The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-05
FINE ART AT THE FAIR.
THE GREATEST WONDERS AT THE
COLUMBIAN CITY or WONDERS.
II Has Made the Most Prosaic spot
on Earth n Fairy-Queen OF Giles
Another Article from Miss Newton.
article Iv)

Undoubtedly, the greatest wonder Of
that Columbian city Of wonders is the
results. there TO be seen, Of the combina-
| ton OF the Oldest thing and the newest
thing in the civilized world-Art and Elec-
| tricity.
] 1t is this beautiful Wedding OF the chlsi
factors Of ancient and modern civilization
that has created IN us most blaze Oh
ages, on this most prosaIc spot Of earth'
a fairy queen Of cities. 1t is this combin-
alton that has opened the eyes OF men
and women brought up on the beauties
of Art, but who never before conceived
of the possibilities Of Electricity ana ol
others familiar ith the VOL defiul eHecls
to be gained by tanning the ilshlnlnB' Dut
who knew little Of Art, to glory not
dreamed of before, and has set hundreds
of thousands vino never gave a moment
thought to anything less unitarian man
the grinding OF flour, or the weaving OF
cloth, to rhapsOdiZing over what appeals 70
the eve ana the intellect alone.
Whatever else the Columbian eNpOsl-
ton may be, whatever other interests IL
may have, or lessons 1t may teacn' IL IS
first and foremost, a Worlds Academy
OF Fine Arts. From the moment you
enter the gates Of that magic city until
they have closed behind you for the last
time, art is present with you. You may
not feel enough interest in her 10 UNDER
20 the bodily WEAKNESS OF a tour through
her own especial palace where she holds
perpetual cOurt-a palace whose chaste
doorNays sculptured white lions guard
(as did their prototype "faire UnaD and
the high roofs OF whose porticoes rest now
upon the capitSls OF airy columns, now
upon the heads OF snOW-white nymphs
that remind one Of the garden In the old
rhyme, ablOOm with pretty maids all
in a row"-but even though you DO not
enter there you cannot hide from her,
or escape doing her homage.
She is queen here, and she knows II,
and demands the recognition or her
sceptre. You cannot sit down to rest but
she beckons TO you in the form Of groups
of statuary that adorn the grounds and
buildings, and in the classic outline Oh the
buildings themselves.
You cannot turn your head TO right or
left in any of the great temples dedicated
10 science, commerce, agriculture, or IN
vention, or which house the treasures OF
the different foreign nations, but an arch'
a column, a painting, a statue, stored
window, or d frieze win proclaim, as
herald, the reign Of Art, and before you
know it, however stubborn you may be-
you are saying in your heart, Long 1--we
the Queen!
A Revelation.
What revelation it all Is! HOW
many people have gone to Chicago this
summer who never before saw picture
or a statue! BY picture l do not mean
a chrome, or a Wood-engraYlng Uhoush
this last has been brought 10 remarkable
degree Of perfection) but real picture
whose every stroke-of-tne-brush mas
meaning. and was put there by the living,
master hand OF some one We nave hedru
Of but whose name in our ears bounds as
faraway ana unreal as an echo from
distant mountain peak. We may con
over the names of these masters ana
the titles OF the great pictures that they
have made until We feel that We can
talk quite learnedly Of Ealnurg, but we
have really just arrived at that stage IN
art study which corresponds 70 thdt vi
a child who bcests that he can say his
alphabet with his eyes shut, but VINO
cannot Join any two letters together anu
make a Word IL Is only after seeing the
works themselves, that these names 'hat
trip SO glibly of the tCi que oesih 10
grow real TO us, and 60 stand Tor some
tnluB lnal is MtLQtflu anu btaN-hui'
Even then we begin to realize that We
are only in the horn-book OF art but the
horn-book itself is a marvellous reveal
ton to a wholly untutored mindl How
great is the delight Of child who having
struggled over A. b G until he KNOWS
each letter by itself, but without any con-
nection one with the other, begins 10 put
the perplexing symbols together, and
to find that thus, in conjunction, they
stand for something that he loves-that
Cow, which he has learned to pick OUT
from the bewildment Of words as yet
enieuas 10 him. means the gentle, brow
sing creature tinkling her pretty bell
by the rivers brink; or dog Is the
affecdonate merry. playfellow' barking al
his sidel
Even so. after learning the lessons set
for us nv the great art galleries, the
names OF the masters begin to have real
and definite meaning for US.
et-Corot--Millais-The name OF the