The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-11-12
PICTURE-BUYING.
BOW Artists Succeed In Putting People
Out OF the IIumor.


Out OF the IIumor.
Lot mo tell you," said o salesman
in tho picture business tho other day.
"that artists as class arc tho most
trying and short-sightcd people in tho
world. For instance. they will actually
try to spoil each others snlo1. Thoy
can not bo made to soc that whatover
helps one helps. tho market"
"How can they spoil oach other's
'ln many ways. I'll give You nm In
stance. and will take case that hap.
pened a good many years ago, so that
no ones feelings shall be hurt. had
for a customer wealthy gentleman,
and had just about persuaded him to
buy a really good landscape by q Load
ing artist; price, 800. In fact the
gentleman had virtually bought tho
picture. Ho was just beginning to
speak about making payment When
an artist, mutual acquaintance,
strolled into tho room. Now tho gem
tleman wanted confirmation of his
Judgment, as people often do, and so
appealed to tho artist coming in, and
asked his opinion of the purchase. The
artist felt twingo of jealousy. He
balanced himself first on his heels and
then on his toes, made opera-glasses
out of his hands, and squinted, at tho
picture from every possible point of
view. Finally he spoke. 1T is o fine
picture. 1t is well conceived, drawing
first rate, admirable color. 1 like the
trees, tho sky, tho water. In fact, it's
an excellent work of art. Still, if YOU
really want my opinion, I'll tell you
something. You SEQ that small figure
in tho distance-tho figure of man
tshingP Woll, if you will take tho
trouble to find tho scale of measure
mcnt, you will discover that tho mans
tishing-polo is certainly ovor fifteen
feet long!'
when heard that l knew in n
minute that my bargain was off, Tho
gentleman buying the picture did not
rely enough upon his own judgment,
and besides l had had experience Tho
artist criticisjag tho picture appeared
10 DC fair and square. Ho had really
given tho work its due praise. to begin
with But ho had got his deadly work
in after all. That splendid work of
art was spoiled for that purchaser by a
little brush stroke intondcd to repre-
sent a fishing g-polo. Tho gentleman
mover looked at it again lhatit it did not
seem to him to be all fishing pole, and
he finally told mo the tishing-pole had
made the picture odious to him, and
he would not buy it,"
And you say that artists often do
that sort of thingP"
Yes, they've spoiled good many
sales for each other, in my experience.
But, mind you, l don't say that they
have any malicious intention or always
realize what they aro doing. 1t is tho
easiest thing in tho world to discover
some little, triiling, good for nothing
defect that will turn II person against a
picture"
''But suppose purchaser is put out
of conceit with Smiths picture, doesn't t
that mako him all the moro likely to
turn around and try one of Brown sP"
mo, it docs not. And that is why
say artists are short-sighted. In nv
experience, if man buys a picture
and is happy and satisfied ovor his
purchase he is moro than likely to turn
around and buy more pictures. Tho
appetite grows on him. But if he is
checked and mado to feel dissatisfied
with his own taste and his own iudo-
ment just as he is about to bNy q pict-
ure ho is thrown back OF himself.
grows disguised, and turns his back on
the whole business
CHOW do you think the taste for
pictarc-buying may bo promotedp"
"Ihere's no telling anything about
it. Picturc-buying here in San Fran
cisco comes on ut irregular intervals
like an epidemic. Sometimes l think
it comes in waves, like hot weather. or
like anything else wo don't under.
stand.
"Is it not possible the trado should
over become cqualizcd, and steady,
regular demand for pictures be estab-
lishedp"
well, if you ask mo that question,
shall have to tell you that hero again
the artists are at fault. In dull times
the artists 60 along slowly and care
fully. They growl good deal, but do
pretty good work. Let tn market inn
prove ever SO little and tney get per-
fectly wild and turn out pictures by the
dozen. They reason that if they can
sell possible thrco out OF four pictures
why not fifteen out OF twentyP The
consequence is thoy kill the goose that
lays tho golden egg. They glut tho
market with poor pictures, exhaust
purchasers at the earliest possible mo-
ment, and 1atten out boom which
began favorably and might have been
coaxed to last long time"
''When do you think tho artists will
learn to manage thoir business affairs
with discretionP"
mot before themillonnium. San
francisco Chronicle.