The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-06
FOUR PICTURES BOUGHT.
DIRECTOR BRANDT's VISIT TO THE
MUNICH EXPOSITION.

1uo tSSCSlL FurCnaSeS LOT CD0 IelIall
Academy Expected to Arrive Soon
Gen. Jackson's Report to the Georgia
Historical Society of MIR. Brandt's
Trip to Europe-Gen. Jackson's Offers
to the Academy-What Mr.. Brand
Has Succeeded in Doing.
The Georgia Historical Society held it
November meeting last night, and Gen
Henry r. Jackson read an interesting re
port of Director Brandt's visit to Europe il
the interests of the Telfair Academy anC
what he has accomplished Mr.. Brandt
has secured four pictures, and is contem
plating the purchase of a fifth. Gen.
Jackson's report is as follows:
DIRECTOR BRANDT's PURPOSE.
1t will be remembered that when last
| SUMMER was approaching Mr.. Brandt made
| generally known his anxious desire that the
| opportunity about to be offered by art ex-
hlbitlons IN Europe, more especially by the
Munich Exposition, of procuring good pict-
ures at reasonable prices for the Telfair
Academy should not be allowed to escape
He gave reasons for his belief that such an
opportunity would never recur again. The
fact of our having no money to pay for
pictures, and that the Academy was already
IN debt, failed to quiet his restless yearning.
have been long and deeply impressed with
the conviction that this remarkable man,
so Invaluable to US in a combination of
mastery and versatile genius with I'M
erring taste and practical efficiency in mat
tiers OF art, which, assuredly, has never
been surpassed, if, indeed, it has ever been
equalied Il make no apology for using such
| language strong though it be, duty re-
| 1uires me to use it, since it expresses
| only the truth, to whose devotion
for the Telfair Aced5my nouhilg can be
fairly assimilated except the love which
binds the mother to her child, should not be
seriously disc uraged; and, with the ap-
prevail of the Board of Managers l offered
TO supply the necessary money for the pur-
chase of one important picture, of sufficient
merit to pay for itself by public exhibition
the Academy to be subjected to no expe1di-
ture, and TO none of the risk of the venture
MEANS WERE NECESSARY.
Although Mr.. B,'andt's we was hopefully
directed before leaving this country to
picture in Munich, the doubt and difficulty
of obtaining so powerful Il work as would
insure the success of our scheme could not be
ignored; and he was 10th to undertake the
journey to Europe without the means of
making some certain purchases, should the
chance be happily offered. The Members
Of the Board were IN full sympathy with
him, and plan was suggested of raising for
his use at least $4,000 by subscrip-
ton. A public meeting called for
that end was held in this
hall, and committee was
appointed to canvass the town. The time,
however, for various reasons, seemed inau-
spicious, and what of effort was really
made ended in a deplorable failure. This
result was reached after Mr.. Brandt's de-
parture from Savannah, and correspond
ence sprang up between him and myself. in
which | attempted to dissuade him from
going to Europe. Vain attempt! The de-
sire which was pertinaciously dogging him
had grown yet more hungry, and would not
down. Having made deposit of 5000 of
his own money to meet his checks, our
Artist started upon his lonely mission of
love.
THE MUNICH EXPOSITION.
What he did. and what he failed to do, in
the line of his hope, are fully set out in a
letter which he addressed to me, under dale
Of October Is, upon the eve of returning to
America. From it l have culled the follow
ing extracts. Speaking of the Munich Elk
position, he said:
1T is claimed to be the best which has
ever been held III Munich and had | been
able to come to Europe month or two
sooner, would have had a chance Of buying
few specimens worthy Of being placed by
the side of those | was Fortunate enough Il
obtain in the same KINGS GLASS PALACE
in 1888; bur. as nearly million of marks
worth of pictures had already haan sold
there was little left of medium size pictures
which one would care to have; AID after a
very careful study, with mauy regretfnl
thoughts, determined to purchase nothing
can assure you that this was a sad disal,-
pointment.
Turning to the larger works, | found that
scarce any of these had been sold. This is
often the case. Large paintings are usually
bought by governments for public galleries
When such galleries have already repre-
sentative works by we'll known artists,
and such artists have pictures
for sale at exhibitions or in their studios, the
possibility exists of buying good work by
q well known painter for reasonable sum,
provided the artist wishe; to be represented
in some gallery where he has not already
picture.
NOT FOR SALE
"There were at Munich few pictures of
extraordinary size by Spanish, Flemish and
German painters. OF these only one, by a
Spanish artist, could fairly claim excep-
tional merit. And this was not for sale; it
belonged to the Spanish government, ana
was loaned for the occasion Gully.
''Of the dozen others, while there was a
good deal of merit in some of them, not one
on the whole, was fit for our purpose. | am
now abiding to the GREAT PICTURE;' and
shall have more to S y hereafter of one
of the dozen; but may as well mention here
that, had one hundred thousand dollars at
my disposal, could not buy such picture
as would insure the success of our scheme to
make it pay for itself
THE painting which had hoped to find
in the Munich Exposition Of merit enough
to make our gallery renowned, and to pay
for itself by general exhibition, was not at all
what had expected it to ne. You NAV re-
member that referred to it in my last let
ter, written upon the eve OF my leaving
America, as picture entitled THE
FLOOD or rather THE DELUGE.' 1t is
large picture aud fairly good, but not
striking in any way. Moreover, from all
have seen and learned, there Is not one
painter in all Europe whom would entrust
with an order to paint such picture as we
would desire, and be sure of success. In
Paris saw nothing, in London nothing. to
como up TO the desired standard, or which,
In my Judgment, was worth the price de-
manded for it.
THE DIRECTIONS GOOD LUCK.
Has my journey to Europe. then, been
altogether vain2 am happy to say NO! for
have again had some good luck, coming
from quarters whence it was not expected
claim no credit to myself beyond having
lost no opportunity of ferreting out hidden
works of art, or of making an effort to OBJ
tain those which were exposed for sale
Quite by accident, as it would appear,
stumbled upOn three picture sfndies Thav