Art: At the Box Office

U.S. public art museums commonly boast that they are thronged. Their critics commonly reply that of course museums are thronged: most of what they show is free, while ball games, for example, cost real money. Last week came proof that Americans in big numbers are quite willing to pay well to see great art. The proof fell naturally to Pablo Picasso, art’s biggest box-office draw. During May, nine Manhattan galleries joined to present a comprehensive showing of Picasso’s work for the benefit of the Public Education Association. In the four weeks that the exhibition ran, more than 15,000 people paid $5 for tickets that allowed them ten attendances, while thousands of others paid 75∧ admission at the doors of individual galleries. Estimated total visits to the nine galleries: more than 140,000.

The box office holds up even without the Picasso magic. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts reported recently that its six-week exhibit of a touring Van Gogh show drew 122,000 people. 83,000 of whom, being adults and nonmembers, paid $1 at the door.