The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-10-24
ART AND INDUSTRY.
AN ADDRESS DELIVERED TO WORK.
MEN BY Mr.. GLADSTONE.
The Distinction Between Fine Art and
Utility-Every Industrial Art, However,
May Partake of the Character of Fine
Art-Lessons From Greece.

The Distinction Between Fine Art and
Utility-Every Industrial Art, However,
May Partake of the Character of a Fine
Art-Lessons From Greece.
Mr.. Gladstone was present at the Agricul-
tural hall in Islington to distribute the
prizes gained at the national workmen's ex-
hibition and delivered long speech on art
and industry, in the course of which he
said:
When we speak of fine art, we speak
principally of what is ASSOCIATED from di-
rect and imm late utility do not mean
that painting, sculpture, music, for exam
pie, have not utility belonging to them.
But it is utility standing in different re-
lation to the work of art from that utility
which characterizes the objects which are
exhibited in this building. But let me inn
press this. think it is a principles broad
application and great Importance Every
industrial art, almost without exception, if
not altogether, can be brought to partake
of the character of fine art. Now, this is
principle of vast consequence and one
which requires to be inculcated, because
when you labor upon objects which have
palpable, direct and obvious utility the ele-
ment of beauty which ought to attach to
all productions in general is apt to be I'M
dervalued and placed altogether out of
view.
should not like to mention any country
in the world which has been distinguished
by ugliness in its industrial productions. 1t
would be a very invidious Office to under
take. But undoubtedly there are countries
which are less distinguished for uniting
beauty with convenience than other conn
tries, both present and in former times.
But who are the great teachers in this re-
spects If you want to define them, you
must go back long way You may learn
much from modern countries; you may
learn much from the countries in the west
ern Mediterranean of the period of thelater
middle age.
If you want to go to the fountain head,
you must go to that small peninsula which
was inhabited by the Greeks. You must
go to small part of that peninsula-to the
small city of Athens 1t is from her artists
that in the year 1898 and in the coming
years you will have to learn all the most
profound, all the most important lessons
which are TO be learned by those who de
sire to elevate industry into the regions of
art by uniting together beauty and conven-
fence 1t may seem to be a strange thing,
an obsolete idea. Butifyou choose to leave
it obsolete and forgotten, see nothing else
for it,
But what mean is that for those who
desire to see useful things made beautiful
the means of reviving that old discipline
are still at hand, and if you want to see
what it did in former times you have moth
ing TO do but to go into institutions or ex-
hibitions containing utensils which have
been recovered perhaps from the bowels of
the EARTH Then, not accidentally, not in
particular cases, but as n general rule, in
order to make thing useful the Greeks
never found it necessary to make it ugly.
To Il great extent in modern times we sup
pose ourselves to be very free from super
stition, and often ON occasions when weare
not bit more free from superstition than
those who have gone before us we should
find that we have only changed the form
of it,
But there are many who believe that in
the case of industrial productions tits a loss
of time and plans to think about giving to
them character of beauty 1t is this false
hood which we ought If we can to tear up
by the roots. Let us reply to those whot tell
us so that, on the contrary, the whole his
tory of Greek art is a demonstration of the
truth of that important and essential prin-
oiple. Now what is very curious is this
that in Greece the effect or at all events a
contemporary phenomenon of that sacred
wedding-if may so call it-between in
dustry and beauty is that the idea is more
fruitful and more abundant than in any
other country in the world
most remarkable instance of this has
occurred quite recently. In the streets of |
Athens there were sold by some casual /
street boys figures about 10 inches or "A foot |
in height of the human frame made of I
burned clay, which attracted the attention
of some men of practiced eye, who recog- |
nized that they We're of exquisite beauty. /
They began to purchase them. More fig /
ures appeared, more buyers appeared, and /
at last the collectors in France in England /
and in other places began to be anxious to /
range these figures among their art objects /
The figures We're found in the tombs of /
Tanagra, second rate city in a second rate
province of Greece, in Bmotia, which was
known as the most stupid, would rather
say the least clever and distinguished, Of
all the provinces of Greece Think what
must have been the abundance of the sense
Of beauty and the power of producing
beauty in visible form among a people
which could afford TO throw into the tombs
Of second rate people of a second rate eitv