New-York tribune., 1902-01-05
AMERICA AND THE OLD MASTERS.

able that American art galleries would ever be
so adequately provided with works by the old
masters that this country would become, like
Italy or Spain. Germany Holland, France or
England. Mecca for the serious student of the
history of painting and sculpture AS has often
been pointed out in The Tribune, there must
always be a great difference between American
and European resources in this matter for the
reason that the bulk of the great art of the past
is enshrned forever in State museums or in
churches abroad, from which only general
revolution could be expected to dislodge it.
There are other obstacles In the way of that
dissemination of masterpieces for which our
collectors are necessarily watching and praying.
The Pacca edict in Italy is fresh in mems
minds, and very recently COnnosseurs, dealers,
and laymen, too, for that matter, have been
talking about the legal difficulties attendant
upon Mrs. Gardner's purchase of the famous
Chigi Botticelli. Though the rejection of Mr.
Morgan's offer of 81. 100000 for Titian's Sacred
and Profane Love- in the Borghese Gallery at
Rome, is explained by the fact that that gal
lery has become government property, many
another like incident is closed. TO our dsadvan-
tage, even when the State can claim no owner
ship. but merely the right to interfere with the
expectation of works of art in private hands.
Yet America continues to acquire valuable old
paintings.
If there is a limit beyond which we will rare
ly, If ever. be able to go In the purchase of
these treasures, 1t is at all events plain from re-
cent events that it is further off than has hither
TO seemed to be the case. The explanation re-
sides in circumstances to which even the most
jealous of collectors on this side OF the water
cannot refuse a need Of sympathy. One his
toric family after another is feeling the pinch
of that financial depression which the conditions
of modern society are imposing upon so many
representatives, of the ancient regime. No one
who has had any experience behind the scenes
of the picture market Of to-day can have escaped
a feeling of regret when brought face TO face
with one of those little dramas of renunciation
in which the heir TO a noble name and to price
less pictures has been forced to sacrifice the lat
ter In order TO support the fading glOries of his
house. But facts are facts. and If these heir
looms are in the market ii is not only pleas
ure but duty TO see that as many Of them as
possible come to our shores. The incurable
sentlmentalist, moreover, may be comforted
with the reflection that American competition
for the purchase of these treasures has cOnsid-
erably augmented their commercial value; If
the original owners suffer pangs of parting at
least the purpose for which they sell is remark
ably we'll served.
OF the Importance to this country Of old paint
ings OF the highest class it is scarcely necessary
to speak. There IS something very naive and
amusing about the remark of 4 distinguished
English critic discoursing not long since OH
the collection OF old masters formed by Mrs.
Gardner "A great Titan a great Rubens in
Boston. L. S." Quoth he. "eyen if it be en-
"shrined IN a sumptuous italian palazZO, can
mot possibly say as much 10 the behoder as 1t
''would-to leave Venice out of the questOn-in
Vienna. in Berlin in Paris or in London"
Perhaps not But we assure Mr.. Claude
Phillips that il can. nevertheless, say a great
deal. 1t can say enough, he may be quite GER
tain. to exert profound influence upon public
taste, rendering American appreciation of art in
general more and more intelligent and effective
In the first place. the importation here OF the
best old masters will sooner or later result in
more discriminating policy, not only among col
lectOrs, but among the dealers who aid them In
their artistic negotiations. We will see fewer
of those old canvases which have only their age
TO recommend them. There will be fewer at
tempts 10 fOist upon buyers the kind of picture
we have seen so often. bearing great name to
which IL may or may not have been entitled
but otherwise Of no earthly interest to any one
knowing the difference between good picture
and a bad one, between the work OF masters
prime and the work Of his adolescence, between
an authentic example and a forgery. That not
only the collectors will profit but the people in
general. is 10 be expected. As time goes on the
great private galleries in our principal cities
are bound TO make themselves felt educational
ly as they make themselves felt abroad
through the lending of pictures for public ex-
hibtion and through a judicious extension to
strangers (of the right sort of the privileges
given freely by a man to his friends.
ba i'm alfnpathar ifxfn
Yet certain solictude as TO the future remains
among those who have the best interests of the
country at heart Are these lavish expend-
lures on old paintings. of which hear so
much. TO continue to bear as heavily as they do
at present upon the fortunes of American art :?
No one wants the purchaser of great work of
! the past to sell II back and spend the money on
work by his living countrymen. But the man
who is able to spend in the one direction is
usually able to spend in the other, and that he
| does not always spend in both with the same
! freedom is undeniable fact. 1t might be an
swered that the American artist of to-day is
! obviously out of the running when an italian
Spaniard of the past enters the field; but
this is TO quibble. What modern painters can
| meet the old masters on even terms? If there
are any TO be cited at ALL they are the Amer.-
| cans Whistler and Sargent. But the point TO
| remember Is that there is an abundance of
| American art, produced by numbers of painters.
| which is ntrinsically worth buying and worth
conspicuty In the best galleries we have. public
| or private. 1t is honored here and II is honored
| abroad, in speech and in print with medals.
| and, the most practical reward Of all with
| hard cash. But grave injustice is done when
| iaudable enthusiasm for the old masters with