New-York tribune., 1873-03-19
ART IN ITSELF.
LECTURE BY WILLIAM PAGE.


last evening" the presence OF largo and "pprecaVo
audience in tho hall at Fourhave. aud Twenty-thrd
at by william Page President OF the Academy. Ihe
subect was Art in Itself" and the treatment inyOVeu
by way of illustration tho introduction OF seVerai
poems which Mr. Page read with much feeling. He
began tho lecture In this way
In former lecture claimed for Art direot hnea'
descent from the Infinite Creator. Hence may sup
pose man 10 have received from his Maker certain apt
ness OF organism mechanism, so TO speak most hghy
adapted TO expressing himself through the arts IN
manner corresponding that by which all nature ex
presses tho Divine artist.
shall not venture at present into philosophical IN
oury whether tho earlier moro naturally
inclined 10 Art the modern one though we are ao
customed TO think OF first perfect mortal formed ana
made according all the art image, and connection OF
the world before the all'-a golden age when man was
truly an image OF his maker and consequently capable
of scientifically and naturally giving perfect expansion
outwardy OF most interior nature. For we must sup
pose this happy mortal been sole proprietor OF
that perfect electric cable from the Divine artist
the great deep OF indny into the citadel OF MS
own individual fnite nature, and perfectly able and
willing to give all dispatches fresh and free to the
associated press OF the world BY terrible misfortune
the cable broken. and ever since man mas peen
trying to bring 1t up and make the ends join Man
| seems able TO be wise and excellent either In
art or science only from experience conjoned to "a
tional principle The beasts, more lucky IN thls
than ourselves still retain their original c0nnec
ton with Creator since In their ntrenched cltad
the cable reaches not rational soul but TO the saine
created instinct which was their first inheritance.
Hence the art OF the bee the beaver the ant the fox
and all OF their Kind still remains neither better nor
worse than al first With there is the rise and ebD
in all his arts and though the Original way Of comnun
eating with his Maker is impaired, still the old ma
chnery is laid up within him. capable Of moving "a by
an electric thrill every OF nature and OF the SOUL
striving ever to express by some outward means the
image of that inhny imaged within him. This endeavor
IA the common inheritance OF humanity, but only rarely
ia the endeavor utimated and when done 80 perfectly
OF course humanity at largo responds to the fact The
appreciation OF Art is natural and universal, unless
smohered like the voice OF conscience ITSELF by what
false and wrong.
You have heard in many ways this Winter the ex-
preston OF tho sentiment Of devotion TO the science for
its own sake, and our sympathies have often been
called Its great discoveries. Till for moment We
could feel that science least the soul had returned
TO the golden age Of its perectons But the science OF
our own day scarcely deved out the Lost Arts yet
it is brayely work. and must ultimately and forever
widen its circles We must not less for Art. The
natural latent endeayOr must and anon from
TO age show some and worthy ultimate that Will
rank with its peers OF all time. This inherited gift OF
expression given in words by the poet TO our own
special race. 1t is his mission TO tell YOU what must
he poet myself to tell you without his aido tell you
itself makes its own expression
NrRINsIc WORTH OF ART.
tt my purpose tonight to endeayor to tell some
what what Art ia, ITSELF and not what and how IL
works externally; and this shall try to express the
more fully by using certain to speak for me- in
better language than my own; and you should thnk
that perhaps the purpose would be well served by
quoting than all OF each poem have TO say that
should az soon think show only small piece or part
OF picture part of a perfect poem. aud hope to
have IL understood fully. Art the deep laid necessity OF
our nature. the imperative demand Of our being the
requirement of seuterance that thereby the joys OF
our own hearts may presented TO others 10 enable
them TO partake with the gifts the gods do gle u.s.
Art that early presented its claims to mans alice
tion and constantly renewed and renewing its de-
mands and which surely receives its reward IN the
hearts aud from mouths OF who have failed
to award place far up toward the OF the gods
Themselves in its spirit that inner principle which
prompts poet lay bare his heart TO the multitude
to utter its very sentiments, ana the very
deepest pulsatOn that hobs within the artist SOUL de-
mandng breath Of utterance and the sympathy Of
response and can he worthy pursued but in the
unmixed unseldsh, unambtous purpose, viz. to
utter through the close prlsonbars OF our own
individual being words or work, such as shall
stream like sunlight through others prison
bars cheering them with reflex from
the light OF our own vision, and thus widening our
pleasure by association and the giving ourselves with
our art. "There is word OF command so fattering
TO and the possible capacity Of requirement of our
natures Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy SOUL and with all thy mnd
and with all thy strength and thy neghbor as thyse
and whyi Because 1t supposes that may rise above
sefove. The true, legitimate, and best pleasure OF the
pursuit OF art make seeing visible TO other
eyes. our own knowing known to those who can. and
our own pleasure the free gift to all aud this is only to
be done by true sefuteranoe-not what some one else
may see but that only which see; not for the sake
Of originality, what may seem TO striking
and effective, but purely egotiscal selves. IL
this fail being fully uttered, to interest or 70 prove
original 1t were well to give 1t up but it cannot fail
Every human. unique soul. and each SOUL take It, Is
UNIQUE IL It but have power Of artistic embodiment
will be original and must intelligence teach
il where germ resides. That the Creator pro-
yided for man the most generously is evidenced
In this that words all sufficient for the Of the
epic or dramatic poet and for the SCULPTOR clay and
for the painter the pgments-whe, black red, yellow
and blue the musical composer those varied sounds
which make the voice OF his art; the wood and stone
for the architect and, again the poet words such as
those with which In his sonnes Shakespeare unlocked TO
us the wondrous treasures OF his heart. No other
fact connected with the art OF painting has caused In
my mind more oft-repeated wonder and astonishment
than the simple one that the aboyensmed pigments,
drawn from every kingdom OF Nature, animal. yege-
table, and mineral. could have been so employed as
we have them TO reoreate such image Of
the visible beauty of the universe would have
left essential quality that the eye could see
in that universe itself That these materials were packed
away by benevolent forethought well argues
that man expected by his Creator to use them IN
due time and at his need, much as the coal and iron
provided for this day fuel and other varied use The
isolation OF every human soul, and its imperative
demand TO make itself known to other souls through
the OF art will we'll explain why have ever Stood
openeared and openeyed, TO hear and see that which
the artist has 10 teach for the desire OF knowing
what ia in another soul than our own ia in the stener