Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-23
GROWTH OF ART SPIRIT.
American Schools Are Young and
Their Fruit Scarcely Ripe
From the Brooklyn Eagle

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
To what extent do the great schools OF
art or. speaking more strictly of artisan
art, succeed in this country? 1t Is a difficult
question to answer. Such schools are
young and the fruits of their teaching have
hardly ripened. Again. some OF their grad
yates receive only a part of their training
at home. and go aboard to complete it, SO
that in the end their art takes quality from
that with which they are environed later.
And, again. some OF the students who be-
gin with the hope and intent of becoming
designers carvers. illustrators and ilumi-
nants end with being painters and sculp
tors. Yet. there is excellent reason to be-
lieve that the work of schools In this city,
In Boston. in Chicago and elsewhere is
sound. and the influence of 1T widespread.
For it is possible that the highest values
of art are not in the highest manifestations.
The pictured masterpiece is for the buyer.
At best it is seen only by the frequenters OF
a church or a museum. But the touch OF
art that converts a common utenSil to a
thing of beauty that will be seen and used
of millions has educative consequence.
slight and unconscious as II may be. Re
membering what the average American par
lor was half a century ago. what horrors of
hair cloth. tides. black walnut carvings,
wax and feather work. funeral wreaths.
Brussels carpets. starched curtains glazing
paper and hand-painted pictures it con-
tdiIeQ. VINO can QOuDt tnat the American
people have better taste today than they
had at that time? Remembering when a
certain style of house was the highest type
of ''elegance'-the. dreariest habitation con-
ceived by mortal mind-we trace our es-
thetic growth in contrast of 1t with late
architecture which. If 1t fails to disclose
high originality. at least makes wise choice
of old world material. and some times as in
our churches. public buildings and the con-
structions of world fairs. reaches splendor
and magnificence.
England had to borrow from the continent
when she wanted a portiere a strip Of
wall paper, or book binding that was not
utterly conventional. or piece of furniture
such as had hot been made by machinery in
a shop. She awoke to the economic folly
OF this. and began to educate her own work
men. In this she saves millions sterling to
her own people. and produces good, sound,
characteristic work We in America are
beginning to appreciate the like necessity.
There was time when 1t was proper to be
clothed and surrounded with materials
from abroad. There was time when 1t
was not fashionable to buy American pic
lures. tust as there a time when 1t
was not customary to see American plays
or read American books. We are Kidding
ourselves of our afrectations and are
Americanizing our arts.
1t Is token Of promise that more and
more people are getting rid of machine
made stun and are buying strong, individ-
ual. handsome furniture and decorations
machinery than you can write poem that
way. For mere service the machine pro-
duct Will do. 1t sutfices. at present for
schools military barracks and almshouses
But the object with which one is to live
must have beauty and to have that 1t must
have character and originality 1t Is in
the announcement of these qualities that
the art and technical schools are giving
their best service. The genius expresses
himself as clearly in piece of furniture as
In a picture We are not to overlook the
moral or esthetic value of little things and
common things and useful things. We can
not all afford Millets and Illnesses, yet
more can afford articles Of beauty than
buy them. and where they are not the
home is crude. dull. the satisfaction less
and the taste is coarse. Our cities would
not contain the eye-sores that they do-and
New York Is the worst in all the world in
some respects-if even the rudiments Of art
bad been more commonly taught The de-
lights OF bad taste are Keen but never so
enduring and fructifying as the pleasures
OF cultivated taste. and in working to-
ward harmony. simplicity. grace. color and
individuality. the teachers in our schools Of
art and applied art earn praise