Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-01
OSCAR WILDE.
His Lecture Last Night-what Ee
Had to Say.

His Lecture last Night-what Ee
Had to Say.
a very fae audience greeted Mr.. Oscar
Wilde, the poet and apostle of esaheticism. a.
the Congregational Church, last evening, on
the occasion of his lecture on art decoration
and the practical application of the esthetic
theory to everyday life and home ornamental
ton. Probably the audience was not so large
as the lecturer expected, but if it was limited
TO about 400 persons, it was eminently repre-.
sentative. While the audience waited some
twenty minutes, owing to the lecturer not
arriving in the city until 7:S0. Mrs. I. H.
Berkey entertained the audience with solos
on the grand organ. A basket of choice
flowers, with the compliments of the Brio. a.
Brac Club, was placed on the reading-3esk
by an usher shortly before Mr. Wilde made
his appearance through the side door opening
upon the rostrum. He was greeted by a very
complimentary round of applause. He
bowed with just the shadow Of a
bend to his spine, laid his white
kids on the desk, placed one foot upon
the platform of the desk, stood with the other
on the floor Of the rostrum, and began his
lecture. He was clad in a coat and vest of
udFh bEOHH NtlFSl, SIlSE bl6 CVufG styl-,
with elaboration of rufiiss at the throat aud
wrists. small clothes of like velvet, black
stockings, aud low patent leather pumps with
silver buckles. His jewelry was heavy fob,
single ring, and scarf solitaire diamond.
His features and form have already been de-
scribed in detail in the RECORD U MON.
He began to speak at $40 precisely, and
closed at 9:25 precisely. During all that
time he made no break in the How of his
speech. He spoke as the perfected phono
graph may be supposed to do when art shall
nave developed all its possibilities and a
steady and untiring hand is at the crank.
Mr.. Wilde's thought is exquisite, with con-
trasting dashes of the inconsequential, but
his manner and method Of delivery are insult
ferable. He could profit by six months drill
with a good master at elocution. What has
been criticised by some writers as an affectation
of speech in Mr.. WilGe-a drawl, pardon
less drawl-is nothing of the kind. 1t is
nasal enunciation which the elocutionist's art
can cure, and if Mr. Wilde wants to know of
a good teacher, and will stop in Sacramento
long enough, he can fud here several able to
accommodate him. In fact he speaks pure
English, and his delivery is distinct, but for
the unfortunate nasal obstruction. 1t is
here to be remarked that Mr.. Wilde, in con-
versation with one of Sacramento's distin-
gu shed orators, gentleman who has made
oratory study, said that he never made
speech until he came to America a few weeks
ago. That the art of defamation is
neglected one in England and though him.
self an Oxonian, he had not been taught
how to address an assembly Of people. MIR.
Wilde held his audience in close atteI-
ton. There was no applause, because
he permitted none there was the profoundest
quiet, because his words commanded that
respect. He had ideas to express. and he
found an audience respectful, receptive and
more than interested. Probably no one who
attended but went away satisfied that some
seeds for new reflection had been sowr, and
all went away impressed with much of the
truth this youog apostle of estheticism and
undoubted poetical genius uttered. One
thing must have struck all auditors-that
Mr.. Wilde's peculiar costume accorded ad-
mirably with his personal manner. He is
not graceful, and seems to have on the stage
no earthly use for his hands, except, occa-
sicnally, to support his coat-tails, But
one OF clear-cut English, bold, incislve. poet
ical, graceful and almost winning in the
beauty of his sentences and the delicacy of
bis periods. He said that in every great ns-
ton and every city there is produced certain
amount of art, and knowledge. and intellect,
and it is a duty to search it out and bring to
the front those who have the power to make
beautiful things. The beauty of life. which
We call art, is no mere accident /; it is
necessity Of life. unless we are will
ing to be something less than men.
Decorative art means the joy the handi-
craftsman has had in his work, and the
value he places on it. So beautiful decoration
comes to mean work well done-done with
head and with hand We must not be de-
ceived by the attempt to draw the fine line
of distinction between what is beautiful and
what is useful Utility is always on the side
Of the beautifully-decorated article and the
skill of the workman. There can be no great
or good work done where there is poor de-
signing. By having noble designs can we
alone get men and women of Intellect to work
for US. Americans are practical people in
all but the hsndicrafts. He found In Amer.
ica too many ill-built houses, RECONSTRUCTED
interiors, white and ugly walls, or else ugly p7-
per, and still more horrible carpets. The fur
,nitpre is too largely machine-made rosewood,
glued together, to crack and fall apart Our fires
are IN monstrous sovts. our rooms liz by cast
iron chandeliers bearing cast-iron statusttes.
We indulge in glariDg and ugly looking
glasses gilt horrors. with smirking nymphs
and careering cupid for ornaments. Every
thing in such houses indicates bad handicraft.
The very air is oft polluted by smoke and
cinders, Just where it should be kept pure
and invigorating. Secondhand" is fear
full compound word in America. Apparently
as soon here as we own thing a minute it
begins to depreciate. Beautiful and good
things should grow better and more
He here sketched some of the old
things of the old world as exemplifying
his statement. The word second. hano"
speaks loudly of the degradation into which
the handcrafts have fallen. By negleeting
artists as han6icraftsmen we have injured
both art and the handicrafts. We must re-
member that Greek potter taught the sculp-
tor the influence of design. de gave other
EXAMPLES of the relation of art and handi-
crafts. All fine art is decorative, and all
decorative art is fine art. We must seek out
t1e handlers ssmsn, and give him as far as is
possible right surroundings, for his worth is
found in his power to design, and that is the
result of observation and study. No work
man can be up to his best when not surrounded
by beautiful things. 1t is impossible to carry
the highest forms of beauty into work turned
out in the midst OF ugly things. Artists
create beauty as they require 1t, but handi.
craftsmen are dependent on the things by
which they ale surrounded.
Mr.. Wilde here drew beautiful picture
of an old italian scene OF architectural and
landscape beauty. where culture, intelligence
and beauty predominated. That was the
constant school Of design the artisan OF that
dsy was in, aud that was before him as he
went to and fro. Our med6ra cities present
no such views to our workmen il America,
and few in Euglsnd. Our streets ars dirty.
cur views dull and rough, our costumes
somber. Without beautiful nationa. life,
eli the arts must die No one wants return
70 the decorations of the thirteenth century
Let us surround ourselves Nith art based on
the nineteenth century and suited to life in
it. He then paid tribute to machinery, as
i
ornanentation he looked upon as an abomina-