(Contributed), Now that there hins been time to analyze: the results of the recent Spring Art Exhibition held under -the auspices of the China Society of Sefence and Arts; it is possible to pronounce the undertaking an unqualified success.
The rooms lent by the "North China Daily News" were very" ble for such an exhibition, and the public owes a debt of gratitude to the proprietors of this news. paper. It is to be regretted, ho ever, that Shanghai does not postable public rooms for such as this and that those desirous of promot ing such undertakings for the benefit of the entire community should have to depend upon the generosity of a private firm for suitable ae-commodation.
Artists and Shanghai particip: exhibition to the One lady sent pictures from Fukien province which arrived too late to jerted in the catalogue. artists exhibited, the remainder beig local residents.
Altogether, some 242 water colour sketches, drawings in inks, erayfons and pastels were shown, together with 168 oil paintings and 13 pieces of sculpture, making a total of 623 exhibits. The sale of pic~ tures was far from satisfactory due, is feared, "to the fact that a grent many of the best pictures were too highly priced to meet the pocket books of "would-be purchasers and those who had seen good pictures were not desirous of buying those of inferior quality.
It may here be noted that many pictures were marked by their owners at prices which they could not hope to realise in any part. of the world. In London, for five guineas, a purchaser may obtain a very good oil painting or water colour by some artist cither with an established reputation or at least with' x rising reputation. Certainly, many of the pictures in Shanghai' were marked at considerably more than their pos sible market value. Many inquiries were made as to whether an artist would not be willing to lower the price and in cases where they were, sales were negotiated.
Altogether, 86 pictures were sold, fetching something over $1,000. The best sales were made on the first day of the exhibition.
'A Large Attendance.
'That the exhibition was highly popular may be judged from the number of people who passed through. Estimating from the number of tickets sold, some 962, foreigners visited. the' exhibition, while at least 200 foreign school ly children, mainly from the Thomas Hanbury School, the Cathedral Schools, and the French School, took advantage of the special hours set aside for children who were admitted free, Chinese art students were also admitted free, fully 500 passing through during the six days the exhibition was in progress. The majority of these latter came from the Shanghai College of Pine Arts, The Pootung Middle School" sent' also_a large number, as well as the Ecole Speciale des Beaux Arts.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.