"MY PICTURE, C'EST FINI"
-Samuel F.B. Morse, 1834
"HERE SHINE IN ONE GRAND CONSTELLATION, THE BRILLIANT EFFUSIONS OF THOSE GREAT NAMES DESTINED TO LIVE AS LONG AS THE ART OF PAINTING EXISTS."
- THE NEW YORK MIRROR, 9 AUGUST 1833
- THE NEW YORK MIRROR, 9 AUGUST 1833
Public Rejection
Back in America, Morse wanted to charge 25 cents admission to view his masterpiece. While critics gave the painting positive reviews, the public outrightly rejected it. The "Gallery of the Louvre" was eventually sold to George Hyde Clark in 1834 for $1,300, despite Morse wanting nearly double what he was paid.
"The failure of his masterpiece led Morse to throw all of his energy into his work on the telegraph." -Jason Hiner, "Samuel Morse: The Engineer Who Painted a Masterpiece" |