The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-29
ART AND INDUSTRY.
AN ADDRESS DELIVERED TO WORK.
MEN BY Mr.. GLADSTONE.


rho Distinction Between Fine Art and |
Utility-Every Industrial Art, However,
May PartalSo of tho 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 %orkmen'se x- |
hibition and delivered long speech on art
and industry, in the course of which he
said;
When we speak of fine art, we speak
of what is ASSOCIATED from di-
rect and inm, late utility. do not mecn
that painting, sculpture, music for exam
pie, have not utility belonging to them
But it is utility standing in IA different re-
lation to the work Of art from that utility
which characterizes the objects which nre
exhibited in this building. But let me i'm
press this. think it Is Il prihcipleof broad
application and great Importance. Every
industrial art almost without exception, if
not altogether, can be brought to partake
of the character of n fine art Now, this is
a principle of vast consequence and one
which requires to be incu Gated, because
when you labor upon objects which have
palpable, direct and obviousutility the Gle
ment of beauty which ought to attach to
all productions i'll general ID 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 inits industrial productions. 1t
would be very invidious office to under
take. But undoubtedly there are countries
which arc less distinguished for uniting
beauty with convenience than other coun-
tries, both present and in former times.
But who ere the great feathers in this re.
spect? II you want to define them, you
must 20 hack II long way. You may learn
much from modern countries, YOU may
learn much from the Countries in the west.
eTn Mediterranean of The plriol of the later
middle age.
If you want to go to the fountain head,
you must 20 to that small peninsula which
was inhabited by the Greeks. You must
go to n small part Of that PENINSULA to the
small city of Athens. 1t is from her artists
that in the year 1893 and in the coming
years You will have to learn ali the most
profound, all the most important lessons
which are to be- learned Ny those who dc.
sire 10 elevate industry into the regions OF
art by uniting together beauty and conveu-
fence 1t may seem to he b strange thing,
an obsolete idea. But ifyoll choose to leave
it obsolete and forgotten, l SEQ nothing else
for it.
But what mean Is that for those who
desire to see useful things made beautiful
the means OF revving that old discipline
are still at haad and if you want to see
what it did in former times you have moth
ins to do but to go into inFtitutious or c,i-
hibitions containing utenRils which have
been recovered perhaps from the bowels of
the earth. Then, not accidentally, not iu
| particular cuSes, but ns II general rule, ia
order to make a thing USEFUL the Greeks
never found it necessary tb make il ugly
To Il great extent in modern times we sup
! pose ourselves to he reryfree from super
stition and often On occasions when we are
not lit more free from superstition than
| those who have gone befpre rs We should
| find that We have only changed the form
of it,
! But there ARE many who believe that in
the case of industrial predictions It is a loss
Of line and plans to think about giving to
| thrmn character " beauty. 1t is this false.
hood which VIC ought if We can to tear up
| by the roots, Let us reply to those who tell
us 50 that, on the contrary, the whole his
! tory OF Crock art is II ADMINISTRATION Of the
| truth Of that important abb essential prin.
oiple. Now what is very curious is this
that in Greece the effect Or ut all events q
contemporary phenomenon of that sacred
wcdding-if may 50 call it-bttween in.
dustry aud beauty is that the idea is more
fruitful aud more abundant than in any
| other country in tic world.
\ most remarkable inatance Of this has
| occurred quite recently In The streets oil