The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-06-21
SOMETHING ABOUT ART.
The Value of Old Masters Is Determined
by Scarcity, Not Merit.


The value of "old masters" and
other rare paintings is determined al
most solely by their comparative
abundance or scarcity, and seldom or
never is it due altogether to the merits
of the works. Like diamonds, the
number of pictures of certain school
or by particular artist is limited,
and their price is fixed by the compe-
tition of those persons who desire to pos
sess something which their neighbors
have not got and cannot get. In the
minds of many collectors pretty much
the same value attaches toan old picture
as to an old coin, aud it arises from
the same circumstance, viz. that they
are perhaps the only ones ofthe kind in
existence This valuing of a picture
simply as curiosity has nothing
whatever to do with q love Of art, and
a person may possess quite rare col
lection, gathered in such spirit, and
still he is as ignorant of art as o ward
politician Of the higher mathematics.
That many owners of fine art works
arc far from approaching their value
from the standpoint of intrinsic merit
is beyond question; of the mar
ket value they are no doubt per-
fectly well informed, as they
have most likely paid the price in
periority as works of art lies is often
beyond their comprehension. Except
that they may pride themselves upon
their possessions, and indulge in the
vulgar pleasure OF saying this
is mine, these people derive
absolutely no benefit from their
ownership of the most valued
products of genius and talent, but
they place themselves as an insur-
mountable barrier between these gems
OF art and the moro numerous and in
telligent class Of persons who coulG
moro fully appreciate them, but whc
arc not wealthy enough to compete
for their possession.
In all this there is no wish to de-
plorc tho'fact that great works bring
high prices. The higher the better,
provided the money goes to the men
who produce them, which is by no
means invariably the case. Pictures
generally acquire their greatest value
:ong after they have passed ouCof tho
possession of the man who created
them, and not iufrcquently after he
has died III want, perhaps OF starva-
ton, and then they arc locked up in
private collections and hidden from
the eyes of the world There are many
pictures, mostly the productions Of
modern painters, which would sell for
good round sums on theirmerits alone
without their having the names of
well known artists attached to them,
and these are tho works which sensible
people of wealth should buy, as their
value is their own and is not due to
any chance or circumstance in con-
nection with their history or produc-
ton, and, moreover, they exhibit more
art and more truth and they will gen
orally do more to educate and refine
the taste than those which are valued
mainly as curiosities or raritics.
In selecting pictures for a private
collection some intelligence should be
exercised, and only those purchased
the merits of which are thoroughly APP
preciated, while q nice discrimination
is made between those which are
valuable on account of their general
excellence and those which arc chiefly
recommended by some technical quail
ity which few persons understand, or
through some historical association
which has been all but forgotten.
The best and highest use that can be
made of odd masters" and other
paintings possessing special character
istics is in illustrating the history and
progress of art, and in order that their
usefulness in this direction may be
awaited of to the fullest extent, they
should be gathered into public mu-
seums and galleries. whore they will
at all times be accessible TO those who
wish TO study them and make notes,
mental or otherwise, of their distin-
gushing characteristics. To those
who appreciate art works and who
take pleasure in their contemplation,
not the smallest part of the incentive
to form valuable collection should
be the desire to encourage artists and
further the interests of the art which
yields them SO much enjoyment, and
the most effective method of doing
this is by patronizing living artists,
particularly those around home,
whenever their work is of such merit
as to deserve recognition. Pittsburg
Dispatch.