Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-07-18
Anr IN Ernorr Am AMERICA

AIT ~ LthoFb ANn
The citizens Of. Virginia aud Gold
Hill were last week treated to a view O.
Matt Morgan's Living statnss. MI
Matt Morgan. who introduced this idea
OF living pictures. il the artist OF Frank
l.eslis's NaSraisd Newspaper. lie was
brought TO this country as a rival
Of Thomas Mast. because he was the
lest artist in Europe whom Leslie could
induce TO come to this continent. lie
is an artist In every sense OF the word.
and there is not In his nature as q
one impure thought. The exhibition
San Francisco. As an adver-
Using dodge Thomas Mcguire. at whose
the performances was given. had
the manager arrested for exhibiting an
obscene show. The result Was that the
was crowded by men. while
ladies'. after reading the newspaper re-
ports refused to patronizs the show.
Matt Mornau's living statues came to
Virginia. The report Of the trial in san
Francisco. which resulted in 'acquittal.
had preceded them, aud very few ladies'
attended their exhibitions. The men.
however. crowded National Guard Hall
every night. and the company probably
took away ~ much coin from Virginia.
as they did from San Francisco. In pro-
portion to the size Of the places and the
length Of the engagement. There was
nothing in this exhibition which need
cause q blush TO mantle the cheek Of
the most perfect lady in the land. The
statues were not ''model artists" in any
sense Of tho word. They simply rep
resented pictures which are famous in
the art-wosld OF Europe. by living in.
stead Of by painted or sculptured hg-
ures. There was nothing approaching
to ~vulgarity In anything connected with
the entertainment. In Europe 1t would
have been p~atronizsd as = heightened
exhibition. In Europe the pictures
which they represented have been pur-
chased at fabulous prices by connois
seurs in art. Why is IL that in this
country art is made vulgar. and artistic
groupings are frowned upon by u
American ladies'
The answer is easily made by those
persons who are acquainted with the
record Of Europe and America in re-
spect to art. America is = Republic.
and the public money is spent entirely
on national interests. In Europe there 10
nothing but monarchies AMI empires.
There the King or Queen. OF Emperor or
Empress virtually controls the revenue
of the nation. The rulers there SEQ that
by fostering art they enhance the value
Of their dominions. They have art
schools which are paid for from the ma.
tional treasury. The taste Of the people
is educated up to the point Of realizing
the beauty Of mature. Artists. created
by the money Of a nation. reflect credit
upon the nation which has created them.
The entire world looks to Europe to-
day for genuine works OF art. Even in
our Centennial Exhibition. European
artists carry of the palm for excellence
Of design aud execution.
Why should not America take rank
among the countries OF the world as IN
art nation We have the genius here,
but We do not cultivate il. Our Prssi.
dent cannot. like the monarchs OF Eu.
rope. establish schools Of art. because
be cannot dictate the appropriation OF
the peoples money. Hut Congress can.
We are spending \ great deal OF the pub-
lie money in useless Investigations.
Would it not he well to spend a little Of
il in educating the popular taste In
this one respect Europe. with her mon
arches ard empires, is far in advance Of
America. Once aecustom the ladies' Of
this Republic to look upon genuine
works OF art. and they will not blush to
look upon the living pictures which EN-.
| Lodv thai ART.