Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28
SOMETHING ABOUT ART.
mined-Searciiy Not Merit the Criterion
"A Local Artists Composition-Local

How the Value of Old Masters is Deter
mined-Searcity Not Merit the Criterion
"a Local Artists Composition-Locai
Art Notes.
The Ta1ue Of 'fold masters and other
rare paintings Undetermined almost 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 a particular artist, is limited, and
their price is fixed by the competition OF
those persons who desire to possess some
thing which their neigbbors have not got
and cannot get. In the minds of many
conectors pretty much the same value attaches
70 an OLD picture as to an old coin, and it arises
from tne same circumstance, viz: that they are
perhaps the only ones of the kind in existence.
Inls Valu1ng of picture simply as curiosity
has nothing whatever to do with love of art,
anu person may possess quite rare collec-
tlon, gathered in such a spirit, and still he Is
as ignorant of art as ward politician of the
nlgher mathematics. That many owners OF
hne art works are far from appreciating their
Value from the standpoint of intrinsic merit is
beyond question; of the market value they are
no DOUBT perfectly well Informed, as they have
most likely paid the price in open competition,
Dut wherein the superiority as works of art
lays is often beyond their comprehension. Ex-
cept snae they may pride themselves upon their
possessions, and indulge in the vulgar pleasure
OF saying this is mine. these people derive abso-
lutely no benefit from their ownership of the
most valued products of genius and talent, but
tney place themselves as an insurmountable
barrier between these gems of art and the more
numerous and intelligent class of persons who
could more fully appreciate them, but who are
not wealthy enough TO compete for their pos
session.
In all this there is no wish to deplore the 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 inva-
r1ably the case. Pictures generally acquire
their greatest value long after they have passed
out of the possession of the man who created
them. and not infrequently after he has died in
want, perhaps of starvation, and then they are
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 their merits alone without their having the
names of well known artists attached to them
and these are the works which sensible people
Oh wealth should Duy, as their value is their
own and is not due TO any chance or circum-
stance in connection with their his
tory or production and, moreover, they
exhibit more art and more truth and
they will generally do more to educate and
refine the taste than those which are valued
mainly as curiosities or rarities. In selecting
pictures for private collection some intelli-
gence should be exercised, and only those pur-
preciated, while a nice discrimination is made
between those which are valuable on account
of their general excellence and those which are
chiefly recommended by some technical quality
which few persons understand, or through some
historical association which has been all but for
gotten. The best and highest use which can be
made of ''old masters" and other paintings DOS
sessing special characteristics is in illustrative
the history and progress Of art, and in oyder
that their usefulness in this direction nav he
availed of to the fullest extent, they should be
gathered into public museums and galleries.
where they will at all times be accessible to
those who wish to study them and make notes.
mental or otherwise, of their Distinguishing
Characteristics. To those who appreciate art
works and who take pleasure in their conten..
plation. not the smallest part of the incenti 1e
to form valuable collection should be tine de-.
sire to encourage artists and further the inter
ests Of the art which yields them 50 much en-
| joyment, and the most effective method of do
ing this is by patronizing living artists. partic
ularly those around home, whenever their
work is of such merit as to deserve recogni.
| tion.