The morning call., 1893-11-05

be of use TO artists when in despair about
procuring foo wear free from anachrOn-
isms. We may conceive of another Queen
collecting the earrings of the beautiful, or
Their wedding rings or bracelets, the
combs which they wore in their back hair.
their ringlets or any oddity associated with
personality. The hobby has an infinite
range.
In this century there is a hobby which
had no existence in the cycles that have
passed. Philgtelism is a newborn craze.
1t seems only yesterday since the penny
postage stamp came into existence in Eng
land, and now the stamped letters of the
pOstoffice are in every country. Only the
other day a man left collection valued at
about $500, ,000 to the British Museum upon
the condition that il should not be dis
persed. That was his one dread before
departing this life. AS it were his ghost
plays sentry over his hoard and warns off
the yandals and the sacrilegious from pol
lutlng his happiness.
When the taste Of collector turns to
| books or pictures it s one that can hardly
be gratifed except by the rich. Happily
to-day learning is not essentially connected
with rare books. What may be termed
specifically the hundred or Thousand best
books NAV be procured for song, com par
atiVely speaking, those which are iudis-
pensable being all out of copyright and
therefore cheap. But if rare editions. rare
bindings, rare eDgraylngs are sought, the
longest purse may soon become light in the
ceaseless effort 10 possess copies or ex-
amples exclusively.
The man who has hundred ancient
bibles in his possession and has not read
one in a critical, scholarly manner is
simply gloatlng over the joys of posses
sion. He thinks of the printing, OF the
paper and the unimp peachable record or
vlcissitudes of the volumes and not so
much of the matter Intellectually. Hence
tEere may be some pardon for the rich man
who Stimulates love of learning by filling
his shelves with thousands OF standard
works which are gOrge0usly bound and
in fine condition, but are never read, ana
have often the edges uncut.
The good proprietor with wave of the
hand indicates his pleasure in being the
owner Of tons of literature and very likely
I confines his reading To a newspaper and a
magazine. His laburs are not in vain,
| however. By and by his library passes
into the hands of a purchaser who does
read, or it cUmes under the hammer for
dispersion and stimulates the rivalry of
other collectors.
The picture lobbyist requires decision,
insight and taste TO succeed. He perhaps
! flatters himself that every picture he has
reflects the c0nsummate judgment of the
owner and will bring ten times the price
when the auciioneer expatiates on its won
ders. But an auction ls.an impartial test
! OF emlnence IN art, ana no wonder living
artists are chary of auction sales and ap-
! Drehensive of revela ions as to low prices.
The picture which has cost thousands may
! only fetcn hundreds, and whole galleries
! Of msretriciouS rubbish, commonplace in
theme and garish or ignoraatly gloomy in
color, may scarcely pay the expenses of
! the sale or be refused the benefit of the
| hammer altogether by an auctloneer who
has pride in his profession. When the
company OF buyers is composed of con-
| nolsseurs to whom price is no bar pictures
tetsh their real market value whatever the
price may be at which they passed from the
artists hands. This may be far above the
! purchase fgure-possibly fifty ,imes-and
It may be far below it. In either case the
| ngures are carefully noted for future CON-
| parlson.
Picture collectors have many wbims or
crOtchets. The buyer of old masters NAV
| be sincere apd critical, genuine lover of
excellence and the masterful in lofty and
almost inspired art. Then he has gal
| lery, OF which he is entitled to be proud.
and If it be dispersed 1t realizes an enor.
nous amount, for there is no limit to the
| price which grand works by grand men
will fetch. As much as S375, 600 was given
lately for a Raphael's "Holy Family" As
! long as the passion for the old masters con-
| tinues-aDd it will probably never wane-
VIC DuSeI WIN uses JuNsnioHt mas SAFE
investment. But woe betide the rash
plunger who has copies palmed off upon
him for originals, or, still worse, has for.
geries or clever limitations f0isted upon
him. The day of exposure comes. and
then the feelings of the victim are har.
rowed by yexatlon. The rash plunger de-
serves his chagrin. however. as lie ha:
gone on collecting, not from any love Of
art or knowledge thereof. but to make
| sham parade of an esthetie culture he doe.
not possess, and those astute men, the