Year: 1873

made yesterday in Brooklyn, where, for tho
first time, the sexes sat together, and David
H. Barnes and Ed. Brown addressed the meet
ing on inspiration.


Wanted, u Permanent Public Gallery


OF Pictures-Possessors OF Private CAL


lcrics Invited to Contribute.


There are plenty of fine pictures in New
York, but few of them are ever seen by the
public. On the contrary, they are kept
boarded in private galleries, and serve for tho
delectation of the possessor and such of his
friends as take an interest in art matters. We
are far from denying the right of the possessor
of private gallery to do as he pleases with
his pictures. When man gratifes an OK
pensive taste that is commendable it would
be unfair to make a formal demand that he
should deprive himself of a qualification he
has been at such pains to minister to. Yet
certain appeal may properly be made to thesa
art collectors which they will not find il
easy altogether to Withstand There are a
large number of residents in this city who have
o good deal of natural taste for pictures without
the means Of gratifying that taste by making
art purchases They are obliged to admire at
distance, visiting the picture stores and the
small galleries attached thereto, and patronize
occasionally, in o small way, the auction sales
which take place from December until May.
AT long intervals card Of admission to
really fine private gallery permits them
richer and more deeply artistic treat than they
are able to enjoy on the average. The recent
opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
on Fourteenth street also, and the addition
to the pictures already there by a really very
excellent loan collection, have extended these
facilities to wider limit than heretofore
But still, taking all these opportunities into
consideration, the chances for artistic enjoy
ment possessed by poor person who is an
appreciator of pictures are very meagre. New
York is too rich and is getting too art-loving
city to permit without blame, this state Of
things to last great while longer.


What is needed, then, is that our wealthy
possessors Of fine private picture galleries
should prove that they have an unselfsh love
for art, and we do not know that this can be
done in any better way than by their coming
forward and each contributing few pictures
in order to form respectfully large permanent
exhibition. We could easily mention between
thirty and forty names of wealthy gentlemen
residing in this city who have private galleries
and collections Of pictures which the most
fastidious connoisseur need not disdain. Were
it expedient or courteous to do 80 we could
make out such list at moments notice;
but the question is one of some delicacy, and
we should prefer to leave it entirely to the
decision Of the parties concerned, without
making SO obtrusive an appeal as premature
mention of names might seem to imply. All
that we have to say at present is that there ara
between thirty and forty private picture collec-
tions in this city, which give pleasure to the re-
spective possessors and their friends, but
which, for the most part, remain entirely closed
to the world at large. A few brilliant exceptions
to this view prevail. In these cases cards oi
admission are issued for certain day of the
week or mouth, and any one who succeeds in
obtaining such card may have the benefit OF
the gallery. But in the majority of instances
no such cards are issued, and the galleries
are remorselessly closed to the general public.
All this might be remedied by little gen.
erosity. Let every one of the gallery posses
sors to whom we have referred make fres
gift of several of his pictures for the sake Of
creating permanent public gallery, the adj
mission to which shall either be free or placed
at small price. This would be doing prae-
tically generous action, and, at the same
time, accomplishing a great good in the cause
of art. We appreciate the few individual
hitherto been set but we hope to see tho list
speedily swollen by the adoption Of some such
course as we have proposed.