The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-10-13
WIN Women Shonld Stndy Art.

In these days when women have
taken all knowledge for their prov
ince 1t hardly seems necessary to de-
fine the reasons why they should give
their attention to any special sub.
ject. Yet in the face OF the great arl
study wave which is sweeping over
the country, It cannot be wholly
amiss to consider the good IL may
hold for us.
Then, passing by the more potent
returns to he gained from faithful eff
forts in this direction, the distinctive
mental development that comes with
the understanding of the various re.
lations OF art, and the knowledge of
the great masters, there is line of
deeper reward which alone supplies a
very sufficient incentive. And that
line Is the cultivation of good taste.
One sees the need of this rare quality
everywhere. Go into any company
of ordinary well-to.dO women, and
though they be very bright aud good
and well informed in many ways, the
preposterous hats and foolish. dresses
they wear, give ample proof that
they are not sufficiently alive TO the
laws Of beauty TO free themselves
from the vagaries and inhormonies of
current fashion. The homes of these
people reflect, too often a kindred ig-
norance, and when we touch the low
er scales of life this disregard OF gen
uine loveliness grows more and more
apparent.
Now the love of beauty is as natural
to woman as the love of little chill
dren. show her how to use 1t and 1t
will repay her many hundred told.
Let it lie dormant and nothing else
can ever so properly enrich her. The
principles of art will teach her what
may be done with her heavenly gift
in just the sphere where she may
chance to be. She will learn through
the laws Of form and color, of proper.
ton and perspective, not only to APP
preciate such works Of art as she may
happen to see, but to apply these
fundamental ideas to the things about
her She will know when these ex-
ternal elements of her life are right,
not alone because of her moral percep-
ton, but BECAUSE of her artistic in
sight, and loving this double harmony
more aud more she will endeavOr
and tn d rim nj
roundings up to the highest standard.
But someone may object that good
taste is gift and not to be acquired by
any sort of study. And IL is readily
granted that the instructive employ
ment of the elements of beauty Ia much
more spontaneous In some nations
than in others. The trouble Ia that
many women are not willing to use
what endowment they may possess.
They commonly remark, ~ haven't q
bit of TASTE" and leave the work of
selection and creation to other minds |
and hands with constant losses to |
character and influence as well az to
personal appearances ard belongings |
Let woman once realize that beauty |
is a giver of delight and let her earn.
estly study the mastery expression of
this source of power and she cannot |
help but grow in the grace and glad
n ess of its endless revelations.
And when this work 10 only right
ly begun it is a most practical thing, |
Good taste quietly but irrevocably |
rejects everything which is found |
wanting ia its delicate balance, aud |
it accepts with an abiding joy every /
thing that meets its wise conditions. |
Best of all, its quality il repeatedly |
multiplied and can only be measui cd |
by the factor of human contact, and |
because OF its necessity for expression |
II meTges into that personal skill |
which il also the more practical AS IL
Is more artistic.
Art is, PRIMARILY, simply skill, or
dexteritY, and the fine arts have
been separated from the useful or IN
dustrlal arts because the one class
gives pleasure while the other sup
piles necessities. The distinction is in
one eeuk q OH ~ llubuot W bhNohiohNVi
our pleasures and our necessities. are
so closely allied. The dextrous arti.
san must he an artist in his attitude,
and the master-artist must always be
q palns-taking artisan.
So the study OF art by bringing the
soul into spiritual contact with the
great creations infuses our crude work |
with something of their dignity. |
MANY women who are eager to learn |
something of this marvellous world !
that seems to lie so far above them |
have only common, humdrum tasks
in which to body forth again all that
1t has to teach them. But the high
est glory of the master is that his
message il not confined to his own |
kind, but reaches into any place that
is ready toreceive 1t, Whoever makes
the humblest objec for human uses
has certain degrees Of creative power,
and this capacity, like the love of
teu In nj 10