International studio (56.1915)

On the Buying and Care of Pictures

Collection of W. G. Peckham, Esq.
INFANT BY C. F. NAEGELE


been written of the forging of ancient and mod-
ern masters; facts have come out in court. Lo-
calities can be named in various foreign cities,
and one at least in New York. When it comes
to picture buying, the ordinary collector and
even the skilled collector have steadily been de-
ceived; much of their money has been wasted.
Forgers and copyists have marvellous skill. Who
can surely tell a genuine old picture, especially if
it has been retouched many times? Of pictures
surely
Die Zeiten der Vergangenheit
Sind uns ein Buch mit sieben Siegein.
On the other hand picture buyers can go to a
living artist and buy a genuine work without fear.
Another point is that the buyer is really a better
judge of the works of his own generation, and of
his countrymen; artist and patron understand each
other better. The art of a country is kindred to
its people. The people and the artist should stand
by one another,as Ruth and Naomi, saying: ‘‘Thy
people shall be my people and thy God my God.”
This refers to worthy art. We have no kinship
with Cubists, wild Post-Impressionists, or other
French fashions. Temporarily, some may say
with Sterne: “They do these things better in
France.” But, in the end, our people appreciate
the Psalms of David better than they do Voltaire.
They understand Shakespeare better than they do
Jean Jacques and Thackeray better than Zola.
Also, in the long run, good American pictures will
sell better than foreign art of the same quality.
True, there is a sort of wild art that has taken
root with us. It is a weed. Some of it is not
Yankee born; all of it is a temporary craze, it is to
be hoped; for these wild ones tend to Sodom and
Gomorrah, as far as they tend anywhere.

Next to our own in kinship is the art of our
English cousins. This has a real basis for its
popularity with us, and in recent years the works
of Hoppner, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Raeburn,
and other great Englishmen have been very highly
valued by our collectors. At the Metropolitan
Museum in New York you will find that the visi-
tors largely appreciate the Hearn rooms. Is there
a finer picture in the Museum than Abbey’s King
Lear?
John Hay was a keen art lover and had a
righteous taste. It is pleasant to know that Hay
bought one of Abbey’s pictures. Take everything
into consideration, and perhaps Abbey was our
greatest artist, and one of the greatest of our
times. Certainly his colouring was noble, and his


Collection of W. G. Peckham, Esq.
MADONNA BY JOHN LA FARGE

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