The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
FOR DUTY FREE ART.
y. CARROLL BECkWITH TELLS
HOW TAX HURTS.
Ends for which the r q Art League Is
working Injury Done to the Public
by Inc Duty Now Levied on Paintings
Commercial Harm Also Caused.

working Injury Done 10 lhe PuDhc
by the Duty Now Levied on Paintings
Commercial Harm Also Caused.
]. Carroll Beckwith has recently 40
cepted the vice-presidency for eastern
New York of the American Free Art League.
although he has been rather pessimistic
az to the efforts OF that organization.
In the first place." said Mr.. Beckwith,
speaking on the subject recently in his
studio, -the artists are now all agreed that
the fifty year clause should go in the bill
removing the duty only on art objects
produced fifty years pre- vious TO importa-
ton. This ought to satisfy the statesmen
who wish to protect the artists in spite OF
themselves, as il removes all competition
with objects which can be produced more
cheaply in Europe than in America.
This point being granted. the bill re-
moving all other duties o works Of art
imported for private ownership should
certainly pass. The reason il that all the
great art museums of Europe have been
filed far more largely by gift than by pur-
chase, and there is nc reason to suppose
il will not be the same in America.
THAT tendency ia perceptible now to a
more marked degree, although works Of
art have been imported in any quantity
for only a few years. The customary
method followed by all great donors OF art
gifts everywhere has always been to form
a private collection and then give or be-
queath it or a portion Of it to a museum.
1T il rather exacting to demand that the
prospective donor Of a great picture shall
not hold it for a time in private ownership
il he wishes. The more such things come
into the country the more will be ulti-
mately donated TO the public.
THE Wolfe collection in the Metropolitan
all paid duty. So did the James A. Gar
land collection Of rare porcelains and
draperies. SO did Mr.. Marquand's gifts
TO the Metropolitan, including one Of the
most beautiful Van Dykes. a splendid
Rembrandt. a Franz Halls, a velasquez
and other valuable things.
THE same is true Of George A. Hearn's
splendid examples Of the English school
OF the eighteenth century. They all paid
high duty, and all hang in the Metropolitan
nov.
Henry H. Cook bequeathed eleven paint
Ings othe Metropolitan last year, CO: ONES
and other high priced things, together
with examples Of sculpture, on almost all
OF which duty had been paid. Isaac ID.
u betCUOE Uh5 WIG VI kHc lHcH ~ III bhO
world. . picture which probably Gust $50. 100.
It is one Of forty or fifty paintings. forming
a collection Of enormous value, which have
p, id an enormous duty.
Il nave heard Mr.. Fletcher say that ne
intended TO leave it 10 the Metropolitan. |
rave no knowledge on the subject, but !
should say there was a fair chanco of the
same ultimate destination for Mr.. Have
mayors seven splendid Rembrandts.
More than one-third Of the pictures in
the Corcoran gallery, valued in excess Of
one-hslf the whole collection, are privately
owned and paid the duty. or the l39 paint
ings by European artists in the Boston
Art Museum, IIS paid the duty. so are pri-
vately owned, 81 were given or bequeathed
to the museum.
-The museum really paid the duty on
the 20 othe5s hiSh wero purchased in this
country AFT duty had been paid by
the dealer. b museum Is only exempt
from ~ dsty u Il purchases directly from
abroad
Mrs. John l.. Gardner OF Boston imported
one Of the finest art collections In the coun-