The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-03-01

To the Editor Of The Washington Times:
In the last fifty years several hun
dred millions Of dollars spent for thou
sands of ugly, smoky, cracked old
masters most Of them spUrious).
Starving pttiiessly the living artists.
The so sad story OF MiIlers Bte re-
peated continually for the benefit Of the
dead of centuries ago.
The great majority OF the so-called old
masters flooding the United States
should be relegated to special rooms
called Chambers Of Horrors.
The true artist or amateur Of art
must, first Of all. be lover of the beau
uful: IL must be his religion. and the
great. elevating mission Of art is 10 edu-
cate the masses to love the beautiful
Starting with that idea which is absO-
lutte truth, IL can be asked. Is there any
real beauty (oUtside OF a limited num-
ber) in the thousands Of so-called old
masters TO be found in the United
States? Most assuredly not! AS the
majority Of them are representing COM
monplace, wooden, stupid subjects. full
Of faults Of drawing. with the dead
cOI0ring Of mummies.
What perniciOus influence upon the
artistic taste Of the people Of this great
republic must have the immense guam
tty Of those old horrors decorating
thousands OF wealthy homes
If the real old masters could only
see the many atrocities sold under their
namest
II they could see the nunoerless fac
tories in America and in Europe where
old masters are painted by the gross.
Just 70 satisfy the silly ostentation Of
the new rich.
Is il not most inhuman. most infamous
10 wait till an artist is dead 10 purchase
his paintings and proclaim him great.
on. rich art lovers. read those few
lines about the great MuIers sad life:
Time after time his first masterpieces
were rejected by the jury Of the Paris
salon, In order to keep his wife and
children from starv alton ne would ac-
cept any ufrer and paint signs for the
smallest sums So late as 1873 a friend,
learning OF HIS plight. raised so for
him from the Minister OF Fine Arts.
At that time all Paris was talking OF his
paintingsi And those same paintings.
which command now fabulous prices.
nobody would buy
Instead % enrichinE dealers Of old
fake paintings. why DO not our rich art
patrons extend a helping hand 20 needy
genluses2
Surely. nothing could give greater
satisfaction 10 them than 70 know that
their wealth was instrumental In hand
ing down 20 posterity some heretofore
undiscovered great artist
Il should be the natural and sensible
wish of everyone that the reward should
come 70 those creating fine art works
before death has settled their hand and
brain.
The living artists should be entitled 20
the moral and financial support OF their
wealthy fellow-nen. and IN return give
10 the world the best that IS In them.
Only In this way, can the true art
spirit be created and leave its imprint
m the sands Of time, Only in this
way, can the twentiefh century be pro
claimed the greatest IN fine arts, as wen
as IN Industrial progress.
And does the study Of the old mas
tiers with few exceptlons). help the
young artist II Is very doubtful. To
study from most or them Is simply start
ing those young artists on the wrong
rOad-cOpying ColOr-faded. faulty in
drawing, embarrassing subjects, will
neve- breed enthusiasm and no enthu-
siasrl IN art means very little progress.
Without eNagzeration, II can be said
that for one genuine old master IN the
United States, there are now one hun
dTed spurious ones!
Does not that NJ admirably the words
OF BsTnUm, The Americans like 70 be
1t IS very difficult 10 understand why
intelligent men should relish that. And
Vet the tiood Of bogus old paintings in
this country. on which every year mil
ions Of good American dollars are spent.
shows exactly that what Barnurn said
was, so far, an absolute truth
Il is sincerely TO be hoped that the
long craze for the so-calIed old masters
viii soon be a thing Of the past and
that the majority Of them Will be reIe-
gated To the ObsCurity to which they
belong, and replaced by modern works
Of art, fun Of the poetry Of life and
freshness of colors-
Beautiful paintings are silent poems
on canvas. let them enrich
ard brighten your homes.
PAUL De LONGPRE,