The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19

foolish. Yet this u much the principle
which guides hosts Of people In the selection
Of their pictures-brand before excellence,
name before beauty. autograph before
art.
That In the national museums there
should. II possible, b examples Of the
work Of all who form the true connecting
links Of the history Of art goes without say.
ing. even though certain OF the works be not
particularly beautiful. Also 1t ID fitting that
and the combination Of Q great name
splendid work should command Q great
price.
But all great artists have at times done
very bad things, and IL would be we'll that
people buying these should recognize that
they are paying heavily for the historic
value Of famous autograph which IL ar
tistioally disgracsd In these surroundings.
This canvas on their walls, supposing 1t to
be genuine. this costly picture only shows
how low the great can fall, how weak the
strong can be.
1t seems to the writer that tho absurdly
disproportionats value attached to the
brand to-day-an exaltadon Of the letter
high above the sptrt-is responsible for
much that 10 deplorable and false In the
wide realm Of manifold endeavor compre-
hensvely called Art. Tainted streams have
been allowed to trickle into that fair coun-
try. and. being diligently fed by those whose
fortunes hoat upon foul tides. are swelling
into hvers Of dominant opinion. For that
opinion foreeries are made. For that
opinion long forgotten. most dessrvsdiy
forgotten. daubs are disinterred. Dealers
poke their eager noses into rubblsh heaps,
smell something sslable. haul Il forth.
dust II, retouch II. varnish 1t, u necessary
rechristen it-and lol masterpAsosi
This skeleton reclothed. whose only merit
often u its scarcity. ID what people rave
about and eagerly compete for. What
chance Is there for good artists Of our dayr
These same dealers have much influence
on fashion In art. The spirit Of the sales
room broods over the whole field Of art.
Unless an artist can become fashionable
he cannot afford to do his best. II he be-
comes fashionable he Il not allowed 70 do
his best; he must do what his public de-
sires. And because the best have 20 little
chance to do great things It IL difbcult for
people whose perceptions are not specially
trained to distinguish between excellence
and mediocrity. Hence the public stand
ard Of taste Ia kept down 1t . low level.
Unfortunately the desire to possess OBJ
jects Of art simply because they are old
and scarce Il being fostered by IN infiu-
endal and rapidly Increasing body Of critics.
largely made In Germany. BY such words
~ sta hritik. style criticism and 'sttrbu-
ton. and BY microscope. you may recog-
nizs them-sse them poring over some
cracked. dusty canvas to declare that this
line. that stroke. brush mark, contour, or
what not. must b the work Of this or that
dead hand.
Ask them:\ lis the picture beautifuli'
Compasdonstsly 10 your ignorance con.
descending they viii answer with hushed
breath: 1T II BY eo-and-Sonionius.
Which Is, OF oouve. m infinitely greater
thing.
Undoubtedly. such picture-worms have
their uses. Every Art gallery should have
its picture-wom-just one, for II there are
two they fight. But IL n not for would-be
lovers Of the beautiful to pay much bed
20 picture-worms OF hne-art dealsrs when
they 20 out 10 search for things whsrswitA
10 beautify their homeA