HARD TIMES FOR ARTISTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13648, 16 January 1908, Page 6

HARD TIMES FOR ARTISTS.

SUPPLY GREATER THAN THE DEMAND. NEW ZEALAND ARTIST'S IMPRESSIONS. [BY lELEGEAVU.—-OWN CORRKSPOXDENT.J Waxgaxui, Wednesday. Mr. George Siikrp.ikk. the well-known artist, who returned to New Zealand by the Athenie after .spending four years in England, made some inteYe>ting observations on art i>- the Old Country to an interviewer to-day. "I am sorry to say," remarked Mr Sherriff. " thai I am afraid bad times are in store for artist*. The demand for pictures is daily becoming less, and the supply is ever increasing. I have ; for long held the opinion thai the time was coming when artists would be unable to make a living by their profession, and my recent visit to England has confirmed my fears. Even artists of high standing are feeling the slump." Asked what was the cause ol this, Mr. Sherriff said it was chiefly owing to the- ignorant wealthy dealing with picture dealers, whose interest was to palm off ;l old master" rubbish. Another cause was the great increase- of women artists during the last quarter of a century. These painters had, as a rule, parents to support them, and could afford to sell pictures at starvation prices. An owner of . many studios in London told a friend of his that, more than half his studios were rented by women. They are starving the professional artist, who, as a rule, has a wife and children to support. This slump must cause a deterioration so far as pictures are concerned, since there was no sal© for great works, and artists found that only low-priced pictures would sell. "There is a great tendency to degenerate into ' pot-boilers,'"' he added. " The art of Europe is deteriorating by. reason of the trouble I have mentioned, and we find even first-class men.producing 'pot-boilers.'". In reply to a query as to whether there were not some who encouraged the highest class of art, MY. Sherriff said: " There are some, but a great change has taken place in recent years. In our grandfathers' times it was the fashion to collect valuable libraries and works of art and vertu, but it is so no ' longer. The wealthy now spend their money on extravagant motor cars, yachts, horseracing, bridge, and various forms of gambling. Another cause of the distress among British artists is lack of patriotism on the part of their fellow countrymen, who will give largo sums for foreign works simply because they are foreign."

Speaking of the methods of painting which were most popular, he said: " For the last quarter of a, century or so the fashionable method of painting has been the broad, bold, strong, and free impressionistic. This has been carried to an absurd extent; in fact, it has been ridden to death, and those few lovers of art and nature able to indulge their good taste are siek of this craze, and are demanding works more truthful" to nature."