Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-06
ART NOTES.

Orleans, which have been on exhibition in the
Corcoran Gallery for some time past, have
been bought by Mr.. Corcoran; not for the
Gallery, however, but on personal account.
Although not exactly adapted for the strict
purposes of the Gallery, yet. recognizing their
decided artistic merit and great historical
value, Mr. COrcoran was unwilling to risk the
chance OF their being taken out of the coun-
try, and so determined to become their pur
chaser, as stated above. We do not feel at
will probably be made of them by Mr.. Corco-
ran, but in view Of the character of the pic
lures dt teSo,a and OF that gentleman's well known
patrlOtlc and liberal spirit, il can safely be
assumed that they will be so placed eventually
that the public will have the full benefit Of
them In the meantime. we understand it to
De the intention to have them put in thor
onghly, good condition, and kept on view in
the Gallery, for the present.
The interest manifested by the public i'm
the exhibition OF the Society of American
Artists In New York, which closed last week.
is shown by the fact that during the twenty
iour days 1t was open it was visited by more
tnan SIX thousand persons, including the free
admissions on Sunday afternoons. Although
me the expenses Of the exhibition were quite
more than met by the receipts.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts tried
last week for the first time the experiment of
evening exhibitions, and if experience shows
that the receipts will defray the cost of light
feature. 1t speaks well for Boston, by the
way, that the 100000 required for the extern
sion OF the Museum building was promptly
and easily raised. recently, Notwithstanding
the hard times. The work on the new part
VIII begin in May, and will probably be done
next April. The plans provide for additional
architectural collection on the second floor
VIII be large picture gallery corresponding
to the present one; Beyond this will be gal
lely, to be named the ''Allston Room,' de
voted to the works of Washington Allston and
other early American artists. There will also
pc a room f0r cabinet pictures and also for
temporary exhibitions of various works of art
The statement is revived in Boston that
two citizens of Massachusetts have determ-
ined to present to the state of Virginia an
equestrian statue of General Lee, of heroic
size, to be erected in Richmond. The story
goes SO Tar as to say that the commission for
given to Martin Millmore, and that the pedes-
tai has also been contracted for, etc. People
IN Richmond, however, who would be likely
to know if any such movement was cQntem.
plated, have no information concerning it.
Reports from Paris are to the effect that
Barthodi's colossal statue of Liberty Light
ing the WOrld,' intended to be placed in New
York harbOr, is coming out little by little or
rather piece by piece from the immense work
shops established expressly for its construc-
ton. AT present the sculptor is finishing the
principal portion of the head, in regard to
which feature late Paris paper says: "The
first sentiment inspired by the enormous head.
nearly thirty feet high, is almost terror Its
gigantic dimensions are Stupefying; but by
degrees the eye becomes accustomed to the
colossal forms, and the mind recOnciles itself
TO the extent of those great lines, and we dis
cover in the midst of them the ma jeSty and the
light which the author has endeavored to give
the features" The head when finished is TO
be exhibited at the Paris exposition somewhat
as the arm, hand, and torch were shown at the
centennial exhibition at Philadelphia
The absurd story has been put in circula-
tiOn that the price paid for Boughton'S picture
of the "Edct of William the Testy,'' lately
added to the Corcoran Gallery, was fifty thou
sand dollars. The Gallery is liberal patron
of art. but not to the extent implied by this
paragraph. 1t is no secret, we believe, that
the price paid for the painting in question was
four thousand dollars.
"A small oil painting by Kaemmerer was
stolen from the Schaus picture gallery in New
York on Thursday of last week. 1t represents
window, and is valued at $500 The owner of
| the gallery cannot tell the manner in which it
was taken, and SO far there is no clue to the
| robbery.
Mr.. Holman Hunt, the distinguished Eng
lish painter, who has been in Palestine for
some time past, and seriously ill, was at last
| accounts much better, and expects to return
| to England at Easter. He will bring with him
| an almost completed picture, which it is said
will be the most important work he has yet
| produced.
The number of persons who attended the
free exhibition of the Grosvenor Gallery, i'm
London, in one day recently was over eight
| thousand.
surprise has been expressed in some quar-.
| ters, since the sale in New York last week,
| that so cOol-headed man and successful
| banker as ex-senator Latham has proved him.
| self to be should have had SO large sum as
! one hundred thousand dollars or thereabouts
| invested q niptnra
to be very large amount of money to have
Withdrawn from active business pursuits and
| tied up in what might be called an unprO-
| ductive, or rather, perhaps. non interest
paying Investment; yet it does not, by any
means, follow that it was bad or even an uIi-
profitable expenditure. On the other hand, if
| MI. Latham were willing to state the facts, we
have no doubt it would be shown that his pic
most likely remunerative Investment. Most
| if not all the pictures comprising his collec-
tiOn were bought at high prices, in the flush
| Ing the fact that it was sold in period of
great depression in business and scarcity of
money there is reason to believe that it
! brought considerably more than its original
cost. 1t is extremely doubtful whether many
of Mr.. Lathams other investments, made and
realized on under the same circumstances,
| would have turned out as well. 1t is certain
that neither real estate nor ordinary stocks
| would have done so. The same was true of
the celebrated John Taylor Johnston collec-
|
| ago. Mr.. Johnston was regarded as, and
| doubtless was, an unusually enterpriSing
| and SagaciOus business man, whose invest
| ment in pictures was looked upon as rather
| foolish and expensive hobby by many of his
| business acquaintances: yet when the day of
adversely came. and his effects were sold
| under the hammer, his picture gallery was the
| only portion of his investments that realized
| anywhere near its cost and this, it is said.
| brought net profit of nearly fifty per cent,
| though many of the pictures were bought in
| the era of high prices, and at what even then
| were regarded as extravagant figures. OF
| course, an investment of this sort yields
| nothing in the way of interest, from year to
| year. But to q gentleman of taste and culture
| who can afford the outlay from his other pur.
| suits, the enjoyment of possessing choice pic
lures is a full Offset for the loss of interest,
| especially if there is prospect that he can get
| his money back, or something more, in the
| event of SALE And this it has been demon
| strated over and over again, both in Europe
| and this country, can be done, if the pictures
| are firSt-claSS in character. the productions of
| artists of reputation, and selected with taste
| and good judgment. Indeed, as rule, few
other investments turn out as well.
Much the best collection of pictures ever
brought here for sale is that now exposed at
the corner of f and 18th streets, and to be sold
| at auction on Wednesday and Thursday eve