Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-07-27
LACKING IN ART.
Spain Is Not Up to the Coun-
tries About Her.
HER EXHIBIT AT THE WORLDS FAIR

Exposition Her Showing Is Not Up TO
the NIark-More Attention Devoted to
Agricultural ID Than TO the Ap-
piled Arts.
WoRLD's FAIR, Jaly 27.- [special.
In one respect this is Spain's fair. 1t is
held in c-ommemoration of the discovery
Of America by one of the voyageurs sent
out by her royal rulers. One Of her prin-
cesses, Eulalia, has been a guest of honor
here. One of her dukes, descendant Of
Columbus himself, with his family, were
warmly received as guests OF nation, city
and fair. Spain might have done bet
Ter at the exposition, but she has done
well. Her government made q liberal APP
preparation to aid the manufacturers and
producers in their work Of giving a credit
able display OF Spanish arts and industries.
Spain erected here a national building.
True, it is not as fine o building as that
of h Germans, nor that of the French,
nor even that of the BraziIians. 1t con
tains no exhibits, but it is evertheIess i'm
pressiye, with It's vast cathedral interior,
its ecclesiastic paintings, its decorations
OF the period in which Columbus sailed on
his memorable voyage.
If Spain fails to make as interesting a
showing here as the other European ma
lions her failure need not be ascribed TO
lack of effort. The simple truth is, she
does not possess the arts and industries
which are capable OF producing q note
worthy and impressive exhibit. Spain is
very largely an agricultural country, and
in none of the arts does she excel. The
French to the north of her and the Ital-
@aas to the east appear to have absorbed
most of the artistic instinct of that part of
Europe, saving only the work of the Span
ish school OF painters. These painters,
though not great numerically, nor prolific,
have sent TO the exposition Art gallery
some of its most striking canvases. But
in the applied arts, in ceramics, carvings,
engraving, work in metal and wood, the
Spanish are notably inferior. In textiles
they strike a high note, and produce some
elegant plain silks and a great variety of
serviceable woolens, but they everywhere
lack In design. Their coloring IL faulty,
and the art of chemistry evidently has not
made much advancement with them In
the last century.
Spain on the whole Is rather d~isappoint-
ing. The best thing she has to show us,
aside from her paintings are wool and
cigars. two agricultural products; and for
the latter Of these she is indebted to her
progressive colony of Cuba, about the
only thing Spain has left I'm the western
world which the courage Of her navjgstors
lifted out Of obscurity and offered as q
great gift to civilization. The first thing
CT value Columbus encountered during his
voyage Of discovery was ''some leaves Of q
weed which the Indians smoked in a pipe.n
The admiral paid little heed to this native
Stseasure. He was hungry for gold, and
lost no time In steering his vessels for an
ISLAND In which the natives told him much
of this weed could be procured, and per-
'haps gold, and which Columbus thought
must be the Chipango Of which he had
read In the books of travels written by
Marco Polo. Yet these few dried leaves of
tobacco have poured more wealth into the
Jap OF Spain b all the gold which has
been mined In her western colonies.
\ Yet the Spanish section in the Manu-
R~actures building Is by no means dniI or
embarrassing. 1t II not respondent with
beauty, glittering with polish, like the
displays Of France, Italy, Germany, Aus
tns, Belgium, Denmark, Russia, but Il
aas characteristics and details worthy our
attention. Spain was unfortunate In her
assignment Of space in this building.
Though the foreign nation most directly |
concerned in the historical aspect Of the
columbian celebration, she was not given
y post Of honor. She was, instead, as
sdgned to space somewhat remote from the /
grand central avenue which runs through
she building. and this section, still more
unfortunately, In more or less buried under
she door Of b broad gallery. The erec-
Zion OF q facade wal impossible under the
circumstances, and the Spanish commits
fioners contented themselves with filing
The space beneath the gallery floor with
arches of Moorish type and coloring like
1he vaulted ceilings of the Alharnbra pal
Zee The effect Is Moorish to a high de-
gree, and by this simple means the Span
.sh give character to their section and call
%~ttention TO that ancient conquest of
heirs which perfected their empire far
more than Columbus discovery Of Amer
ca.
4 At what might be called the en-
france to this Spanish section are displayed
'hwo vases which attract much attention.
" uey ~ AuoWu a. vases renaissance. W
Ipne, some 6va feet high and of graceful
Proportions, IL valued at &c, ZOO. IL was
hade by q woman, Madame Felipa Gut
|hrola, Of Madrid. She was seven years at
Ter task The material Of the vase ia
punished steel, and on this are magnif-
sent gold incrustations. No other metals
y materials than steel and gold are used,
ND the effect is indescribably rich. A
mailer vase, which represents two years
4 Madame Guisarola's toll, Is valued at
10000. Az yet neither Of tho pieces hns
zen sold, and ] fear will not be. A pho
Of Madame Guisarola is shown
ear b vases, and q charming Spanish
5gnorita Is there to answer all questions.
I asked the Spanish commissioner what
las the most artistic thing his country
en- had to show here. For answer he led
. to . carved cabinet in which nearly all
be native woods Of Spain have been used.
}e pointed to it Wits evident pride, and
deed IL II = beautiful piece Of work, ap-
&rently worth the price set upon II, ai,2Oc.
&akit bears little comparison In artistic
Aiiie with the carvings Of the Italians and
zhsr Enropsans. Il Il cold and hard.
zcka aatah snd 0rs torch 1AA.oTa looks