New-York tribune., 1886-03-07
TUF MORGAN SALE.

This is a country of big things The sale OF
the Morgan paintings was the biggest sale Of
modern pictures on record. A single picture
brought the biggest price ever gwen for Il
modern painting at auction, and the average
was bigger than any average at any similar
sale Thus We prove ourselves bigger folk
than the eflcte citizens of European countries.
If the Morgan collection had been put up for
sale at the Hotel DrouOt in Paris we venture
TO say that it would hardly have
brought One-half of $385,300. Not ono.
half of this amount was paid at the
famous Wilson sale in Paris five years ago.
The liz paintings at the Lauyent-Eichards sale
in 1873 brought only $211,0OO. Truly,
America is q great and generous country.
The Morgan paintings hav. been sold for
about 50 per cent of their cost, an eXtraor-
binary percentage under any circumstances; a
marvel when we know the cXorbtant prices
paid by the collector to one or two New ork
dealers. "Potboilcrs," by Daz, which cost
s.. 600 and 81 ,O0O, went for 80 and 5Opor cent
of their cost, and yet they brought large prices.
There was "boom in Nibert'S works, and
one of his pictures doubled its cost, and
another sold for more than was paid for
Rembrandt two years ago. jules Bre-
ton. whose work. good as it is in
many ways. is not to be compared
with the great art Of Millct, is in the prime Of
life and there is no reason why he should not
paint COMMITMENTS" and other village
scenes for twenty years to come. Yet this pict-
urc brought $lj, 800, although Millets Anec-
ius" was sold for only $4,000 at the Wilson
sale Rcmbrandt's " Tho Glider cost about
$4,000 in Paris, about $4,000 delivered IN
Ncw-York. Nleissoniers "1SO7n cost the
late \. r. Stewart 100000 in Paris, or about
SG7, 900 delivered here. The latter two pct
urcs are the only ones purchased by Americans
for prices exceeding that of The Commun-
cants.7 Breton, who has probably never re-
ceved $l5, 900 for painting, mast look upon
America a. a laudo exceeding bigncSN But
we can spare "Thc Communicates to Canada
at the price.
We have said of this collection that most of
the pictures of inferior artistic merit were at
least marketable, and the prices brought by
Meyer Won Brcmen's works were accompanied
by other combinations. Such picture buying
n, las been seen at the Morgan sale is not
proof of culture nor of real appreciation OF art.
Some great and many excellent pictures have
been sold, some for good prices, while others
have been too "artIstic" TO bc popular. The
popular taste has been shown in the reckless
buying of names aud of subjects seen at Chick
ering Hall This will always be the case per
haps, Tor education in art Is 4 slow pro-
cess, but it has been Illuminating
spectacle to see such prices paid for the studio
,crapings of dead artists, and the present
cnnrts of artists who have Out-liycd their
period of good work, like Rosa Bonhcur and
DuprG. For true artist keenly alive To the
dignity and worth of his art, such sales offer
little encouragement. The best paintings in
the Morgan collection did not reach onc-hdt oi
the highest price. But these pictures will re-
main a constant quantity. What We need nov
is more intelligence and less money in picture
buying.