The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-09
OPENING OF BAXTER HALL.
Inauguration Of the Fine Art Lectures-E.
Phelps on the "Cultivation OF the Eye"

| j ne nfSt literary VI trt ioOt"iO III ''"''
land this winter was given last evening at
Baxter hall. It was in several respects an
important event for our village. The lee
ture was the Inauguration of course OF
six fine art lectures it was tho dedication
to the public of the beautiful Baxter hall ;
and last, but an svent of no small import
ance, the net proceeds are to form the
nucleus of fund for much needed free
public library. The mild weather and
moonlight night was suspicious, and the
hall was we'll filed, not less than
three hundred persons being present.
1t is appropriate that, on this opening occa-
sion, we give those of oar readers not able
to be present
DESCRIPTION OF TIE HALL.
Baxter hall occupies the third floor over
| the Baxter National bank. The size of
the room is AZ feet wide by % feet long
and 25 feet in height. Its entrance is by a
broad flight of stairs, introducing the visit
or to the center of the north side of the
hall, and under the balcony, which serves
by making the entrance less abrupt to de-
stroy the unpleasant features such en-
frances usually have. The floor, after
taking one end of the hall for a platform,
gives room for four hundred chairs, and
leaves, also, broad isles for the movement
of the audience. A graceful balcony,
| eight feet wide and fifty feet long, is sus-
pended midway the north side of the hall,
| furnishing an excellent place for an orches-
| ira. The audience face the east end across
which movable platform, thirteen feet
wide extends. The hall is lighted
on three sides by day with four
teen windows-these have hapgings Of
ultamarine blue,-snd by night with two
magnificent eighteen-light gilded chan
deliers, having twelve sub lights under a
polygonal corrugated reflector. There
are besides bracket lights in pairs on the
balcony and at the ends OF the hall. The
| frescong is very beautiful in neutral tints
of pale blue, chocolate, cream, etc. The
walls are paneled, while the ceiling is laid
| out Will "a uuuUeOiDt INutNi piSSSs vi tllC
wall at the rear of the platform is a figure
of the Goddess of Liberty, a buxom bru-
nettc standing on sunlt clouds, in the act
of advancing, holding in her right hand a
scroll with the words commerce, industry,
arts" and in her elevated left hand the
American standard, the folds of which
floating down behind her form a drapery
and background for the superb figure-the
Goddess of robust America.
The audience that assembled last even
ing has rarely been equalled in respectable
ity and culture, in Rutland, and indicates
that our leading citizens appreciate the dis
cussion of those higher topics which in
struct and cultivate. At s o'clock Mr.
Phelps stepped forwards without intro
duction, began his lecture. He spoke
with that grace and ease which char
acterize all his public utterances. His
thoughts were clothed in the chaste diction
and elegance of expression that at once at
tracts the attention, pleases and edu-
Gates. The combinations of light and
shade running through the lecture, formed
a picture of elegance and refinement, and
entranced the listener. The lecturer met
the most sanguine expectation of his
friends and admirers, and at the close WAS
greeted with hearty applause We give a
full abstract of
MR.. PHELPS LECTURE.
Mr.. Phelps subject was 1.-The Cultivation
of the Eye" The artistic sense, he said,
that by which We appreciate and enjoy the
beautiful in nature and art, is an acquire
ment of the mind. 1t can not exist in the
idiot. But it must be obtained through the
medium Of the sight, and must largely de-
pend on what may be called training of the
eye in perceptive power. Two persons
| look at a great statue. Both see il distinct
| ly, and perceive that ii is block of marble
finished in human form. One sees little
more than that and goes on his way with
small increase OF enjoyment or instruction.
The other sees fidelity to nature, harmony
of outline, grace and beauty; and some
thing beyond. He sees the sculptor's ideal.
The pulses of his heart are moved, and
perhaps some great word or deed, slumber-
ing in his memory, awakened. The sight
has been to him like the reading of beau
tiful poem, and it's remembrance remains q
perpetual benedclion. The difference be.
tween the two is in the artistic sense.
How, the lecturer proceeded to inquire,
can this sense and training be attained {
The germ of it exists in all men, but in
many it lies forever dormants For them
sculptors and architects toll in vain, and &c
them the beauties of nature ore unrevealed.
| II cappot ha ohtaipp6 hx, rood;pn &, o.
be gained-first, by familiarity with correc,
and beautiful examples of art, and second,
Thy the habit of comparing and analyzinl
the artistic effects the eye has learned tc
observe. These methods were dwelt or
and elaborated. The result of familiarity
with works of art is always progressive
Great works of art, like the grandest OBJ
jects of Nature, commonly disappont a
first sight. Most of the visitors to the
Louvre, are doubtless more impressed by
the modern paintings, than by the works
of the masters and go.away, not to re-
turn, with the thought that the Titans
and Raphaels and Correggios are admired
because it is the fashion 10 praise and ad
mire them. But to the visitor who hat
faith that the excellence he does not see, II
there and who goes again and again
there comes, in time, great light. He
finds that these pictures are like the othe
immortals. We must go to their sphere.
They will not come down to u.s. The
modern pictures now cease to satisfy him
by the side of the old. He cannot explain
the difference; but any intelligent maj
who will take time enough can discover it
His eye, by unconscious education ha
come to perceive the marvellous lifeikenes
and power of the works of the masters.
1t is 30. also, with sculpture The visito
to the gallery of ancient sculptures IN thu
British museum, sees and admires outsid,
the threshold a statue of a lady. 1t seem
to him full of grace and expression. III
says "this is life ITSELF" He passes on in
to the presence of the great memorials o
Greek and Roman art, dingy and yellow
with age, and at first interesting only 70
their antiquity. But il he fingers lon
enough, the miracle of transfguratio
| %, H. a