New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08
THE ART TARIFF OPPOSED.
PROMINENT AMERICAN ARTISTS LIVING
IN PARIS GIVE THEIR VIEWS.

THE TWENTY PER CENT DUTY THEY THINK.
wv, ,x1-pr AMERICAN STUDENTS ABROAD.
Paris. July 2S
,r,,e n commotion prevails in the community
~ American painters. sculptors and art students
,es;ding in Paris in regard TO the duty or ~ per
.ert imposed by the new Tariff law on the works
.. American artists who live abroad. The stu
aor,s Of modest means are especially respondent
.ooouse In many instances, they add to their in
.o,,es by sending water-coors. copies Of
..onaard paintings. to New-York. Philadelphia
C,,caso. Boston, ST. Louis and other cities
,ore they are sold at moderate but acceptable
,-,ces At all events. the excitement on the sub
.sct Is so wide and outspolSen. that asked the
',.ws Of limited number Of American artists
,,,rg IN Paris Of established regulations on both
laos NJ the ocean, and whose talents have been
recoen,zed by the highest honors and awards at
.a,nahe in Europe. and who, together with three
~ four others whose absence from Paris pre-
vented me from obtaining their opinions. stand
,-resnective Of nationality, among the foremost
IN their profession.
What these representative artists say cannot
,ou 70 be OF interest. THE more really good
r,ctures there are that 60 to the United States
e so much the better for that country" remarked
a picture-deaer whose name is as well known IN
New-York as II is in Paris land a specific duty
Of a fixed sum on each picture. regardless or Its
artistic value its price, would tend to keep
o,,, of the United States a number of Indifferent
ond cheap works which now find their way to the
American markets, but this ad valorem duty OF
the tariff which has now become law will tend
20 keep out the really good pictures, without ma
,erially affecting the importation Of poor ones.
Another dealer said: IF the 90 per cent duty on
works OF art is for revenue 1t will not bring in
much money to the Treasury; If 1t is to protect
American artists living at home 1t is safe to
conclude that not one Of those artists themselves
would wish to claim such protection"
Such are the views of the picture dealers. but
.hs dissatisfaction among the American art stu
aen,s in Paris is strong and unanimous. The
American students complain that they are put
IN a false position. They say that the French
Government throws open TO them gratuitously
tho Use of the French art schools, galleries ana
museums and allows American and other for
eign art students to pursue their studies exactly
on the same footing as French students; that
Americans work in the studios of the French
masters without tax. fee. cost, or charge or any
kind: while on the other hand, their own Govern
noent. by imposing a 90 per cent tax on the re-
suit OF their labor, does all in its power TO pre-
vent them from profiting by their opportunities
This is what the American art students pltteriy
complain Of 1t should also be remembered that
the new tariff will not affect French portrait
na,nters like BENJAMIN Constant. Chartran,
LYNCH and others who go to the united states
for a few months now and then to paint portraits
there but is especially hard on those arts's
whose open-air or character subjects prevent
.ha,r uork from being done elsewhere than
where they are established and where they have
earned their regulations.
Tba following letters in regard to the 20 per
cent dutv on works of art express clearly the
views of the leading American artists VINO i've
in Paris
FROM EDWIN LORD WEEKS.
"a Avenue Mel Paris July y, 1871.
Dear Sir: Since you do me the honor 10 ASH
Gov NV views on the tariff question Will sehu
YOU herewith few ideas when nave occuiieU
10 me on the subject t o.. American
artists living abroad whether or not duty OK
% or even 80 per cent is levied on ther WI
Since the establishment OF 1oreigh ar ue u,haf
in New-York for the purpose or selIine NC htaa
they could not dispose of on the otner sloe o .ie
water and the rise Of the later fashloh 1ol ea h
English art, American amateurs nav p aaI
little attention TO the works OF thelr coiip""
either here or in the United States -,,..
II would be hardly fair therefore, TO attrip N,
the results, however disastrous Mnttm i +o that
low the passing of the bill in question 10 s'h
alone Ii has been stated In defence OF sucii
a duty that it may have the good e1ect Oh lolo
ing American artists TO return 10 .neI 80,
no1,trv II those who instigated this partlcu-
lar clause had been better informed they Hiieiie
have learned that but few Of the men VINO nav
helped TO make American art respecteu a'ou ga
are wholly dependent on their earnings en-
whatever measures our Government may tahv
will do them but little injury as they VIII t s.i
be able to live where they have won inc"
hOnOrs. .,so ,,ho bava
only needy art students. and those VINO nav nav
been wholly dependent on AlheIica hobpi % them
may he forced to return leaving behind thein
the results of their labOrs for lack OF means ~
pay the duties. and the country ma! ul.Iiiao.,t "a
have to maintain a few more Ihaicoh'el'o. az, a.
pauDers plausible motive Tor the hosti,i.!
shown nv our Government TO art In general Is
its evident determination to take onle,e
stand from that of the "enete mOnaicnies -.
Europe to show itself frankly PhillstiheL ~,
French Republic and the German STATES ~
cares little or nothing for the fostering ana en-
couragement of native art ..,r
Perhaps all these surmises may be UTTER!
wrong. and the real object OF the "i me- I@;.od
merely to increase the revenues OF the oii'tu
States Go ;ernment In that case II woulu ps
highly instructive to learn the exact ailou ~ -.
coin annually poured into the Treasury iron,
tine duty on American art, and whether IL Will
necesstate the appointment OF an extra Grass
OF officials to handle IL. One result or direct
financial value to the Nation may De prophesleAu'
should this measure be carried Out-much OF the
in The Acid Of art may be diverted into other
channels thus contributing more 10 the MA
terial and commercial wealth or the country.
These are my opinions in regard to the pom,
under consideration. and you are quite at liberty
TO make use Of them il you wish very truly
yours H. L. " i-i-'
FROM F. A. BRIDGMAN.
Hotel zu den Vier Jahreszeten,
Munich. July %, 1897.
for