The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-12

From the Collector and Art Critic.
 %OPULARIZING art is the mission
 {" of cultured philanthropy. That
 art in its various forms exerts a
 powerfully refining influence it Is hardly
 necessary to argue, but this influence
 is, comparatively speaking, restricted to
 the class least in need of 1t. To intelleets
 developed and active it is a stimulus and
 a pleasure that in a degree, 1t is true, IS
 necessary; but to those In the vast ranks
 of the majority whose minds are more
 or less dormant under the daily stress of
 struggling for the supply of physical need
 and who have not the means to enjoy the
 pleasures of art, it's possibilities are In the
 nature of an awakening and a new life.
 Art is a gentle. quiet, but tremendous force It educates us. helps us to appre-
 ciate many beauties in nature, which, be-
 fore viewing them in a picture, has been
 passed by unobserved 1t brings wildly
 before us scenes from other countries; it assists us to use our understanding with our eyesight; in short, to think intelli-
 gently.
 The idea that the people-the poorer classes-shoud be educated to appreciate art has prevailed in France; but 1t is only
 of late years that the importance of this
 branch of education has been recognized
 by English-speaking countries. There are
 or course, art galleries in nearly all great cities open to all; but they aim rather to cater to the better classes. and little effort has been made until recently to reach
 or interest the poor man. Only in the last few years has an attempt been made to provide an exhibition of pictures for the poor; and the success met with and the | good results flowing from it have far sur | passed all expectations.
 The experiment was first tried in East | London, In England, at the Peoples Pal ace. It was regarded as & visionary ven 1 ture at the time for while it was admitted that in France, Italy and Germany even the lowest classes could understand and appreciate art. 1t was the prevalent opin-
 ion in England that the poorer people of the East End of London, the costers and the others of their type, were incapable of admiring paintings or statuary. It looked for a while as though this opin- ion was correct, for in spite of the fact that the picture galleries in the Peoples Palace were beautiful, and every effort
 was made to attract people there they were left almost unnoticed. Day after day the rooms were empty and it seemed as though the London poor did not care for art It took long time to get them there,
 and for that purpose the exhibition was continued much longer than intended, but
 the sworks of art displayed, all of which were loaned, gradually won even the duii-
 est minds, and the exhibition proved sue cess after all Today art loan exhlpltions are a feature of the East End of Lon don. They have accomplished wonders there in inculcating in the poorer classes q Ipow,edee of and love for the beauti- ful.
 To bring genuine art in It's highest forms to the multitude is a good worK in the n.ost emphatic sense of the term. To con- tribute towards spreading it's influence among the masses is a distinct and lovely charity. Public art galleries and free con- certs have a distinct public educational va,ue that is too often non-appreciated, hecause their results are too subtle for ouiok and material perception Many de- nreeate such missionary work on the eround that it is sentimental and trivial, l compared to the pressing physical necessi- ties of the lower classes. Such theorists | look upon these efforts with a sneer pre- | ferring what they call doing practical and satisfaction of Its needs just as prac-