Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-08
STUDENTS At ART CLUB
HEAR AMBASSADOR PAGE
Large Audience Receives Distin-
guished Author, Who Discusses
Ancient and Modern Work.
BISHOP o'coNNELL PREslDEs
Final Address of Season Proves I'm
usually Interesting Evcnt-Lacl1
OF Endowments in South Is De-
plOred by Speaker.

The first fonr of the Art Club of
comfortably filled last night. when
Thomas Nelson Page, United States
nmba Ssadur to Italy, spoke OH art"
DR.. Page declared to his hearers that
there WAS as much beauty in Rich
mond there ever was in Rome. He
urged the younger artists to seize thcir
opportunity and make Richmond Il
great art center. This was the clos
ing address OF the season and the mem-
bcrs of the club considered them
selves fortunate in being able to have
for the speaker of the evening one
whose ancestor founded an art school
in Richmond.
Or. Page was introduced by Rt. Rev
II. ]. O'Conncll. D. D., president OF the
club.
DIR. Page deprecated the fact that
there have been no great endowments
in the South for art, He showed how
the Southcrner, owning large tracts of
land and slaves, was unwilling. even
after his death, for his parental acres
TO bc cut up and divided among
strangers and for his slaves to be sold
To other masters: for funds with which
to cndow art schools He mentioned
the cndowments by the State. of the
funds OF the people for Southern uni
vcrsitics and colleges. He said there
Southern fortunes, until recent years.
had not been In such shape that they
could we'll he given. He expressed the
hope that the present generation
would see great change.
MUST UNDERSTAND
TO APPRECIATE ART
In beginning his discussion. which
was y comparison of the Greek. the
Roman. the Etruscan and the Egyptian,
,,.t.I I, GG af t,tt
French. English and American
1T is not because l do not love
art" he said, that I do not know
more of il. but the pleasure of looking
az tho worlds great masterpieces in
the European galleries has been So
great that ! didn't care to catalogue
my mind with the artists names.
rather preferred to enjoy their work"
He showed how, while the Egyptian
art and architecture Is not considered
beautiful by people of the present day,
perhaps il was beautiful 10 those who
understood it. Oriental music. he said.
had no charms for him: but he said
he understood from those who could
enjoy II that Orientais had reached Il
stage OF perfection never dreamed Of
by the people OF the Occident. TO
those who could understand II. il was
beautiful.
He turned his attention next to the
most part, in the sarcophagii OF that
people. In these tombS. antedatinc
Rome. DR.. Page said. he found the
arch. and he found sculpture closer by
far to the Greek than anything Rome
ever produced He had learned that
the angel with outstrctched wings.
III odeled after the human form was
semctic and came down through the
E:ble; but he found in the Etruscan
tombs angels that might be taken from
n modern hook or magazine.
CHURCH. IN ITALY
BRINGS FORTH ART
DR.. Page spoke for some time on
Italian art. saying that the church.
with it's influence over the people. had
brought forth a great art. Not SO great.
he said, as that which came later. but
ar art that was beautiful in its sim
p!icity and truth.
Rapidly he sketched the art <of
France, England and America. our
only art" he said, grew up at the time
Sof great feeling. as all art must. II
is then that the hearts and minds of
II people turn 10 painting. to music or
to iterature-kindred subjects" He
spoke OF the literature, especially the
poems, written during the Revolution
airy and the War Between the States.
saying that while none OF them We're
great ones. that they had come at this
time Of great feeling in the hearts Of
men.
In closing. DR.. Page paid tribute to
the memory OF Miss Augusta Daniel.
whose heart. he said, contained art as
true and beautiful as ever existed any
where on earth or in the breast OF any
artist.
at the conclusion of the address.
Dr. Page received members of the club
and their guests.