The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-19
Among the Artists.

exhibition will be opened at the Academy OF
Design, and on the first Of April will begin
the iifty-fourth annual exhibition Of tho
National Academy.
The mere announcement OF the opening OF
the doors OF the Academy for these displays
OF works OF art will be sufficient 10 fill the
galleries with people, and so long as the ex-
hbitions are held. they will attract a steady
throng OF Interested observers. I'm the earlier
days of the Academy OF Design the money
obtained from the sale OF tickets OF admis-
sion TO its exhibitions was barely enough to
pay the gas bill, so small was the circle OF
people in New York who took any interest In
art OF late years, however, the Academy
has derived a handsome revenue FROM such
sales, and no public exhibitions In the city
are surer Of support than those which take
place In the Venetian edhce at the corner OF
Twenty third street and Fourth avenue.
The growth Of artistic taste in the city
has been extraordinary during the last
twenty years. At the same time the criti-
cal judgment OF the public in art has stead
lily improved, so that the painter who now
hangs his picture on the walls OF the Acade-
my is aware that 1t will be put to the Sc
vcrest test, because it will not only have to
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other artists, but also stand the critical
examination OF observers who are as capa-
BILE Of detecting its faults as Of approaching
| its merits
But, though the Academy exhibitions are
now so numerously attended, the artists
complain that the crowd is satisfied with
merely looking at the pictures; that it is
rare thing for any of the observers to buy
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ings offered In the catalogue for sale find
purchasers, but the number is comparative
ly small, and an artist when he puts his pic
ture in the Academy has little hope OF SELL
ing It there This is particularly the case
with oil paintings, the water colors, where
their prices are not very great, being dis
| posed OF more readily Yet inasmuch as
| these exhibitions tend to cultivate the pub
lie taste In art and TO extend the public in
terest in pictures, at the same time
that they familiarize those who visit
them with the names and the work OF the
artists, the painters are wise TO do their
best 10 make them deserving Of attention;
and those OF their number who refuse TO
display their pictures in the Academy are
negligent OF their own interests as well as
careless about pleasing the public. But
since an artist paints pictures to sell, and
not for any philanthropic purpose, he has
an undoubtcd right to put them before the
public in the way he thinks they will be the
most likely to secure purchasers; yet some
artists fancy that the notoriety painting
gets on the walls of the Academy tends
rather 10 cheaper it than TO enhance its
value, or TO create a desire for its posses
sion. They therefore take pains to exhibit
only such pictures as they have already
sold or they refrain from sending any ut all
But provided his work is really good and
will bear criticism, n painter is wise 10 take
pains 10 be represented at the Academy.
The last five years have been very trying
ones for our artists. They have had to con-
tend not only with the hard times, which
most AFFECT expensive luxurics like pictures.
but also with the great and increasing taste
for the paintings Of the European schools.
Many Of them have barely subsisted during
that time, and, though the business outlook
is now more hopeful, they are filled with
gloomy forebodings this winter; for, beyond
a question, the picture buyers who have the
most money to spend generally prefer the
works OF foreign artists to those Of their
own countrymen. The very men who once
were the most liberal toward native painters
will now pass their pictures by and compete
for the possession OF French. German, or
Flemish pictures at double or many times
the price. 1t cannot be otherwise than dis
couraging for American painters to see rich
collectors gradually wedding out OF their
galleries the pictures OF native artists by
which they once set great store, and supply
ing their places with foreign works. but
they know that this sort OF treatment
of American art is going on, and they must
endure it.
What is the meaning of this? Does 1t
not simply indicate that, in the opinion Of
some OF the most cultivated picture buyers,
the French, German, and Flemish paintings
are better than our own, and are really
cheaper at a high price than the works Of
native artists at comparatively small
one; that 5000 spent on a ROUSSEAU, or
a MIILET or DETAILLE is better invested
than $500 laid out on the picture OF New
York painter2 Our artists say that the
present eagerness for foreign pictures to
the neglect OF American Is simply fash
ionable freak; but let them honestly COM
pare their work with the foreign, and see
II the reason why the men who can afford
TO pay handsomely for paintings SO gener-
ally go abroad for them, Is not that they
are superior 10 most OF those painted at
home. Let them ask themselves whether
the alleged declining patronage OF native
art is not perhaps an indication that our
taste In art rs getting more refined and
more critical, rather than a proof OF in
difference to the merits OF pictures painted
at home
Until within recent years many OF our do
nestle manufactures we're beaten In our
market by those from England and France,
and fairly beaten, for they were less elegant
and less durable; but now the American
goods are preferred at home, and are win
ming in the competition abroad, because they
deserve ii. II took long time 10 reach this
result. and we were slow TO recognize the
merit OF our own goods. but they conquered
in the end. Why should it not be 80 with
our art In the long RUM
In those days OF hardship for so many
painters there is direction In which they
might turn their taste and talents TO sub
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