Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-13
TAE DRONING
Oscar Wilde's Sunday Afternoon
EFOFI at Ihe Grand Opera
house.
Cincinnati Commercial, IL.

Oscar Wilde lectured yesterday at
ternoon at the Grand Operahouse, to
an audience not zeal as large as that
which greeted him on his first appear
ance in Cincinnati.
As the lecturer belongs to the clique
in London, which has paid particular
attention to household decorative art,
it was thought by some hat his lee
ture would contain some definite di.
rections, some clear, concise rules for
a basis Of forming a household art in
America. Such persons were disap
pointed, because the most startling
portions of his lecture were his @s-
thetic costume Of black velvet, and his
efforts to make a graceful curve out of
the angle cf his left elbow. He was
certainly not the picture of artistic
repose, tor he fumbled his watchchain
aud crumplcd his glove like any un-
regenerate mortal, from an aesthetic
standpoint, then, however good the
eye OF the Englisbman may be for APP
preciating color, his car can scarcely
be tuned to the harmony OF sweet
sounds" or he would cultivate a bet
ter delivery; his voice socn becomes as
monotonous as the STUNNING ola boy
on a three.stringed jews harp.
Generalities, huently ii not always
gracefully expressed, a frequent pat.
ronizing instruction as to what I'VE in
Europe" would like to find in Amer.
ca, a constant saying something in-
definite about the handcrsftsman, a
restatement Of all the undisputed
influences Of art ald its preservation
of the history OF a people, comprised
everything one could carry away from
the lecture,
To be sure, he did become definite
enough to say a word or two about
unsightly stoves and black horse hair
furniture, and told hat there were in
England rooms furnished on what
| Whistler calls "a scheme of color"
and urged the scheme of color on
those anxious for artistic homes,
He claimed our houses wsro Ill
planned, rooms i'll prnpOrtioHed, and
spoke as though no one had ever
| thought about making homes attrac-
tive Ia appearance from without and
beautiful and harmonious within. He
gave his attention only to unregener-
ate America, aud let not any one
imagine that he supposed theps was
even the faintest beginning Of better
things.
HG geierred again TO what the
sculptor could find in the way of ma
terial by catching certain pose Of
workmen, and repeated his hope that
labor should be made artistic as we'll
as honorable. lie referred 20 tn
school of wood caryias IN Clloi..inati
and spoke 80 though all tie work he
had Seen at the School of Design had
been done by men; in telling what he
would have taught in schools, and the
benefits Of a werkshOp iu every school.
1t was always for the boys that be
spoes. In fact, be ignored women
altogether, save in the matter Of dress
be urged looking on fine old pictures
and dressing tftcT the fashion of GER
tain periods; loug flowing sleeves, OF
those standing out at the top in en-.
larged, balloon-like dimensions, that
would give dignity to the feminine
form divine, were among the hints hC
gave for the aesthetic dress Of women
He gave a few words Of commentator
to Grecian drapery aud embroidery
and made s%corching comments about
artificial aoweFs.
1t was thought when he talked OIL
the dress Of men he would especially
! recommend a costume for the handi
: craftsman, but although having haC
, tho advantage of seeing the sensible
: clean costume Of the French work.
F.. man, and recently the working CARL
= of the California Chinaman, h,
: thought that part Of the subject o
dress not Woythy OF notice the dres
he was thinking about vas for tn,
= gentlemen Of leisure, OF course, a
were tho costumes he recommended
for women, those 6t for sitting il
= palanquins or aesthetic high chairs.
. AS to his repetitions, that in clean
bright rooms, with views Of beautiful
landscapes to be seen from windows
with the varied %oOloring that Datur
teaehos the artist, better artists pr
educated, really, he was saying wha
o has been repeated so many, man
q times that it is wonderful that h
could consent to say what everybod
. who has ever heard Of art or cultur
,. could rattle off at any time.
A 10 telling any American audieno