The times., 1899-06-11
A PICTURE DEALER
and 4 CONNOISSEUR
The Influence of Two Men in
Local Art.
Beauties and Wonders of the John
stOn Collection.
Where Some of the WashinSton
Painters Arc and What
They Are Doing.

Ihey Are Doing.
V. G. Fischer and Ralph Cross Johnston
have arrived at Southampton. They will
| spend the summer abroad, browsing about
among the art galleries and picture shops
| of the old country; the one a dealer and
the other a connoisseur. These two men are
doing much more for Washington's artistic
development than most people know. Mr..
| Fischer, whose art establishment on Fif-
teenth Street has grown from small be-
ginnings to its present Importance. came
from Vienna. A gentleman of the highest
| culture in literature as well as art, he
came to Washington and established him
self here some fifteen years ago. At that
| time art was at low ebb here.
Mr.. Fischer commanded at once the pa
tronage of the Foreign Legations and that
exclusive set which was Interested in high
! class, serious art. 1t is pleasant to record
how this brainy Austrian has by his spien-
did knowledge of the fine arts built up
in Washington not only great art estab-
lishment, but a reputation second to none
in America, as an authority on all mat
ters artistic-painting, sculpture, engrav-
ing, ceramics, etc. On these things Mr.
final.
profound student of the literature of
art, the masterpieces shown at the Fischer
gallery are all thoroughly authenticated,
and where doubt exists Mr.. Fischer's can
dor makes the case perfectly clear Pc
lures have passed from his hands into
many OF the most famous private coilec-
tions in America. So fine a reputation is
enviable and not easily acquired Criti-
MI Sc
ment, 1T came from the Fischer gallery"
Few American dealers have ever shown
so rare and valuable collection of works
of art as were shown last winter at the
Fischer gallery. Art lovers are already
looking forward to the things Mr. Fischer
will probably bring back from abroad 10
/ be displayed at the gallery next season,
and they will not be disappointed If this
astute dealer meets with the success
abroad he has had in previous years.
A Remarkable Collection.
Mr.. Johnston is collector; he is not
an amateur, since he does not paint 1t
is one of the rare things in art to find
man with so highly developed and intelii-
gent passion for pictures who has never
even attempted TO paint one II is pas
sion with Mr.. Johnston. His delight in
good art is intense and his knowledge
unerring. One would not like to say how
many thousands of pictures this wealthy
connoisseur has pored over and analyzed
in the making of the wonderful Johnston
collection. And 1t is wonderful. There is
perhaps no collection of thirty or forty
pictures In America where the standard is
so uniformly high.
Fritz Thaulaw, painter of wide Euro
pean reputation and one of the jurors at
the Carnegie Library exhibition last win
| ter, exclaimed when he saw the Johns
/ ton collection, How, indeed. were these
pictures ever permitted to leave the other
side?" This is the invariable comment of
! arts and connoisseurs who have had the
good fortune TO see them. The paintings
are nearly all by early English and Dutch
masters. There are no modern pictures OF
consequence in the collection-Reyno,ds,
| Gainsborough, Lawrence, Romney Rey-
I burn, Constable, Turner. Wilson, etc.
These names alone do not inspire as
much enthusiasm as they once did, since
| one secs so many things nowadays attribut-
1 ed to these masters which are far from
| good and often of doubtful authenticity.
| The name is all that recommends them.
! In the Johnston collection one forgets
I names for the moment in his deep enjoy
ment of the extraordinary beauty and artis-
| tic qualities of these examples of the mas
! ters. Names are of small consequence in
pictures of such merit-their great qualities
/ are so appealing. so convincing, that the
question of authenticity never arises This
| collector, however, has thoroughly authen-
! ticated nearly all of his treasures.
| But name stands for nothing with Mr..
| Johnston, and this is his strong point, \
| Reynolds that does not reach the highest
standard of Sir Joshua could not find
resting place in his collection at any
/ price. This is the secret of his success
{ o fbaCa ma M
/ be had by placing an order with the best
| American or Continental dealers, howev-
| er much money goes with the order Pic
( lures of this quality are rarely on the mar
| ket. Only by the exact knowledge he pos
I sesses and patient watchfulness for twenty
| years has MIR. Johnston been able to gath
| er together this collection of rare exam
! pies of the masters represented.
| Ninety-nine out OF every one hundred
collectors rely on the judgment of some
/ dealer or expert in buying pictures. This
/ Mr. Johnston has not done. This collec-
/ tion represents exactly what he considers
/ a representative collection of the masters
/ included therein, and no picture was pur-
| chased on other judgment than his own.
| The layman to appreciate the rare excel
I lence of this collection should be present
/ when some appreciative connoisseur like
/ Joseph Jefferson finds his way to it,
/ Words fail, ones enjoyment is SO
| intense. The privilege is a rare one
| to glide from one gem to another with
/ out the boring process one experiences
! even in collections like the National Gal
/ lery and the Louvre, thus being compelled
! to waste ones eyesight on acres of medic
| ere work that is preserved for reasons Tast
! finding out before one comes TO canvas
that is really worth study.
Alfred Stevens. in his impressions on
/ naintinp most interesting handbook for
| the painter and connoisseur. says: There
are 1,5OO vaIueless paintings which should
be removed from the Louvre"
One must have waded through these
| great galleries on a still hunt for good
things to appreciate the pleasure OF find
1 ing collection of gems like those in the
! Johnston collection, every one OF which
| is worth time and careful study. Having
studied such a collection one cannot but
carry away the most elevated opinion Of
! the genius and skill of the masters who
/ have contributed to it. This is as it should
| be; bad example by a great name should
not be perpetuated.
! Some day when sense of duty is stronger
( there may be international juries to de-
| eide which Of a mans picture may be pre-
served to posterity and which shall be de-
| stroyed.
WeyI at Warm Springs
Max Weyl, with Mrs. Weyl, who is not
at all we'll, is at Warm Springs. where they
will remain for n couple of weeks. Mr.
Weyl anticipates spending most of the
! summer and early autumn at Warm
! Springs, where he is greatly pleased with
the scenery, and has a wide circle of
friends. Some of the best of his work
shown last winter was done last summer
in the Warm Springs Valley.