The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-15
BUYING PICTURES.
a REPORTER CHATS WITH SEVERAL
WELL KNOWN ARTISTS

WELL KNOWN ARTISTS
The Painters Pretty Generally Agres
That one should Buy the Painting
which Please acknowledgement Is Ca
pablo of Cultivation and WIN Improve
''How do people buy picturesT Colir
Campbell Cooper repeated. "Well,
suppose the majority Of collectors con
suit the advice OF dealer or some ar
fist, and yet there are those, not pre-
tentious connoisseurs, either, that know
o good thing when they see it, anS
evince unusual wisdom in their pur
chases. To some, however, self relianc,
In investing on large scale in paint
ings has proved rather disastrous ex
pertinent. The other day q collection
made by man thirty or forty year
ago was sold. There was hardly half
dozen good things in it, simply becaus,
he bought and he did not know what h,
was getting.
Art in this country is gradually wax
ing up. Perhaps the Centennial Nigh
be called the American Renaissance
We know infinitely more about art thar
our grandparents did, and with oppor
tunities increasing from year to year i
is fair to suppose our children will show
a still more marked improvement il
taste. Greater facilities for travelling
have done much 10 bring about a change
in our little world, and tho tendency o.
our art is rather toward the cosmopoli
tan than provincial. Naturally, time 1.
required to educate the public tastt
along artistic lines.
II think people will buy more pictures
when they understand painting is not ar
accomplishment merely pleasure tc
the eye, but that it is part of educa.
ton, of civilization 1t will require
time to realize this. Exhibitions arc
visited and the majority like to look al
pictures with an admiration rather
ephemeral. When the picture is out Of
sight the impression is gone. With O
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
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
TO 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
is more successful than another because
a spirit of superior intelligence dictates
mis- purchases"
Thomas Eakins would like to have
people buy pictures that please them
and appeal to their taste. 1.-THE major
ty are afraid to buy what they like;
they must have some one elses advice.
Well, If they start with bad art, per-
maps before long they will come to tie
good. Let people buy what they want"
81 have not thought much about buy.
ing pictures" said Mr.. Frederick Waugh.
'We artists are more chiefly concerned
in trying to sell them. 1t is the privi-
ege of tho artist to paint pictures which
appeal topeople; which they understand
and want to have for their own. But
ne should have high standard, and he
cannot succeed if he lower it to cater to
.he popular taste. He is fortunate if in
out his ideas he pleases the
public and yet does, not lose his indie
Dendence nor forfeit his originality,
His work may be appreciated by large
but it is always certain that
'ome few will recognize his endeavor
Ind will want to buy it. ....-
''In the Old World art is accessible to
ILL The Luxembourg and the Louvre
ire filed permanently with the master
pieces Of all ages, the best that have
,een done. There, too, the spirit of
lnion is strong among artists. They
;ather together and talk of everything
to the art world, consequent
y they live eAtirely in n congenial eli
nate and they grow and develop in an
ESSENTIALLY art atmosphere. Impression
smr Yes, this is the great word nova
lays. Many have an idea that it is a
ynonym for vaguely treated and par
iaiiy unnnisiieu pictures impression
9m eiaiiils 70 record iaeos as observed
y eiie "fV,ss. sincerity 10 nature Is
% ailn Aioer an, 'here Is nothing
= oeaaenui as run, ana the nearer
W ses 70 y, as we ma II IN nature, the
'e ,.,a ar'ists we are
May 6Ani, elieaiAs guy picsures' Mr..
!. ue p. hich''rus respo,'oeu' because
10y nave aceuiiuia'ea money ana
io e',aeI,. an 'he proper 'n,ng 10 nave.
'oneiaiiy 'ney sho" very nttie ABOUT
I people purchase pictures to fatter
heir vanity, let them spend big sums
Ni.ptY7