Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-11
ART NOTES.

Whatever the politicians may have though.
Of ex-Secretary Fosters administration Of the
Treasury Department, it may be regarded as
certain tina: he went out of Office with the es
TEEN and good wishes of Washington artists.
During his term he gave them commissions for
no less than eleven portraits of his predeces
sors in Office. which number makes COM
/ plete the interesting collection of portraits
of Secretar OF the Treasury from the or
7 ganization of that department to the pres
eut period. OF these Mr.. Brooke paints
Messrs. Duane and BristOw; Mr.. IIardie paints
/ Mr.. Foster; Mr. Hlnckiey paints Mr.. Thomas:
Mr.. Macdonald paints Dexter, Gresham and
Window; Mr.. Chl paints MeFsrs. Meredith and
/ Rusk: Mr. like paints lnsham and Carlisle,
and Mr.. Mailman paints Howell Cobb. Mr..
likes portrait OF Carlisle. it may be added. is
/ to be sent TO Chicago, to be included in the
I Treasury Department exhibit in the World
Columbian Exposition. 1t is a strongly mod
eied and life like portrait.
-.
Makowsky, the Russian artist who painted
those snowy pictures "A Russian Wedding
Feast and Choosing the Bride" which have
been exhibited in New York for some time
past, is now visiting this country. His pur-
pose is to stay several months, to 60 to the
Chicago Exhibition in July. and also to sketch
for future whatever he may find character
Z u
studio in New York, hoping to pick up some
American dollars by portrait painting.
-.
This evening the water color and black and
white drawings by Zogbaum, which have been
on view at he Fischer art store for the pas.
II rec weeks. will be removed. The results Of
this exhibition must have been most gratifying
TO the artist. as The exhibit not only added ma
terially to his reputation. but some sixteen or
eighteen, or about one-third of the whole col
lection. have been sold, and, rs Mr.. Fischer
says, to persons who are not alone patrons but
exacting judges Of art.
-.
The places vacated by the Zogbaum draw
ings, as above, will be occupied next week by
display Of pictures by Mr. Gruelle an Indiana
artist, who has justly earned reputation
| where his work Is known. Mr.. Gruelle seems
to have a strong prediction for pastoral
| scenes which he por:rnvs with rare fidelity and
| tenderness in both oils and water coors. At
! the request of Mr.. Walters, NJ. Gruello's port
| folio was taken to Baltimore a few DAYS ago for
his inspection, and he testified 70 their quality
| in words of high praise, and by becoming a
purchaser as well.
The gratifying but somewhat unexpected an
nouncement is made that all the money neces-
sary to complete the projected monument to
General Grant in New York has been raised
or secured That Is to Say. in a modified form,
and not as originally contemplated. The de-
sign first adopted would have cost q million
dollars. or more, whereas the sum now in hand
or pledged is only about half that amount,
However, that sum, If judiciousy expended.
will construct a verv crIdItable memorial
The statement is made that the work will now
be pushed forward as rapidly practicable.
-
! Mr.. John r. Mclean has recently acquired
two large and important canveses. to be added
/ 10 his already considerable collection of paint
inSs. One OF these is a Madonna BY Boden-
hansen, with which visitors to Veerhof'e on
street are familiar The other is he we'll
known picture by Prof. Carl Becker. represent
+ ing Ojhel!o and Desdeuloua Ii is understood
that the price paid for each was $1,000 or there
abouts.
SlOs.SlO was the snug sum realized from the
sale Of seyenty-Iour paintings comprising the
collection of Mr.. Henry VI. Johnson's collection
sold in New York on Tuesday evening OF last week
/ The highest price obtained for single canvas
( WAS -. 800 which paid Tor Dupres Oak b.
the River picture similar in 10 olive nd general
| effect to that BY the same artist owned BY the
Corcoran GailcTy. These are doubtless the beg.
two paintings b: DuPre in this country, aud are
probably ~ hns as any other two he ever
painted.
! The prices brought by some Of tho paintings
in this collection illustrate in u forcibIe way the
changes Of values in Art products. For exam
pie. canvas by Kraus. entitled "HelIing
Hands, which brought 81 coo last week, sold
for s4.l0o in 1877. while ten years ago
the Dupro above referred TO brought
OILY SLIGO, A Tiger and Serpent"
F.N " fa.rs e
Morgan sale in 1876. whereas last week il
. brought $1,000. A shepherd and sheep"
by Jacquo, advanced from 1915 in
1889, 70 s2.12j last week. and another canvas
by the same artist. which sold for $500 in 1888,
/ brought just double that sum To saw nothing
of the enjoyment of possessin; such works OF
art. IN tie meantime, the money Iaid for them
by their late owner may be said to have been
very probably invested.
-.
or course there is another side to the shield.
and pictures often sell for far less than they
rray have cost at an earlier date Pain .ings. ike
iiany other things. are affected in market
values By changes in taste and fashion. and also
b. q rise or decline in the reputation OF the
artists. The general fact remains however, that
judiciously selected works CT art are almos. GER
tain to advance in value. Thi, Is especially
true Of tie works of deceased artists OF cst,b-
lshe1 reputation. for which there Is "A con-
stlntly increasing demand. az fortuuos grow
and collectors multiply, whereas there is no
increase IN the supply. OF genuine works,
that Is to say. Counter'eits and clever COPIES
can OF course be produced. on short notice. in
Quantities 20 meet any demand; and it is quite
safe 10 assert that there more pictures in
existence attributed to Corot and Diaz. for ex-
Smpie. than those artists co;id have painted in
a century. Amos; the same thing nigh. be
said with equal certainty of some OF the So
called Old m.siers, whose WORKS sell for
fabulous sums.
The number OF visitors 20 the night exhibition
at the Corcoran Galery last evening So5.
During he week. that is from Monday TO Fri
day evening. inclusive. the attendance footed
up IN the aggregate 1888.
Il Ambiguous.