Evening star., 1924-01-10
The North Window
BY LEILA. MECHLIN

porary American paintings a voting
contest IL taking place this week.
Every visitor is invited to thus reg
lister his or her choice of the most
meritorious picture in the. collection
popular referendum, similar. in
.smalI way. to that organized in con-
nection with the Box peace plan. The
purpose in both instances is practi-
cally the same--to induce the public
to think.
There is a great tendency, particu-
larly in this day and generation, on
the part OF the masses. to commit
final, judgment which finds express
sion through the medium of type.
Obviously there is a difference be-
tween thoughtful consideration and
off-hand opinion, and it is the thought
full consideration which Mr.. Box and
the corcoran Gallery at this time are
inviting.
Speaking on the subject of modern
ism in art, Royal Cortissoz once said
at a dinner of the American Fedora
tion of Arts, that IL one really liked
pictures, Of the Inodernist type, all
right, no exception could be taken to.
their purchase; but if such pictures
were bought because somebody said
they were good.and somebody prophe-
sled that they would some day be
valuable, then 1t was all wrong, the
progress OF art was impeded rather
than given impetus.
William Merritt Chase gave express
sion to somewhat the same thought
when he advised people to begin by
buying chromos, II they liked chromos.
and so, as their taste improved and
their knowledge Increased, to discard
what they had outgrown and acquire
better By following this method, he
declared, collectors who were real pa
irons OF art were naturally developed.
f r X
In art, as in other fields, names are
often used to conjure with. and so po-
tent is the spell exerted that many
cannot see the work because of the
name. Some one once. hearing a criti-
cism Of a. Sargent painting, exclaimed.
with amazement: But surely Sar-
gent couldn't have b1underedw Mr..
Sargent himself would lay no claim
20 such impeccability.
A little city in the far west, desir-
ing the loan of an exhibition of paint
tngs, wrote to an organization send
ing out such collections and requested
only works by such we'll known
masters as Sargent, Cecilia Beaux
George Inness. Titan and Rubens"
IHese names were to them guarantees
Of merit
To overcome the glamour OF names
and to insure unbiased consideration
OF the art of the painters, a unique
scheme has been hit upon and put
into effect lately by an organization
in one of the principal italian. cities.
An exhibition was organized Of pic
lures of moderate size at a fixed and
moderate price. and no picture was
signed or initiated until purchased.
1t was announced that the collection
comprised works by the leading Ital-
ian artists as well as by those whose
regulations were yet to be made;
therefore. to those who were not
able to judge merely by style it was
somewhat of a lottery, provided they
were buying names and not works
or art. The result was that among
the works purchased We're many by
obscure artists, and 6mong the works
left on the walls unsold were not
few by artists of large reputation.
To be sure, art judges us, and it
may be that such selection goes to
prove an inferior taste on the part
of the purchasers, but one of the
best ways to learn Is by making mis-
takes and in art as in other things,
sincerity is of all Importance.
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An interesting little story is told
of how the purchase. of a very good
picture by a cotemporary\ American
artist completely revolutionized the
purchasers point OF view toward
things artistic. The picture. which
was a figure painting, was bought
because of a supposed likeness to a
member of the family. Being hung
in the drawing room, it began grad
ually to Shame its surroundings, not
by it's blatant coloring, but by its
reticent grace. It was, above all
things. a subtle painting, exqufsitely
artistic, low-toned; harmonious, finely
rendered. An adjustment of the
other pictures in the room became
necessary. Then there were changes
in the wall covering, next in the floor
covering, then in the furniture itself,
and. as the one room was made har-
moniouS, other rooms were found out
OF accord, and thus the whole en-
vironment of a family was changed.
This is a true story and one told by
the purchaser Of the picture, and it
all happened within the last five
years.
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It is wen understood that COM
mercialism and art do not go hap
PLY hand in hand, and there is no
greater stigma that can be placed
on an artist than to claim that he or
IL
times been a little difficult to decide
and explain where enterprise ended
and commercialism began. The
straight and narrow path, as DIR.
Lyman Abbott once declared, lies not
apart, but in the midst of the broad
roadway leading to destruction, and
to step off on either side occasions
peril.
Under the heading "Commercialism
in Art" Julia w. Wolfe. in the School
Arts Magazine, gives a most excel
lent exposition Of this much mooted
question. She says: can artist is not
commercial because he happens to
have what is called common sense
and knows not only the value of
things, but their prices as well. An
artists not commercial when he gets
the best price for his work. He is
commercial when he shapes 1T for
market instead of fashioning 1T to
express freely and without regard for
the taste Of the moment or the de-
mand of his contemporaries, his own
genius" And she adds: "The COM
mercia1 element comes in at the Gre
alton of q work of art, not at its dis
position" In support of this theory
she goes on to state that tit is true
that many of the 'nobiest artists have
worked for moneys. they have sold
their time and skill, not their con-
VICTOR and genius. > The curse
Of commercialism lies in the fact that
1t rohs q work of art of it's. perfect
ing the artists mind in that hour of