Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-10
IN HAL A CEN U RY
American Art Will Have q Place of IT.
Own Second to None.
Mr.. Partridge on Patriotism and Art
Looking to Genius Proud Of
Its Native Land.

The lecture hall Of Columbian University
was filed yesterday afternoon with an au-
dience of men and women that represented
the best of Washington's culture and con-
tanned large element of artists, students
and others who are interested in art mat
tiers. They were present at the invitation
of the university to listen to an address on
the subject, 1.-The Patriotic Idea in Art" de-
livered by Mr.. William Ordway Partridge.
the brilliant American sculptor. They were
we'll repaid, for they heard one of the most
interesting and significant lectures deliver
ed in this city in many day.
Mr.. Partridge recently returned to this
city from Chicago, where he was present at
the unwilling of the Shakespeare statue, and
during the past few days 2 number of his
works have been on exhibition at the Cos
mos Club, where they have aroused great
deal OF enthusiasm and ADMIRATION. Partly
a compliment to him, but more largely
for the sake of what he would say, most of
the members of the Art Students League
were present at the lecture yesterday after
noon. Mr.. Partridge showed that he was
not only artist, as every one knows, but
a writer of more than usual merit, for his
paper was an allie and scholarly disserta-
ton on the subject in which he is greatly
interested.
For those who believe in the future of
American art and are of the opinion that
sooner or later it will develop on lines of its
own and be essentially national, the lecture
was a most comforting one He took a firm
ground in favor of American artists being
thoroughly American, and he depreca red the
idea of young students going abroad 10 pur-
sue their education before they have de-
veloped and matured in point OF character
and personality, lest they imoibe so much of
French or German ideas that they cease to
be Americans without becoming anything
else. He expressed the opinion that within
the next half century American art will
have taken place of its own and will be
second to none.
The speaker of the afternoon was intro
duced by President yelling of Columbian
University, who made a few general re-
marks on the characteristics of art. A
high nation will have high art, just as
low nation will have low art. Mr.. Part
ridge believed in the lifting and idealizing
power OF art, and so ii was that they would
all listen with more than usual interest.
Art and Ones Native Land.
Mr.. Partridge began his carefully written
address with an extract from Coleridge
which he spoke of as the artistic speaking
through the highest form of philosophy. As
to the special subject, patriotism in art, he
defined patriotism as the highest condition
of men of culture living in harmony with
their nation and institutions. He believed
that no man could ever become a truly
great artist in any but his own land
Young Americans go abroad and study say
IN Paris, and for few years they show a
freshness and an enthusiasm that delight
their masters, but before long their STYLE
deterlorates into pseudo-French style one
that Is neither French nor American
Having spoken thus briefly of the element
OF patriotism Mr. Partridge defined art it,
self. devoting himself more particularly to
the subject of sculpture, as the most en-
during. though. as he said, whatever was
nf oil ofh
lIestations of art If We are the heirs of I'll
the ages ii is right that we should occa-
sionally look upon our own possessions
The rise, highest development and deca-
dence of the art Of sculpture is contemnors-
neous with the same points in the history of
It's nation. An artist or true student IN
SHOWN the head or torso of a statue ought
10 be able to tell at once the period and
civilization Of the people among who,, ~
was made.
Realism
Turning back from the sculptor to the
work that he creates for U.s. MIR. Partridge
called the attention of his hearers to the
Iact that Its canons are as fixed and i'm
mutable as time itself. The great artist
must i've In obedience TO the most rigid
or all laws, but, too, he must be a phiIoso-
pher as well as poet. The rules by which
we are To judge the works of artists for all
time are very simple after all, but there is
no getting away from the tremendous
greatness OF sculpture. We know more of
she characters and lives Of the men whose
features have been left to us in the plastic
art than We 90 even of Shakespeare living
in his quiet home by the Avon Take the
busts of the Roman emperors as we see
them in the Capitoline Museum. We have
the life history CT each and every ons
written out as clear rs may be before our
very eyes In the successive busts of Nero.
Tor instance, we can trace out the develop
ment OF his character, or rather its decad-
ence. as clearly as If we had the man be-
fore u.s. And the worst of II all is that the
man in whom the change is going on does
leave reproduction of himself for other
ages to gaze upon. Every man is the
sculptor OF his own form and face
The Outlook in America.
Having treated his subject so generally
the speaker said that the time has come
when we should look upon our heritage and
say what We will do with It, 1t is time for
us to consider when We shall have a nation
al art that shall be worthy of the nation
In Greece the highest development was
reached within period OF fifty years Re-
Gently discovered specimens of the rudest
sort were executed within a half century
OF the time of Phidias. So IL is not too
much to believe that within three score
years there will be an American art that
Will be second to none. If any man wants
proof of this let him look at the worlds
fair at Chicago. The great leaders in art
will not come from the artifcially educated
and forced few, but from the people, for
among them is to be ever found power and
truth. What is needed here and now is
better teaching for the children, for up 70
now there has been too much training and
too little education.
Mr.. Partridge closed his lecture in elo-
quent terms with the Statement. that there
are many who enter the field of art who
really have no place there. Unless a man
feels the fire of genius within him and
KNOWS q a 70 he
harnoafes of life ard form as they are. they
might as well leave art alone. Who said
that America was lacking in the beautiful
or the picturesque must have failed to read
the history of his own land. The field was
inexhaustible. and needed but the artists
eye to seek out its treasures When artists
lose their country they lose their vigor Ex-
patriated art is essentially weak and effem-
mate; eJhe true artist does his work best
unGe7 hls own skies and from his native
suStttSF