New-York tribune., 1911-01-01

ness. Helpful criticism is not written in
temper.
Mr.. Van Dykes insight into problems
of art has more than once been COM
mended in this place. We have freely
testified to his knowledge and to his in
teresting manner of communicating II
to the reader. But the present volume
moves us to wonder II he has not fallen
into the familiar error Of the very critics
he disparages, taking himself a little too
seriously and laying down the law with
scornful dognatisn. Here, for example.
are some Of mis- remarks on art crit
icisn:
Was II Huxley, or some mundane soul OF
his immediate kind, who insisted tnat
everything sooner or later is reqIcea snnuds ~
English as though some Dondoner visiting
in America had written II home as 9e-
scriptive. OF our present state Ano ,ha1 Ino
half true. Not that America Is SO Iar
ahead OF Europe in commerciabsm mat tns
latter cannot be seen in the race, Dut rlss oles
she usually leads and gives cry sooner
than the other. Wherever II is possible 10
apply the dollar standard sne aPphes IL.
Brains that have a .'cash vaIee. news Nss
cuiation, books that are the best sellers
teaching and preaching, service and song.
that are estimated by salaries, are not
fancies. but facts. As for art, that was
long since run in at the dealers shop or
haled incontinenty 10 the auction block,
where IL IS sold TO the highest bidder and
eventually finds its way into public gall
Iery, or into what is called "a private col
lection" What keen interest there is IN
the picture market. In the prices fetched,
and in the collector or gallery that sets
certain work OF art! The cables between
here and Europe are kept in state OF heat
recording this bid or that sale or the other
purchaser at Christies or AgneWS or
sedelmeyer's. A Veasquez fetches $4,000
and every one stares until Flemlsn
tapestry is sold for $4,000 or Halls por-
trait group brings 500, 600
OF course. we know (Or have been told)
that true art is more than coronets, put
IL is astonishing what an oVershadoWlng
futile 10 protest that art should be divorced
from names and collections and auction
rooms. Hereafter IL is the Kahn HAS or
the $4,000 Hals"-either or perhaps both
The picture and its painter are not re-
sponsibe for the name, and never nao
anything TO do with the money; but art
has fallen upon commercial days ana must
fare accordingly. And again IT seems quite
useless to suggest that this particular plct-
ure is not, artistically, a great Halls. The
public will not listen to such caviiling; X
not the most blooming, blazing. fine HAS
on earth why did any one pay half mill
ion for Il? Answer me that II you can.
They would have kept IL IN EUROPE IL tney
bowed over by II, and the newspapers are
could but we had the longer purse. Now
that they have lost it they are mad clear
through. Besides the critics are quite
giving columns TO "appreciations" OF II.
Yes, unfortunately the critics, or more
properIv speaking the newspaper reporters,
devote much space to anything that is OF
popular interest: and It is not 10 be de-
auction shop figures and collections. The
commercial phase OF art is something they
cannot ignore II they would Their readers
would not let them.
Mr.. Van Dyke might be better occu-
pied than in the dispensing Of these
cheap sneers II he means the reader