The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-06-07
OUR LONDON LETTER.
The Tariff on Works of Art.--Ameri-
can Artists Abroad.
Special correspondence NaHonal Tribune.

Special correspondence Nofional Tribune.
LONDON, HAY f2.-There is much vigorous
discussion at present among Americans in
Europe concerning the new American tariff
upon works of art. The recent provisions i'm
pose high duty upon foreign paintings, and a
duty of thirty per cent. upon imported artists
materials, but admit duty free paintings by
American resident artists abroad.
These provisions are defended chiefly mon
three grounds, viz: that picture-Inaxing is a
branch of manufacture which should be pro-
tected as such; that pictures are luxuries, aud
Injuries should be taxed; that by making the
purchase Of foreign pictures somewhat dificuIt.
home pictures may be more in request, and
American artists, painting American scenes,
may be led to give to our ar5 more definitely
national character. 1t Is thought, at the same
time, that the Government IS not taking an
arbitrary step in the direction of prescribing
the limits within which the American artist
may work, since it admits the works of the
American duty free from whatever part of the
world he finds congeuial Incidentally, it is
hoped that the flood Of poor copies poured into
America from France and Italy may be some
what checked, and that the purchase of copies
may be limited more or less to tho work of
American copyists.
The adverse criticisms uron the provisions
are more numerous and more varied, and soma
of them can hardly have been imagined By the
trainers of the tariff. Thus, fer INSTANCE ths
American art student In Paris IS grieved that
the works OF his French master are excluded,
IL q measure, from America, for the Partisan
artists are most generous In giving instruction,
and there Is . large corps OF Americans who ere
deeply indebted to them. The arrangement
made for the benefit Of students rests wholly
upon the HberabLE Of the French artists, who
visit the student classes and cTiGIcise student
work at short stated intervals, making 10
charge for their time and labor, and so reduc-
ing the cost OF student work 10 the rent Of the
classroom, model hire, ana the profit of the
middle man, who provides EO0las and models
To the student who profits by this most liberal
and helpful arrangement. it naturally seems
that his government places him in q shabby
position by directing its tariff provisions chiefly
against the very men who are doing all in their
power 10 build up modern art,-Americau art
included. IL IS, perhaps, not UnmiXad loyalty
which stirs the wrath 0f the American art
student III Paris Gratitude has been defined
as keen appreciation of flFors to come"
Now, the Partisan artists arc not unm0Yed at
sight of great and increasing market for pic
lures closed, IN part, to their wares, and, sinca
they are but human, they might be paTd0ned
If they visited their anger somewhat upon the
only Americans within Teach--the American
art students in their classes. Of this there
arc, however, no signs at present, and it Is
EA'f-tAsAS -liS-S it-7S aLtAIHtAL& tlAE
ton OF the students to simple gratitude.
PUBLIC ART COLLECTIONS.
Many of these students are graduates, as it
We're, of American art schools, who, remember
ing their own experience, spend much pity
upon the American art student In America.
His opportunity of seeing good pictures is be-
feyed to be diminished by the increased duty.
while, during his student days, he cannot hope
to profit by the new protection against foreign
competitors in the American picture market
The suggestion has been made that the Govern
ment should logically supplement its attempt
TO help American art by establishing good
governmental collections. The objections TO
this proposition are that, in SO vast a country
as ours, collections at the capital could never
be so beneficial as they can be in the smaller
and more centralized European countries, while
the taste embodied in the Capitol fosters a
doubt of the excellence of such collection If
attempted. Furthermore, it is not easy to pur-
chase good collections IN hurry. The great
European collections have been the growth Of
many generations, and large part of the art
accessible to the public has become so by means
of private collectors, who have loaned. be-
quea5hed. Or sold at low prices to the different
governments, pictures whose excellence their
individual taste has detected and preserved
1t IS claimed that this gain to the public
through the work of private collectors is espe-
clally conspicuous IN America where nearly, Il
not quite, all cur pEbIie galleries have BEGUN
IN the Efforts OF private persons, and where
gifts to the public are moro frequent and more
generous than IN any other time or any codn-
try. II, then, the private iu1p0TtatiOns Of good
foreign pictures be diminished by the new
tariff, the art student il America may fad the
few and scattered collections a5 his disposal
growing less rapidly than they have done here
tofore. This IS the principal objection urged
Of Z Nsa-e - eArrs fs4e- -
provisions; u second hindrance, a real and
grave one, which they cause to his good work
lies IN the additional thirty per cent. added TO
the cost OF good materials The market for
homemade materials IS not sufficient to induce
persons to enter upon their manufacture.
hence competition is slight aud there IS little
improvement N the quality OF the articles pro-
duced. Meanwhile good imported materials
are arbitrarily made more costly by the tax
This provision comes hoHa to the art student
with eZaspeFating direetness, FOR he must pay
this tax all through the years of his prOveFbiaI
poverty before he can begin to proit by the
increased market for his pictures sought for
him by the partial exclusion Of foreign com
petitOrs.
AMERICAN ARTISTS ABRoAD.
The Partisan student reveling in the pictur-
esqueneSs OF the Latin Quarter. synpathizes en-
this point TOO, with the student Of America.
finding the c0mmOnplaceRess of PhiladGlphia
or Chicago as mournfaliy discours cling for his
american brother rs the art of the Capitol is
depressingly inferior to that Of the Louvre and
the Luxembourg. II does not seem to have
occurred to the student in Paris to pity HIM
self IS being bauishcd forWaut OF governmental
asi to art, such IS ell European governments
afford.
The American who profits most promptly
from the new provisions is the artist resident
abroad, for he can have all the advantages open
TO European artists, while ne IS protected from
their competition in his home market. He has
neither the tax TO pay upon his materials nor
the loss 10 sustain Us to his opportunities for
seeing imported pictures as the artist IN
America has, and to this extent the tariff acts
as an inducement to emigration This induce
mont II eOhqnead nv fI,s foot fbes ,,-t;Ia ~,