment. Such customers would
Rait for the sales OF the Academy, and buy no.
where else- They would bs sure OF making no
serious blundera and would have the seal OF
the Academy On al their purchases. Whatever
dissatisfaction WIS occasioned to particular
artists won}d hive the redress Of appeal 70 ths
Academy. Il is we'll worth ths while OF tho
Academy to take an early and judicious stand
in the matter Of conducting sales. And maintain
it rigldy through tha numerous aAles that will
os bold ia coming years.
Such ID tho advice Of TIE TRIbuH1-. Ho ext1A
charge.