The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-12
Oscar WiIde's Idea.

SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL AND DREADFUL
THINGS SEEN BY THE EsTHETE.
With the suddenness of IN apparitiOn
Oscar Wilde appeared before the audience
at Association Hall yesterday afternoon,
the knuckles OF his left hand planted under
his floating ribs, his too awfully hairy head
fixed in a majestic poise, looking for all the
world the perfect embodiment of an cleo
trifed mountaineering figure. Stand
ing thus, in his black velvet jacket and
knee breeches and silk stockings, with a
cascade of lace falling over his FACILITATING
chest, the several hundred ladies present
and score or more of men scrutinized him,
from his No. 8 patent-leathers to the :" cow
lick'' on the left OF his plumb-centre part
in his hair. as il he was piece Of an
tiquity suddenly revived. The first thing
the aesthetic did was to seize very ordinary
white stone pitcher by the handle and pour
into commonplace fint-glass tumbler
about two gills OF simple Schuylkill water,
which he absorbed in the course of the
afternoon in two very healthy gulps. Du-
ring this little performance the ladies had
time 10 twist the corners OF their months
down and compose themselves for the talk
on 'the practical application of the princi-
ples OF the aesthetic theory to the exterior
vations upon dress and personal orna-
ments."
The lecture throughout was an argument
for the advancement OF artistic taste in the
artisan and the incubation of love for the
beautiful in children. Mr.. Wilde con-
tended that the surroundings OF handi-
craftsmen should be cheerful; that schools
and museums of decorative art should be
open to them and the rising generation,
and the result in time would be apparent
in the homes OF all classes and in the higher
taste OF the people. He showed the differ
ence between true decorative and magma
tive art, and gave some very pat examples
OF his meaning. He said he had
seen moonlight SCIENCES painted on
dinner-plates and the sun beaming
on decorated sauccrs, but the moon
light scene did not make the roast-duck any
more palatable, and the idea OF the sun 90
ing down TO the handmade twice day TO
be secured was not cheerful 10 contemplate.
While he gave out the idea that he was
greatly charmed with this country, Mr..
Wilde saw many IS dreadful" things during
his travels. After he mounted the hills
that environ Cincinnati and saw the cloud
OF "dreadiul" CRIME that overhung that
city he was sorry that he had lectured there
on art. The gorgeous display Of colors and
gilt and iooking-glasses In the hotels was
"dreadful" 10 him, while the cups from
which he was compelled to sip his chocolate
and coffee, II not an inch and q quarter
thick, were dreadful"
All this time, however, the disciple of
Ruskin was no. standing with the knuckles
OF his left hand planted In the floating ribs
OF his left side. At observation-disclosures in.
teryals he agitated the lace at his wrists
with gentle waive Of the hand and flung
bis weight on his right adolescent leg; then
again he would toy with his watch-fob with
his right hand and thrust the other under
the flaps OF his velvet coat-tail. Mr.. Wilde
poked fun at the "dreadful y funeral urn
which decorates the American cast-iron
parlor stove; condemned the pursuit OF the
"dreadful' fashion-plates; threw his ora.
torical weight on the cart-wheel bonnet
and smashed il. and set the ladies' In
gigglc with his picture OF the modern
dress OF combinations and fiounces. He
contended that the paintings OF Gains
borough and Sir Joshua Reynolds gave
true idea OF the art in dress drapery, and
urged the necessity OF reformation in
this direction. His argument was In favor
a, ,educating the poorer people to better |
conss.as.,ion OF the beautiful this world;
cics u danny he thought the ordinary::arti-
use should be made attractive.