Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-26
DUTCH ARTISTS
ARE IN HARD WAY
No Inflow of American Art Fanoiers
This Year and They Cannot
Sell Their Works.
SHOPS IN THE HAGUE CLOSED

Correspondence OF the Associated PressD
THE HAGUE. Netherlands. May Is
The war has hit the artists and art
dealers Of Holland 80 severely that fine
paintings are selling as low az so. In
these days OF enforced retren ,hment
there lie little spare money for the pun
chase Of pictures and the usual inflow
Of tourists from the United states Eng
land and Germany, whose arrival every
spring was the signal for the Dutch
art dealers to put up their prices. has
been checked by war several uealers
in The Hague and Amsterdam have been
forced 10 seek a livelihood in other lines.
One Of the leading dealers Of The Hague
has closed his shop, while another has
gone into the publication OF illustrated
books. largely on subjects germanc to
the war. for which there Is stu market.
To make matters worse, the Dutch
government has Withdrawn its annual
fixed credit at the disposition OF the
state museums for the Purchase Of works
OF art The poor artists, therefore, have
not sven the recourse to state Aid In
their need, which would be open in or
binary times Dr Hofstede de Groot.
late director Of the print room OF the
Royal Museum at Amsterdam, and an
art expert. well known in the United
states. regrets this 1tep taken by the
Netherlands government.
Never in my memory" he told The
Associated Press. have there been sucn
extraordinary opportunities TO secure
valuable paintings at low prices as now
Individuals cannot afford to do 50, per-
haps; but the government can. An art
book or q painting worth purchasing for
one OF the Royal Museums will probably
be bought sooner or later anyhow. The
thing is that most OF them can be bought
for less money now than later
The artists. themselves, have under
taken the relief Of the more needy among
their fraternity number OF these or
carnations have exhibition and sales
rooms attached 20 their club houses. and
have arranged to have sales exhibitions
of paintings Of the members. offered At
n fired maximum price. generally far
below what the exhibitors might nor
maliy expect TO receive for their work
The Puichn studio, for example has
had two such sales. the first with the
maximum price set at so, at which lsO
pictures we're sold. The second has just
been held: the prices we're fixed between
500 and so, at which figures 40 paint
inRs were disposed Of. The queen OF
the Netherlands bought twelve, the
prince oonsort eight and the queen
mother also eight. All the purchasers
we're Dutch. As the membership OF the
Pulchri studio consists of recognized
ostabiished artists, the Dutch found the
occasion thus offered too good to lei
aim The artists associations are EN-
p,oying also their available RELIEF FUNDS
to purchase the pictures OF artists haru
preseed TO dispose Of their work These
viii be held by the societies and SOLO
nj auction after the war, when II
hoped that times will be better. Anything
received over tho price paid by the so
ciety In 20 no TO tho artist. when th'
final sale IL made. The fund employed
for these purchases ~ constantly beini
increased by the sale of paintings by
artists of means. who can afford to and
do present their works TO the societies
20 be sold, the proceeds going TO the re-
lief fund Certain of the societies alss
hold lotteries with pictures for prizes
10 per cent Of the proceeds going TO tn
artist, 10 per cent TO the relief OF work
ers in the Industrial arts. and the re
mainder to the Royal National Relic
fund for the assistance OF war sufferers
While the artists are thus united I
care for their brother-eraftsmen' IN
dealers in pictures are without RELIEF
one Hague dealer Speclalizing IN en-
cravings ana stchings, told The Associated
Press that be had not sold an etchinl
for eight months. Prices are cut
half. but TO no avail. There Is less sym
pathy for dealers, however. AZ Il IL Eel
that thssrs Il purely a commercial ris
which they must stand. together wit
the many other businesses injured BY IN
war.