The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-30

ont and deliver within week or two after
sale. Several times it has been necessary
for the customs officials Oh duty in the eX-
| position to arrest foreign exhibitors for
selling articles on which the duty had not
| been paid. All the imported goods here
are by law in bond, and the exposition in
! that sense is great bonded warehouse.
! The American exhibitors are not as keen
| for trade as the foreigners. Not many Of
them make any effort to sell their goods
| on the spot, except the manufacturers In
in Machinery hall who carry on their pro-
cesses before the eyes Of visitors. This is
I pardonable, for every one likes TO purchase
some article which he has seen in the pro-
cess of manufacture. The American ex-
! hibitors as q rule, seem to be content
with giving their wares The advertisement
which accrues from display before the
millions who visit the fair. Ii all were as
eager to sell as the majority of the foreign
ers appear TO be the dignity OF the eXposi-
| tion would be much impaired.
| A curious illustration of the foreign de
sire to profit commercially by this expesi-
ton, not only indirectly but directly and
Immediately, is found in the Palace of
Fine Arts. The French section there is
notably inferior. Ii is not representative
OF the best that the artists of France can
do. And why? Simply because the artists
OF that country became imbued with the
spirit of commerce rather than with that
of artistic rivalry. They sent hither the
| works which they happened to have on
hand in their studios, and for sale. Their
hope was to find a market in America.
| Therefore the French section is represen-
tatiye only Of what might be termed the
current and marketable work of the artists
OF that country. A little of this spirit is
to be seen in all the foreign sections OF the
Art gallery, England perhaps excepted;
but it is more noticeable in France than
elsewhere, ana has made the display OF
French pictures, while interesting enough,
somewhat disappointing to critics.
And yet the law OF compensation has APP
piled here to lift the standard of excellence
i'll the Art palace very high, even in the
handiwori> of French artists. The United
States is today the best and most gener-
Gus market in the world for oil pa ntings.
Our people buy twice as many pictures az
any other country, and in the aggregate
pay about four times as much money for
them Having for years been liberal pa
irons of the arts, Americans have secured
possession of many of the most famous
paintings of the world. There are nearly
$50 pictures here grouped as foreign works
loaned from private galleries in the United
States, and OF the $50 masterpieces fully
three-fourths are by French artists. The
result is that American purchasers of
pictures are able to make, collectively, a
better retrospective exhibit Of French art
than can be made in France. Eminent
art critics from Paris with whom i have
talked admit that in French masterpieces
we have better showing than was made
AT the Paris exposition four years ago,
though the standard is lower here in the
general display made by the artists them
selves. There could not be a more strik- .
ing commentary on the hberality and /
munifcence OF Americans as purchasers OF
the work OF foreign artists.
It is interesting to note that of these 80
foreign masterpieces from private CALLER /
les in the United States, nearly oue-third 4
are loaned by citizens Of Chicago. This
city Of the Worlds fair is SAID 10 be the
best market for high-class woz1g Of ayt in
the world / ana told that Chicago paYs .
more money for pictures today than New
York, or Paris, or London. The state .
ment seems incredible, but it is made On
the authority of q poted Partisan artist .
and broker in art, who apparently knows
whereof be speaks. One OF the results Of ,
this exposition viii surely be ouickening
Of the love for art IN Chicago and the .
west. And who Knows bat this great Dore
bronze, which has won my admiration aud
the admiration Of many other visitors 70
the far, and viii win yours when Jon
come 20 look al II. may remain IA Chicago
"a souvenir Of tbs Weird far 81 'g5s
WALTEE WELLAAE