The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-04
HIGH ART DETHRoNED.
The Louisville Chief Of Police Orders an Art
Store to Remove so-CalIed Lascivious

The louisville Chief Of Police Orders an Art
Store to Remove a so-Called Lasciyious
Engraving.
Louisville Commercial.
Chief of Police Taylor has declared war against
all immoral and lascivious steel engrayings
French cuts, chromos and photographs, such as
are exposed to the public gaze in the various art
stores OF the city, the great chief declares must
go. Last Wednesday an order from Chief Tay
Tor was delivered to III. A. Elderkin e. Co.. $40
West Market street, asking the removal of a
steel engraving entitled 1.-The Double Star, "
from the show window, and stating that if not
removed at once criminal prosecution would be
instituted The picture was Immediately re-
moved. The picture tabooed by the chief rep
resents two nude females bearing aloft double
star.
To people accustomed to the display of the
nude In art the action of the chief was a sur
prise. Mr. Ederkin stated to a reporter for the
commercial that the picture noted by the au-
thorities was one Of the finest specimens of the
engfaYers art. In the East he saws scarcely a
parior fitted with refined taste is without the
nude figure of some high-art engraver He de-
clared further that Gen. Taylor had made this
order to his establishment alone and had not
approached any other art stores in the city.
The Messrs. Elderkin state that if the order is
enforced the art stores Of the city will see that it
Is carried out by the Exposition managers.
mayor Jacob was seen by the reporter He
stated that he had heard nothing of the order,
but he was certain that Gen. Taylor was in the
right In the matter, as he had seen the picture
IN one OF the Fourth-avenue stores, and was
struck with its lascivious character. In Europe
such things are common for the people are edu-
Gated up to them; but in this country the masses
90 not look upon such pictures in the same art
lstic light. They see in them only what is inn
pure, and it is better for the community that
such things be suppressed.
how can you suppress such things2 Will
YOU order the r0Nl0Val of all nic
the walls OF the rich and the educatedT asked
the reporter.
mo. There is the pure in art and then the
impure. A section of the common law prohibits
under penalty the exposure of immoral pic
lures, and if the picture referred to is immoral
the chiefs action in the matter is correct
A reporter for the Commercial approached a
well known art critic for his opinion of the
morality Of the motive of the picture, 1.-THE
THE picture, said he SIS one of the purest
OF the class which portrays the nude it is posi-
lively rigid in its purity and freedom from any
suggestion of lasciviousness. The very idea il
Illustrated by the work which the title so admira-
blys conveys, the two stars, womans chastity
and Gods sky-lamp precludes the possibility of
the behoiders experiencing one impure thought.
The modesty Of attitude, the virginia. features,
all NIL the gazer with generation of virtue, no
less than admiration for the artists skill
1t is a great mistake to consider nudity in
art lmmodest, where one can recognize the ideal
ization of an idea in the curves of the form
divine Take, for instance, Rogers's statue of
california, where the sculpture embodies his
idea of the Golden State in the figure Of young
girl, nude, but so innocent in her nakedness, so
exquisitely graceful, that we recognize only the
masters creative genius. Who would wish the
removal of its pedestalT
AN IRoNIcAL CITIZEN
The following communication from a we'll
known and responsible artist was sent to the
Commercial last night:
Recognizing the zeal of eminent chief Of police
General Taylor in enforcing the law-be having or
dered fine steel engraving the Double Star out Of
the showwndow Of art store CHASING it with the
Police Gazette indecent although two Fourth-aye-
nue. art stores still displaying It'll take the liberty
to call his attention to the shameless in which
the Goddess of Liberty on the United States mail
wagons displays her limbs to the public As there is
great danger of the public morals being corrupted
thereby, hope he win order every wagon of that
service to be withdrawn from the streets of Louis
vile until the Goddess learns TO dress properly Also
let him watch the art gallery of the next exposition.
"A CITIZEN OF LOUISVILLE.