The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-06-22
Oscar Wilde's Lecture,


his appearance at Turner Hall to deliver
lecture upon decorative Art" There was
a large audience. having regard to the season
of the year, and the audience was intelligen,
and elite.
BEFORE the lecturer appeared Mr.. Otto Hill
gers performed several pianoforte recitals with
marked ability, and was applauded.
! About nine o'clock Mr.. Wilde made his an.
Pearance upon the platform. His face is
distingue in feature, exhibiting decided force
OF character, combined with a considerable
indication OF nervous temperament, which is
toned and efemmatised by his long, rough
hair, which falls upon his shoulders. He
was attired in black velvet suit, ancient in
design and picturesque in appearance; the
coat and vest being cut a la courtier. From
the vest was suspended the fob ribbon and
seal. Instead of trouser he wore breeches
gartered at the knee, silk stockings, low shoes
and buckles. plain white lace cravat of
rather large dimension, adorned his neck.
His appearance resembled much 'the fine
old English gentleman" of George III, and
French courtier of Louis the XVI, such as we
see represented upon our we'll mounted
| stages.
Mr.. Wilde advanced to the stand and said !:
In the lecture tonight wish to speak to you
OF the positive beauties of art and to tell you
what we have done and are doing for the
power OF design in the school of art in Eng
land, and the noble use we are max
ing OF art in the improvement of the hand-
craft of our country. believe that every city
yearly produces fair proportion of the artistic
element in its population, and that it is our
duty to search out that element and use it in
the creation of beautiful things that give pleas
ure to our eyes.
Few people will deny that they are doing
injury to themselves and their children by
living outside the beauty of lite which we call
art; by which we live nearer in accordance
with the manner in which nature intended that
we should live.
What is the meaning of this term, decora-
tive art! 1t means joy all around, IN which
the worker shares and it induces better work, |
because no worker can have a real Joy in that
which is fraudulent or bad, good art necessi-
tates good design and induces the better
workman. Mark the piece of work that is |
well done, and you can readily see that the |
workmen has not only worked with his hand. |
but with his head and heart. How can you |
get good art, unless you get good design? If |
you have common place design-you must
have commonplace work, and if yon have
work you must have common
place workmen. 1t seems to me that what
you want most here is not that higher order
OF imaginative art of the poet or the painter,
because that you can neither make nor mar,
but there is an art that you can make and mar,
and which can readily be used in creating
beautiful things for the household use.
There are difficulties standing in the way Of
your artistic development. You do not honor
art sufficiently, nor will you do so until you
IAN see that there is no nobler profess
ion for your son to leern than the
:reation of the beautiful. If art is
! luxury for the rich and idle it
hould be made beautiful for US and appear
n the Identification of our houses. You s
hink that you are great nation on the earth, {
tut cannot think you are really so. Why {
cal art is SO neglected among you no exper- {
ence IS more common in this country than ill t
'roportloned houses, wretched wall papers,
'adly worn carpets, chairs so badly made and a
ued together that they creak with the bare sit a
ing upon, and above all that monstrosity, the t
asst iron stove. If they would not decorate it I
Or us, we might tolerate it, but they insist up
n decorating it. They festoon the base, sur t
lount 1t with funeral urns and otherwise dis
CURE artistic design. There is q word now a
u
'hich OF all words is the most unuphonistic h
lat is "second hand' This means directly a
gu have used thing it necessarily decreases |
value. 1T thing is made we'll and equally v
ell designed its value should increase The ii
Iothic walls of our churches are in many Il
.ses no worse than when sculptured, and the b
Id furniture made for your settlers or brought t.
ON Europe is better to-day han on the day n
was sent from the hands of the artifcers. So n
ways will good work thrive, and so should r,
Ii this term second hand" is to be un- a
erstood as it now is, then have your handi- E
ats fallen indeed. "
1t you desire to see and TO have beautiful VI
Ings, you must gain the intelligence and no. N
llty OF our young men and impress them into p
e service of art. You must encourage and
Pport art in yous own city instead of send "
g to New York or to other places, paving 81
avlly for such things by the way of freight. 81
'u should weave your own carpets, design tn
ur own furniture, make your own
ttery, and other things from approved tn
signs instead of submitting to be charged re
avlly for good which do not suit you, and n.
UGH do not really represent your feeling and ar
cd taste. -.
II you would advance the handicrafts Won
lst FIRST place them in such surroundings as Gu
consistent with his calling. which will be wi
nductive to the beautiful especially in color; te
'eclally the workman who may see these on
ngs as ne goes to work in the morning and an
urns to his home at night. he inventive BIO
emit tor design is no idle fancy, but is the B,
ult OF observation and thought. Unless we w
see the beauty of color, and have oppor- an