The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-09
Art AND ARTISTS.
THE SPLENDID EXHIBITION MADE
BIZ UTAH PAINTERS.

L
a Display That Deserves Heavy
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Facts For Art |
Lovers to Ponder Upon-rnteress-
ing Notes.
In all meekness,. the arb editor of The
Herald feels a calling to point out to
the people of Salt Lake city certain |
things pertaining to his topic Ever
since our population was twenty thous-
and, and that means thirty years or
more ago, there has been a definite art
aim in this city. Artists of merit have I
painted and chung together and pro-
duced works worthy of appreciation. (
There have been periods since then |
when the people have bought their
paintings and enabled them to make a
living, while they pursued their studies
and developed in their pursuit. Other
times have come when they could bare
ly exc out an existence, and some have
been driven to abandon what had be-
come a precar4ous means of living, but,
as one became discouraged and dropped
out OF the ranks, another would take
his place and carry on the art develop
ment with vigor that is beyond ex-
PLANTATION. 1t seems almost as If the
destinies of Utah have ordained that in
spite Of all obstacles we must and
shall have art and artists in our midst.
For many years, there has never been
a time When there were not some
amongst US who were producing art
work worthy of admiration, even
though the artists had to beg or borrow
brushes and paints and commit their
thoughts to canvas in garrets and
other out of the way places. Every
Few months that have gone by, whether
II be twenty or ten years ago, or now,
there come out to the public gaze pic
lures of undoubted value that command
the admiration alike of the connosseurH
and the general public What becomes
OF most of them is lost to the art his
tory OF the country. Probably they
have diffused themselves among the
homes of the middle classes, for we
rarely hear Of picture being purchased
by the rich Many paintings have been
sent away, to the east or the west.
where they seem to be better appreci-l
ated. Some of the artists themselves
pull up stakes and go away to the art
centres where their works are appre-
ciated and bought;> but usually the
nome tie holds them here, or their de-
votion to the home country makes
them reluctant to leave, and 50 thew
exc along, growing in art power. their
works receiving constant praise from
visitors, but they themselves suffering
the heartache and the privation that
seems unduly to fall to the lot of the
modern artist, especially in Utah.
-
Time was, in ancient countries, when
an artist of less merit than some of our
own, might hold up his head with princes
ana potentates, the admired of all ad-
mirers.
One who could give expression to
poetical thoughts on canvas, as some
OF our citizens have done, were the
admired of all admirers Every door
was opened to them. No source of
pleasure was denied them. Even in
our own day, these men of genius have
been accorded great honor and enor
nous prices have been paid for their
works. For small paintings by Corot,
Meissonier, Millet and Millais more
than a hundred times their weight in
gold has been paid, and some have
said that such prices surpass in folly
any act OF other times. But it was not
folly. 1t was but faint approach to
the honors that were accorded to ar
lists in olden days.
In the times of ancient Greece and
Rome, a distinguished artist was sure
to be a millionaire All modern prices
are shabby beside those paid by the
old Greeks to their artists. Zeuxis
amassed such wealth that he finally
refused to sell any more pictures, say
ing they were above all price when
he conferred them by gift to cities.
Parhasius lived in still greater pride
and luxury, while Appolodorus sur
passed them all; $4,000 might he re-
fused for small picture. Caesar gave
Timomachus of Athens S100 900 for two
small paintings. ApelleS not only re-
ceived immense prices, but to encour-
age the young painter, PrOtogenes, he
bought all the pictures in his studio
at prices ranging from $4,000 to SIS, 900
a piece, and these he afterwards sold
at a good advance. Many other in
stances might be cited of the high ap-
probation of artists at the time when
the world was at its climax of civiliza-
ton.
Now for the difference. Over a nun
bred good pictures have been on ex-
hibition in this city during the past
week. They were nearly all painted by
Utah artists. The price of admission is
set at 25 cents. There were days when
less than a dozen people went to see
them. The exhibition is at 26 Main
street, in the heart Of the city. Only
two in a thousand of our population
have entered the doors since they were
thrown open to the pubic. Some veri-
table gems of landscape painting (bet-
ter than any that Appeles or Praxi-
teles ever did) are being offered at Sc
a piece-original studies, carefully
painted, of scenes in the nighborhood
of this city. Up to this writing only
two small pictures have been sold, and
the expenses of the exhibition have
been far greater than the receipts.
There is no fault attached to the ex-
hibition. Everything about it is as nice
as it can be 1t is kept neat and well
heated, and at night it is brilliantly
lighted. Catalogues are furnished free,
and attendants are on hand to give
any desired information.
This is something for our thinking
people to ponder upon. Such a state of
things never existed before, anywhere
There may be other cities where an
art exhibition as meritorious as this
would be neglected, but they must be
places where there are no good artists
and no art development. People must
be deferring their visits. Surely they
intend to go and see it. Why, more peo-
pie spent % cents to see a rocky min
strel show at a second-class theatre
last week than have paid to see a col
lection of one hundred and twenty
original paintings by some of our best
artists. We sincerely hope that this is
not to- continue, but that an interest
in this venture will be awakened, and
that henceforth the attendance will at
least approach the merits of the I'M
dertaking.
The woman rabbi, Miss Ray Frank,
said recently in San Francisco that