New-York tribune., 1884-01-14
GROWN DERBY.
OPINIONS ON PORCELAIN BY THE PRIME
MINISTER.

incident reminds every body that Mr. Gladstone has
long had ccrta repute a connoisseur OF pOrce-
lain and that he once had collection both OF por-
celain and pottery. The collection he sofa. Inc
reputation, in part at least went with1, Inc aha-
tours and dealers who crowded Christies rooms
where the great mans treasures were lald OUT lor
exhibition found them of very moderate interest
and value. When they came to the hammer they
fetched very moderate prices. The low hgueS tnen
reached do not quite convict MIR. Gladstone OF IN
competence IN the matterof porcelain. Heprobably
bought what interested him and what he could
afford to buy with little reference to selling again,
and therefore taking no account of fashion. lie
has never been in position to compete with the
millionaires whose nobility, as Alexandra Dumas,
the Younger once remarked, begins when they form
q collection now the parchment of the parvenu
Nor perhaps. ought Mr. Gladstones critical faculty
N china TO be measured by what he told the work
ingmen of Derby about their GIFT Ciyillty and not
criticism is what would be uppermost In his mind'
If what he said is to be judged on its merits
either Mr. Gladstone's taste must be thought
excessively generous, or the manufacture OF
Crown Derby has advanced over night
with gourd-like growth. "With respect to the
splendid tribute You have offered me-" says the
Prime Minister ga very short investigation has
shown me that it is worthy of the best periods of
the remarkable manufacture which now forms the
staple industry of your city," 1t Is impossible for
one who has not them to say that the
twenty-sx pieces Of Crown Derby then before ms
ewes do not deserve the enthusiastic cuogy OF their
present possessor. The most that we can Affirm Is
that they are. in that case, among all modern
Derby, unique. The Crown Derby OF the last
century had a fame even while the factory was
in operation. Dr. johnson complained that he was
asked to pay for the few trfes he wanted to give
Mrs Thrale their weight in silver OF
late wears. genuine old Crown Derby has
sometimes been Sold should imagine, for rather
more than It's weight in grecnbacks. 1t is beautiful
ware but 10 set it beside fine Oriental is to expose
it to too severe an ordeal. The sohdty and Drill
iancy of the gliding; the tone and depth of the dark
blue borders and grounds which distinguish IL
are its most admirable qualities. Jacquemart says
that the coorcd figures of Derby are less perfect
than those of Chelsea, but praises the groups In
White biscuit as comparable in beauty and elegance
to those of SevTes.
But Mr.. Gladstone goes further 1t is not only this
particular service which eXcites his admiration 1t
il English artpotery in general the artpottery of
the present dav His admiration leads him to de-
clare that England at the present moment stands
at the head of the porcelain producing countries OF
the world" Mr.. Gladstone mOdestly hopes it IS not
too egregOus an instance of National arrogance or
vanity if he ventures to say So Certainly not
Nobody will be so hard emotions of patriotism OF
of gratitude TO call them by any such ugly names.
But art is not necessarily English because it hap
pens to be produced in England This very
specimen the best example of, perhaps, the best
mandatory i'll England, owes its art merit to
foreigner The plates and dishes appear to be
chiefly remarkable for the sketches of Derbyshlre
scenery which ill the centre OfeaCh piece They are
wrought, says the chrOniclcr of the ceremony with
exquisite skill and constitute in themselves
gallery of Derbyshire which are full of life,
character, and color. The artist who painted this
is Count Holzendorff. Sir William Harcourt, who
made speech on introducing the delegation OF
donors disclosed, rather navely, the secret. "We
all know" said the Home Secretary present as
Member for Derby, that the porcelain manu-
facture Of Europe came from SaxOny, and it is
interesting that the hand which has painted these
beautiful landscapes is that of skilful gentleman
distinguished in arms in the FTanco-German
war, who has devoted himself TO art"
Ii will not soften the shock to French pride to be
told at this English Crown Derby which beats
even S6vres, owes much of its beauty to the
hated German. IL we leave the German out Of the
question, and his handiwork in this particular
case, 1t may strange that English porcelain
should in fact be superior to S6vrcs--so strange
that one has to ask whether it is, in fact can
be, superior. Mr.. Gladstone explains that he is
not referring merely to the fabric. He is not cOnsid
ering pOrcelain-makng merely or mainly n branch
of skilled industry. The Crown Derby and other
English porccains are TO him branches of art, i'll
which the principles of fine art are applied to in
dustria purposes. The definition is not very
perfect one, but it is doubtful whether Mr.. Glad
tones proposition is, in any shape, defensbe. 1t
is hard than quarter of century since the
principles of design in art and the application of
art in the true sense to industrial fabrics began to
l.. III. -. r,p1l In
strange thing to say that even they are uni
versally studied and applied. There are schools |
and great deal has been done, but it would be a
very remarkable thing if England should have |
raised herself in a single generation TO the level of
France, whose schools have been in existence, not
for generations only but for centuries. The nation
al aptitude of the French for art is to say the least
as Great as that of the English. If modern doc |
trnes of heredity worth anything, the accu-
muated influence of successive generations edu- |
Gated in art ought to be more potent and more |
prolific in art-Tesults than the efforts of single
generation beginning all at once in field of !
art culture.
OF English and French art in the finer sense art
for arts sake, and in the form of painted pictures
similar thing must be said. l suppose no critic no
expert, hardly any amateur who knows the alpha
be ofhs subject would venture to say that painting
is as well understood in England in France. The
standard here is lower, far lower than in France.
There is no comparison to bG made between the
technical excellence of English and French paint
ngs which would not establish the superiority of
the French. 1t is needless to insist this to an
American public which buys fifty French pictures
to one English, and which sends most of its promls-
ing art-pupils to Paris and not to London. l will
only ask whether this being so, it is prob
able that i'll branch of applied art which
IS one of the most difficult Of all the nation ad
nittedly inferior in general art should have out
stripped its ancient, better taught and naturally
more gifted rival.