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Otago Witness, Issue 2161, 25 July 1895, Page 54

with which he delineates the minutest details in hia pictures, was, in his early day*, a catalogue artist ; and he puts down much of his present success to the useful training he received in that little- known branch of art." PEOFESSOR HEBKOMER AND THE FOTDBB OP ART. An Interview with Professor Herkomer appears in the Young Man for June. la answer to a question regarding the future of art in a democratic state of society, Professor Herkomer says : 11 There must always be rich men, whether we have democracy or not, and rich men are necessary to the prosperity of art as a profession." " Bat in the future," said the interviewer, " is not the public patronage of art — in the form of the municipalities, as well as of the State ~ likely tc prove a good equivalent to the pitroDage ofthe millionaires ? " " There is no doubt that in recent years the municipalities as purchasers of pictures have been'of considerable consequence. But the period of trade depression through which we have been passing indicates dearly how much the profession of painting depends upon the rich. lam speaking from the experience of friends and acquaint arcae-— men of reputation for the most part. Ooly the other day an B A. told me that he had one or two piotureß»on his hands which he really could not soli, and for this no good reason could be given, except that owing to diminishing profits and declining incomes fewer and fewer first-class pictures could be bought."