Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-24
Market Need
To- Receive
Attention
Raising Standards
One of Great
Art Factors

indicate that in the past few years
the American art audience has
grown to include almost third of
our population And yet few Of our
artists, craftsmen and designers are
able to support themselves by the
sale of their work, and very few
dealers in art are able to show
profit at the end of the year."
Surely discouraging outlook.
The solution of the difficulty Is
apparently thought to be a heroic
effort through National Art Week to
enlist the active support Of the
whole American people" and "co-
ordinate effort on a national scale"
to put American art in American
homes" and so "open the broad
potentialities of an American art
market"
Stubborn Customer.
All this sounds well. but the So
called potential art consumer In
America" is a stubborn customer.
at the best, and he will not buy what
he does not want-at any price, large
or small. The one thing which all
these wise and distinguished pro-
moters of art seem to have for
gotten is that the present lack Of
art sales may be, In part, due to the
inferiority and lack of appeal In
the works of art offered for pur-
chase. Who. for instance, would
care to buy, even as bargain, re-
auctions in metal or plaster Of the
statues which received award in
recent Government competition and
will be placed in the Social Security
Building? Or-to step into the I'M
official field-how many feel a keen
urge to purchase, take home and
hang on ones wall the pictures of
dumps and gas tanks, vulgar rabble
and other unsightliness which COM
poses two-thirds of the current ex-
hibitions, not only in washington
but all over the country? And why
should they? If our artists have
ceased to be prophets, and capable
of opening eyes to beauty-which Is
sometimes to be found in strange
places-why should we buy their
wares?
Doubtless the cutting down of
surplus wealth through taxation has
been a factor in recent years in re-
ducing private art patronage-but
not so much as one might suppose.
During these same lean years this
country has become the leading
market for works by the old masters.
Paintings by French Post-Impres-
sionists have sold here for higher
prices than abroad. Works by the
great American painters. now de-
ceased, have brought in the auction
room record prices. One of the lead
ing sales galleries in New York re-
ported, this past summer. total
receipts for the season of 1939-40 to
have been 50, 329 800 .50-a neat little
sum which goes to show that there
are those who buy when they wish,
if even, as in some cases, at a per-
sonal sacrifice. Also it may be noted
that certain etchers, whose works
are of the best. make record sales In
one-man exhibitions despite those
inevitable things of which taxation
is one. Is not this the answer? II
we want more sales must not we
give more heed to the quality OF
the art we are putting on the
market?
Need High Standard.
1t goes against the grain to rank
art with "other commodities and the
art buyer as mere CONSUMER" but
being so styled by the promoters OF
National Art Week, might 1t not be
well by way Of comparison to suggest
that no commodity secures a stable
market. If sold under high pressure
and later found to be inferior IN
quality. The only way to increase
the sales of works of art Is to uphold
them to a high standard and TO
make them wanted.
To reduce the cost will not help.
Bad art is extravagant at any price
and to charge too little for that
which is worth much permanently
lessons value. That which Is OBJ
tanned without effort or sacrifice Is
never so cherished rs that which
thus comes high. Widening the
vista through multiple showtngs does
not change the status Of art though
it may vitiate the taste. The Cow
eminent has doubtless done much 10
afford artists opportunity TO demon-
strate ability, but 1t seems to have
accomplished little or nothing n
raising standards. 1t Is through thtq
channel alone that the much deG1pod