The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-19

Dr c,aorsa Eriehn to the members OF
the Chicago Art Association in lee
+,,ra which he delivered at the Art In
stitute last Saturday afternoon. Fine
public buildings, handsome statuary IN
the streets. fountains and monuments
would draw to the city such steady
streams of sightseers as would give the
business interests of the city perma-
nently the advantages they derive tenn
porarily from festivals and expos1-
lions" he continued. To-day Venice
is supported in the main by the mighty
shell an immense trade from those
whom it's beauty attracts. Not only
would a beautiful city bring visitors,
but it would induce many of those Wis
itors to remain permanently"
The Municipal Art Society of Balti-
more, believing that the new Court
house now rapidly approaching COM
pletion in that city has few equals IN
this country, have voted to propose TO
the Courthouse Commission to provide
"a decoration to cost $4,000 for a wall
space in the Courthouse, selected by the
society, provided the City Council Will
appropriate to the uses of the Court
house Commission the sum of SIO,OOo
for the like decoration of two other
spaces. A public meeting is to be held
on December 18th to arouse interest in
art among the people
Jean F. Rafaelli, one of the foreign
members of the international art jury
which awarded the prizes for the an
nual exhibition at the Carnegie Instl-
tute, is to paint at least two pictures
representing Pittsburg scenery for ex-
hibition in Paris. One will show the
landscape seen from some of the hill
tops, including the winding course OF
the Monongahela. Another painting
will illustrate industrial scenes in the
Homestead Iron Works.
Literary Digest: The actual accom-
plishment of a great artistic concep-
ton, in the arch recently erected in
honor of Admiral Dewey and the Amer
lean navy, is probably more significant,
both as an evidence of a vast present
advance of artistic taste and as an
augury of the future, than has been
generally realized. J. @. A. Ward,
President of the American Sculpture
Society, and the chief originator of the
arch, believes that we are at last be-
ginning to evolved truly national school
of painters, sculptorS and architects,
and that the American people are show
ing themselves to be naturally more ar
tistic than any other branch of the Ger
manic race. He says in '.Ainslee's Mag
azine'' for October: THE actual pro-
gress of sculpture in this country has
been most remarkable. 1t is not so
much what we have already achieved,
as what is underneath. Seed sown years
ago is beginning to sprout. Some taste
is being exercised in the erection of
public monuments in our cities. For
the first time in our history we have
completed a public building decorated
in worthy and comprehensive style. l
refer to the National Library in Wash
ington. We have an art committee in
New York City which does much to-
ward preventing the erection of statu-
airy unworthy the dignity of our intel
lectua1 standard. Best of all, we have
art societies powerful enough to arouse
public interest, and to give any meri-
torious work of art good standing by
mere word Of approval; and, lastly,
there is much encouragem in noting
the funds for the maintenance of art
scholarships that are springing up
throughout the country. The Reinhardt
fund of Baltimore now amounts to
$4,000, and out Of the income two or
three art students are maintained
abroad. Then we have here the Lazarus
fund, which amounts to S25,0 900 or $780,,
600, for painters. Also the Carnegie
Art Gallery at Pittsburg has added new
dignity to the cause in this country.
The practical good accomplished by art
is that it tends to the spiritual eleva-
ton and ennobling of our people. The
higher the art the better will be the
effect on the masses. No one doubts.
for instance, that good books help to
make in nation better men and better
women. 1t may be said, in fact, that
a nation eventually becomes like that
which it admires. Sculpture, if rightly
put forward, will win admiration as
readily as literature. 1t is only diff
ferent form of expressing the same
ideas that are set forth by printed
characters"
New York Tribune: In discussing the
work on Velasquez which r. A. M. Ste
venson published about four years ago
we expressed the hope that some day
the merits of the book might be made
more familiar by it's appearance in a
smaller and cheaper edition. This wish
has been fulfilled in a book embodying
the bulk of what Mr.. Stevenson had to
say in the series of monographs on
THE Great Masters in Painting and
Sculpture" to which we have already
favorably alluded. The author has
amplified his biographical data, and the
editor of the series, DR.. Williamson.
provides a catalogue of the works OF
Velsaquez and photography. There
are numerous illustrations. Mr.. Steven
sons 'Velasquez" is a practical little
handbook, a guide that should be really
seryiceable to sojourners in Madrid. 1t
is practical because the criticism is IL
Illuminating in essence and is clearly put
The impetus given to admiration of the
Spanish master has come from artists
and writer's who have now and then
allowed themselves to be too esoteric.
Mr.. Stevenson keeps a cool head on his
shoulders and writes in a way to facili-
tate understanding of his theme.
w. M. Chase has been engaged by the
Art Students League of Pittsburg to
visit that city once month to inspect
and criticise the work of the local am
ateur artists, several of whom have en-
tered pastels and paintings in this
years exhibition.