The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-07-09
Blu PICTURES.
A REPoRTER CHATS WITH SEVERAL
WELL KNOWN ARTISTS.

Aha Painters Pretty Generally Agree
mat One should Buy the Paintings
6 which Please acknowledgement La Ca
Fable Of Cultivation and viii Improve.
How do people buy pictures?' Colin
Campbell Cooper repeated. well. !
suppose the majority Of collectors con-
snlt the advice of dealer or some ar
list, and yet there are those, not pre-
Aenfious connoisseurs, either, that know
. good thing when they see it, and
Agince unusual wisdom in their pur-
GhAses. To some, however, self reliance
IN investing on large scale in paint
fngs has proved rather disastrous ex-
pertinent The other day collection
made by . man thirty or forty years
Ago was sold. There was hardly half q
d0zen good things in it, simply because
10 bought and he did not know what he
@as getting.
"Art in this country is gradually wax
ing up. Perhaps the Centennial might
b called the American Renaissance.
We know infinitely more about art than
Dur grandparents did, and with oppor-
tunities increasing from year 10 year it
= fair to suppose our children win show
. still more marked improvement in
taste. Greater facilities for travelling
have done much to bring about change
In our little world, and the tendency of
our art is rather toward the cosmopoli-
IAN than provincial. Naturally, time is
required to educate the public taste
along artistic lines.
II think people will buy more pictures
when they understand painting is not an
accomplishment merely a pleasure to
the eye. but that it is part of educa-
ton, of civilization. 1t will require
time to realize this. Exhibitions are
visited and the majority like to look at
pictures with an admiration rather
ephemeral. When the picture is out of
sight the impression is gone. With a
general diffusion of art paintings will
be bought not solely because they ap-
peal to the senses. to personality, but
for their artistic qualities; not simply
because the subject illustrated is rather
Q pretty idea, but because the work is
technically good art production"
Stephen Ferris said: 1.-The world is full
of good pictures to be bought for rea-
sonable prices, but unfortunately many
thousands of dollars, many fortunes, are
spent for nonsense, while good work re-
mains unsought and unbought. Com
mon sense is happy capital in picture
buying as in any other business. One
can hardly provide set number of rules
70 be observed in buying. Many books
have been written on military science,
yet the world has seen comparatively
few fine generals. Judgment rules the
world, and in picture buying one person
IL more successful than another because
spirit of superior intelligence dictates
his purchases.
Thomas Eakins would like to have
people buy pictures that please them
and appeal to their taste. 1.-The major
fty are afraid to buy what they like;
they must have some one else's advice.
Well, if they start with bad art, per-
haps before long they will come to the
good Let people buy what they want. :"
81 have not thought much about buy
ing pictures, said Mr.. Frederick Waugh.
1--WE artists are more chiefly concerned
IN trying to sell them. 1t is the priv
lege of the artist to paint pictures which
appeal to people; which they understand
and want to have for their own. But
he should have high standard, and he
cannot succeed if he lower it to cater to
the popular taste. He is fortunate if in
working out his ideas he pleases the
public and yet does not lose his indie
pendence nor forfeit his originality
His work may be appreciated by large
numbers, but it is always certain that
some few will recognize his endeavor
and will want to buy it.
I'm the Old World art is accessible TO
ell. The Luxembourg and the Louvre
are filed permanently with the master
pieces of all ages, the best that have
been done. There, too, the spirit of
nniOn is strong among artists. They
gather together and talk of everything
pertaining to the art world, consequent
y they live entirely in congenial eli
mate and they grow and develop in an
essentially art atmosphere. Impression
Ism? Yes, this is the great word nova
days. Many have an idea that it is a
synonym for vaguely treated and par
tally unfinished pictures. Impression
ism claims to record facts as observed
By the artist. Sincerity to nature il
IT. aim After ALL. there is nothing
90 beautiful as truth, and the nearer
ne get to it, as we find it in nature the
better artists we are"
"Many Americans buy pictures" Mr..
=. de b Richards responded. .because
they have accumulated money. and
pictures are the proper thing TO have
Generally they know very little abon'
e. and dealer does the work for them
~ people purchase pictures TO Aattel
1heir vanity, let them spend big sum.
md buy high priced pictures II they
+ bay FOR pleasure. let them buy what in