The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-03
THE sTR1NGER'S NOTE NOOK.
New York Art Treasures Three Recent Pic
ture Exhibitions The Collections of A..
Belmont, VIM. r. BIodgctt, and Stricken
Jcnkins-Tuste OF American Connoisseurs.

ture Exhibitions Collections of A.
Belmont, VIM. r. BiodRctt, and Striclscr
Jcnkins-TnSte OF American Connoisseurs.
The aTt-lOving portion of the New York
public had great treat last week In the way II
private picture exhibitions. Two very fine col
lectons were offered for sale, and ono for exam
ination with patriotlc-benevolent purpose All
these three galleries we're more than worth visit
ing, aud every one OF them Enthusiastically showed
the great characteristics OF New York as an
artistic city.
The first Of these characteristics IL that works
OF art are priced here not on their actual
merits, but mainly on the name Of the artist,
and the second is that foreign artists are incom-
parably greater favorites with picture buyers
than American artists.
1t NAV be retorted that American painters do
not find a good market simply because their
works are not good but this Il not 50. In land
scape painting especially there Is a large number
OF American pictures which cannot find pur-
chaser. and which are much bette works OF art
than some OF the foreign paintings which obtain
hien prices. A still more remarkable fact Is that
such LANDSCAPES OF American artists as seem to
suit the taste Of the publ are mostly foreign I'm
their subjects.
but he the artist foreign or American, the alb
solute condition for his obtaining something
have name. Mr. Church, Mr.. Kensett, Mr.. w.
Hunt get whatever price they may demand,
while artists who have not yet obtained sim
liar reputation have to send their works. how
ever good they may be, to the auctions Of petty
picture dealers.
The prestige Of the name is great here that
many a foreign artist who not yet having be-
come celebrity, has attempted within the l1st
few years to send his pictures to New York for
sale has had to ship them back again, not being
able to obtain the price readily offered him In
Ports or London. On the other hand, any patch
work OF a man who has succeeded In making
his name known here, gets much higher price
than he could possibly obtain in Europe. a
Fortuny, a Madrazo, Vibert, a Meissonier, n
Schreyer, or picture OF any other artist OF ce-
lebrity, are paid here price utterly Independent
Of the intrinsic merit OF the work. picture
Of the last-namcd artist, for instance e. The
HAITI, belonging to the Bodgett collection,
was sold for nearly 5000. 1t was a very good
specimen of his workmanship, but 1t Is doubt
ful whether II could ever have realized such
sum at a public sale OF the Rue Drouot. The
same thing might be said of many another ccle-
brated painter. little bit OF a canvas bv
Mcssonier e" The Smoker') WIS sold for
something like 5000, though the original price
paid for II In this country was, 1 am told about
5000 only.
1t may be said that the same thing is going on
all over the world, AMI that celebrity pays bet
ter than actual merit and fine workmanship.
Yet such a retort would have been only plrti ally
correct. Young artists Of rising talent arc what
the connoisseurs IN Europe are mainly after
The old masterpieces 20 into the National, Royal,
and Imnetial picture galleries; hut It Is the
private amateur who mainly stimulates rising
talent Men like Fortuny or De1aille Detail
they call him here) were almost utterly unknown
In this country couple of years ago, and II is
only to-day, when one Of them il dead, and the
other is rich enough to build himself palace in
Pars, thatthe New York picture collectors go"
+ them.
Yet II must be said, in justice to the New
Yorker, that when he has once made up his
mind to "go" for something be is willing to nay
for 1t, and the works OF the foreign artists who
were represented in the BlodGett collection. for
instance, would never have obtained the 10000
francs which they realized in this city last week
This tendency Of giving preference to foreign
artists over domestic ones, of paying for the
name rather than for the work, IL very detrm en-
I'll TO the development Of ar; at home. More
than any other branch OF art. painting and sculp-
ture are dependent on the patronage offered o
them by the wealthy classes. The cost Of pro =
duction OF the works of literary man or
musician is much less than that OF a painter or
q sculptor We can easily imagine a man writ
| ing an admirable piece of poetry or a heartrenl-
| ing novel while worHing in a cold garrett, and
with nothing but a piece Of stale bread aud a
| slice Of touyh meat for food. The same can he
Imagined Of the musician. The hire OF an in
| strument IL not great expense, and for all we
know some OF the best popular melodies may
have been launched from the breast OF some
half mir nuf
Is the case OF the painter or sculptor. His
models, HE accessories, are very expensive
things. His colors, his canvas and even the
hight he wants cost lots Of money. aud It Is also
| out Of the question for him to work VITA halt
| frozen hands.
his difference in the material condition Of
the various branches OF art is highly signia ant.
Literature has in many cases been promoted by
persecution. A large number of men whose
works are now read win delight would proba.
| bly, never have written what they old write had
| they not been Imprisoned and otherwise tx.
posed to suffering ny the dospotic governments
under which they lived. But the painters and
| the uptors whose works we admire now
would never have been known to US had not the
| very same savage despots who prosecuted and
| executed the literary men paid and encouraged
tie artist. In the same way 1t ia yer, likely thar
until the rich people in America come to the
consciousness that It is a duty of patriotism on
their part to support artists OF their own coun-
| try in preference TO foreigners, tho progress II
art In the United States will never receive the
impulse 1t deserves. TO argue that the busiue-s :
ike way Of leaving things 10 stand on their own
merits Is the best would be absurd In this case.
Modern art fourishes I'm France. In Germany, in
italy, and in Spain mainly because the French,
the Italians, the Germans. and the Spsniards
always give preference TO the productions of
their countTymen over those Of any foreigner.
They are very glad TO pay high price for a
Murlilo or Raphael which they purchase for
their museums but In their private collections
national art invariably predominates over the
foreign, and 1t is through such efforts Of private
individuals tnat national art can be encouraged
and its interests promoted.
That l am not exargerating the preponder-
ance Of the foreign element in the hesi y w
York galleries is evident from the fact til 4 out
OF I34 pictures Of Mr.. Jenkins collection only
81 are works Of American artists, while in the
% pictures OF the late Mr.. BlodRett, America
was represented by but II. This proportion
is still smaller In MIR. lelmonts gallery, though
| am unable 10 give the exact figures.
As far the comparative merits OF the
three collections are concerned, to that