The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-28

art now extant are nudes. Ever since
the days of Phidias workers in marble
and oil have aimed at that most diff
ficult of artistic goals-the portrayal
of the human form divine without the
adornment OF clothing or drapery.
Grant that some artists have aimed
at sensational effects and have pro-
duced nude works, immoral and often
sive in conception and execution. The
great majority, however, have simply
sought to represent nature as nature
is, to present beauty unadorned. No
one contends that it is improper to
portray an animal as nature made him;
is there anything inherently wrong in
so depicting a human animal, either
man or woman?
The advocates and admirers of the
nude in art contend that those who
raise an cutlery against works of the
kind are either pharasaic or are blind
to the true meaning and significance
of art ''IIoni sol qui NAL pense''
they reply to those who insist that
nude works are at once suggestive and
demoralizing in their effect upon the
beholder. The critics of the nude
school, on the other hand, maintain
that works of the French order, as
they have come to be popularity known
cannot be properly exhibited in the
presence of a mixed company. Who
shall be the Judges between them?
Who better qualified than the artists
themselves, the men who are masters
of the theory as well as the practice of
art?
Below are brief expressions Of opin-
ion on the subject from some of the
best known American artists. men
whose expert opinions on matters Of
art have all the weight of judicial de-
cisions. All of them are Americans to
the core; all are men of national repu-
tation and mature judgment. Surely
their opinion may be accepted as the
expert deliverance Of an expert Amer
lean art jury on this all important ques-
ton of American art.
THOMAS W. WOOD, n. A., PRESIDENT MA
TIoNAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN.
What is the moral effect of the nude
in art? If the work is pure in concep-
ton and we'll done the effect is certain
~ good. Itall depends upon the artist.
There is nothing in this world so beau
tiful as a beautiful woman, and, there
fore. no work of art can be so beauti-
frl as the portrayal of a beautiful fe-
male form if properly executed Some
artists, however. have not clean minds,
and the nude work of such man
would certainly be demoralizing The
artists character comes out in the
brush marks. If the artist is a man of
refined mind. his work will be refined.
If he is a man of impure mind. his
work will be impure The most I'M
proper and suggestive picture without
exception that l have ever seen repre-
sented woman fully clothed, leaning
back in chair and smoking a cigar
cite. The fact that the figure was
clothed did not detract in the
least from the impurity OF thu picture.
On the other hand. some nudes
are pure and elevatinr in senti-
ment. When the conception is pure
the nudity of the figure in no way de-
tracts from the purity of the work.
The painting OF the nude figure is the
very best practice for the artist. The
man who can paint perfect nude can
readily clothe it and present a perfect
figure. The younger artists are paint
ing more nudes than their elders.
Why? Because to attract attention
n nowadays in the face of the vigorous
competition q young, or unknown,
artist must produce something strih-
ing, At the salon. for instance, a pic
ture to attract attention in the midst
of two thousand or more pictures, il
painted by an unknown man, must be
very good or very bad Consequently.
many OF the younger exhibitors 81 the
salon put in paintings which are cal
culated to attract attention through
their holiness of conception or treat
ment Inc nude In art Is not SO recent
an importation III America as most peo-
pie imagine. Page, who was at
one time president of the National
academy. painted nude Venus and
several other large nudes fifty years
ago and engravings of Nanderlyns
nude Ariadne were made IN this couo-
try fully seventy-fye years ago. /
think the American people are gradu-
ally coming 10 look on the subject
more squarely. OF course. we IN the
large cities arc more familiar with The
nude in art than are the country peo-
ole and the rasidants of tie smaller