The New York herald., 1879-08-25
GLADSTONE ON BEAUTY.

DOWN QUICKLY
| LONDON. August II, 1870.
The Fine Art Exhibition at Chester opened last
night by Mr.. Gladstone. whose interesting address
| on beauty in manufactures is worth keeping. He
said that the principle of . school of art might be
summed up in single word. You will agree
With me. he said. that in all the visible
and material objects that are produced to meet the
| wants and tastes of man there two things to
| look to-one is utility and the other is beauty.
Well. now, utility of course includes strength.
curacy of torn. convenience. and so forth. do
not enter into detail; 1 only want to remind you
that besides the utility of these objects which
made to meet our common wants. in every possible
description there is an important consideration in
their beauty. which also divides itself into
branches. on which l need not dwell in detail
beauty of FORM beauty OF color and beauty OF pro
| portion. But lot US for moment just fl minds
| on this question OF beauty as u whole. The ques-
tion is whether there is any special reason why we
| should endeavor to promote the education OF our
| peope-the education of artisan people-in this
matter OF beauty hold that there is very special
reason for it. and may draw that special in
part-and it will be very Ineligible to many when
do so-from the distress now felt in this country.
1t is quite evident passing into time when.
from whatever cause-I need not at the present
moment expatiate upon the causes-the commerce
of this country will have. at any rate for period.
severe struggle; and. consequently. 1t is desirable
that we should husband all means for the
struggle and should enlarge all for the
struggle. Now. for that reason. those who are con-
cerned in industrial production ought to review
carefully the manner in which they have been work
ing and consider whether it is in all respects such
rs it ought to be. believe myself they will find
great room for amendment. very general room for
amendment, in great many branches.
NO FEAR FROM AMERICA.
long experience OF public life which has placed
me very much in relation to the great industries Of
the country made me long ago of opinion that
OF production when he is put under pressure but If
he is not put under pressure he is apt to grow
laxed and careless and s satisfied if he produce
things that will SELL. He has not got much he
its own sake. Now. there are those who
promote the love of exceilenceffor its own sake.
But hold it is not visionary at all. For. depend
upon it, every excellence that is real whether re-
lates to utility beauty has got it's price It's
value in the market and it is element strength
in the market. There no doubt England has been
very remarkable for cheap production but in this a
formidable rival Is now springing upin America
America however has been taken with u fever of
| what is called protection, aud long as America
suffers from the fever English manufacturers will
not have great deal to fear from American rivals.
But when she learns to trust entirely to her
own splendid national resources, the great
genius of her people, their marvellous pro-
trivances, in which they ahead of the whole
world, America will be formidable competitor.
|
competition with America. but limitation of markets.
You are met every side with hostile tariffs and
you want to bound over these tariffs and get within
them. Well. for that purpose the British producer
must consider tho sodity OF his work and its homely
qualities and endeavor to make it. in the first place.
true work. not protesting to be anything but what
1t is to divest 1t Of all falsehood and sham how
ever the imposture last for little while. the
effect is ultimately to destroy the reputation to take
away confidence and to react most injuriously upon
those who have attempted the trick.
| FRENCH TASTE
But, apart from that, have the strongest conyic-
ton OF this-that all along English industry has
been defective in the matter of beauty and the
quality which wo generally hear that important
| element described under tho name OF taste.
Taste is nothing in the world except the faculty
which devises according to lines OF beauty, exc
cutes according to limos OF beauty judges according
to lines of beauty, You. ladies and gentlemen.
familiar with this fact, arc many out
side these walls. The French standard of
taste in production is very much higher than
i'll the production in this country; and depend
upon it, 1t is the taste of French productions which
feches the price in market well other qualities
give France her very nigh place in the commerce Of
the world. and it is well known that at this moment
try in the world for exports 1t is this want which
schools OF art in this country aim at supplying 1t
gtn, s;' a want which has been felt
felt because OF the depression of British commerce.
because of increased difficulties In finding our way
into markets OF many foreign countries.
NO BEAUTY IN AMERICA.
have been speaking of Americans, with whom
trust we shall always continue in peace and in bonds
of brotherhood; and IL you take the industrial pro-
ductlons OF America am sorry to say We fnd that
very few have any beauty at all. The circumsta
OF their national existence down to the present tine
have from the scarcity Of labor and other causes
and most enoctual way for answering the i'm.
mediate purpose. and the beauty Of production
iustrato this by reference to pursuit to
which have myself personal re ation-the cutting
of wood Tho American axe is an an nat in
tended to cut tree away neatly but to cut a tree
away quickly. Tho American does not care a pin
about beauty of work. his object to clear ground
To certain extent the same sideraton will apply
here. We have had strong pressure of competition
with all quarters of the world. and have thought
great deal about useful ana cheap production. But
until latey-certsinly not nifty sixty years ago
thought very little about the beautiful in pro-
of art have been In existence. and am glad to say
that in many branches of industry might almost
say in every branch--we already the vast effect
that has been produced.
BEAUTY IN ENGLANDs MANUFACTURERS
IL take. for example, the tissues OF this country.
thirty years ago all patterns for our cotton goods
were obtained from France; but now We take prt-
terms from France and send patterns back France
Tho people OF Mulhausen-I believe II is in Ger
many. and not IN France but Il does OF matter for
the purpose have in vIew--exchange patterns with
England. lApplause) II you take other impor-
tant branches OF production, such as glass and
porcelain-weL. English glass has now become
extremely beautiful and also very convenient. Tho
English glass manufacture II am not now speak ing
Of plate glass window glass. &c; but Of glass for
articles OF that kind there is doubt at ALL far
regards both the convenience OF the form aud the
character OF the material. has advanced to q very
satisfactory position 1t is in entire contrast with
what II was forty or fifty years ago. t"near
hearl'o 1t was then great deal dearer and it
was great deal uglier. A sense OF beauty
OF valuable beauty. has found it's way into that man
ufacture. IL we take porcelain. similar improve
mcnt has taken place. Anybody who In familiar
with the tea. coffee and dinner services of forty or
nifty years supposing he had been asleep during
those nifty years and that he awoke to-day and wont
to tho best shops and repositories to observe the
character OF the manufactures that offered for
sale. he would think he had passed into another
world so entirely different they far supc-
rior to what was produced tho time of gener-
alton. and especially two generations back.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
The interest take in this subject has led me
further than intended and IL appears 10 me that
have said all that s necessary and perhaps more
than IL necessary, upon the subject I think the
matter so plain that am almost ashamed to seem to
dwell upon II as II 1t required expanation but we
| have an object in vew-to bring homo those xorfs