70 FINE ARTS. 



County in utilitarian spheres have, in no degree, hindered 

 enthusiasm for the beautiful in Art. 



The Oil Paintings presented were few in number, but well 

 execute^. 



Some of the Crayon Drawings were admirable pieces; 

 while the rest were commendable as early efforts. 



The collection of Pencil Drawings was large. Three or 

 four of the specimens were simply exquisite. Most of the 

 others were by quite youthful contributors, and indicated a 

 hopeful proficiency. 



The trying labor of your committee lay in deciding upon 

 the comparative merits of two full and elegant Photographic 

 collections, presented respectively by our two most popular 

 artists, Messrs. Moulton and Gott. 



We felt great reluctance in undertaking such a hair-splitting 

 ceremony. Wc seemed, at first, to be required to determine 

 which was superior of two equals. Had we been allowed to 

 accord equivalent honor to the two competitors, we should 

 have been relieved. The excellences of one artist were 

 essentially counterbalanced by different but equally important 

 excellences in the other. Mr. Moulton's pictures were more 

 distinct and forcible than Mr. Gott's. They stood out better 

 than his from the back-ground. But Mr. Gott's were more 

 graceful in posture, and more delicate in finish. They exhi- 

 bited more refinement of taste. 



In certain classes of pictures, one of the rivals excelled ; in 

 certain other classes, the other. 



After prolonged examination of the work in detail, and care- 

 ful comparison of class with class and collection with collection, 

 your committee decided that, upon the whole, the preponder- 

 ance of general artistic merit probably lay with Mr. Gott. 



The committee award as follows : 



PHOTOGRAPHS. 



1st premium, to C. 0. Gott of Fitchburg, $4 00 



2d, to J. C. Moulton of Fitchburg, 2 00 



OIL PAINTINGS. 



Mrs. Mclntire, 3 00 



