Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-04

waltz" Which the skcptic did, aud
was correspondence edited
~ Not Entirely New.
SO the art OF color-muSic has APP
pcarcd IN the land. II is not entirely
Il new thiur--therc arc very few new
things: they even had submarines ZOO
years aSo--but II is just beginning to
make itself known II bit It's future
Is largely n matter OF speculation. 1t
seems improbable that ii will rnlfll
the hopes Of soInc enthusiasts aud
rival music itself. Love Of color may
be primitive, yet il seems reasonable
that If IL were as powerful In hui
nanity as tho love Of melody and har-
mony in sound, il would have develop
cd It's art long before this. But there
Is no conflict between the fourishinE
of color-music and music itself. They
arc not going to interfere with each
other. Tho more popular and highly
developed rolor-music becomes tho bet
ter. II will bc new source Of pleas
urc that need not dctract from the
old. Much can be hoped in this new
art from perfection Of the instru-
mcnt for producing the various CT
fcctS. Consider how much the mu-
stefan owes to the generations OF skill
ed craftsmen who have developed the
modern piano and violin
Color-inusic is not only interesting
in itself: il is significant of whole
series of now ideas about color that
have sprung up and grown strong in
the last fcw years The place nf color
in the modern world is growin. larger:
color Is beginning to be regarded as "A
thing OF considerable Importance in
stead Of merely something pretty and
decorative. The painter. tho dramatist.
tho physician. tho alicnist. even tho
efficiency expert arc beginning to re-
gard tho problem OF color with in
creased respect.
Form Sacrificed to Color.
rms new prominence OF color was
strikinEly shown in many OF the ncw
movements In painting that spranE
up in recent years, To tho horror of
the conservatives Ono Of the chief
characteristics Of these new move
mcnts was their Qualification Of color
at tho expense OF form. Instead Of
his picture TO tell some clever or
pathetic story. tho artist simply
masscd Il fcw rich harm onics I'm color
and let il 20 at that. AS result tho
people who tried To nSurc out what
II was AL about were bic to Ind
the answer. They should have fol-
lowed the idea OF tho color man.
and simply IL. II soak in and en-
joycd il without asking questions. The
echoes OF those Misunderstanding have
not entirely died away. but color has
won new place even in paintinE,
where il was always 50 firmly cstab-
lishcd.
Still more striking is the now place
Of color in the drama There have
been ono or two successful rla-s IN
recent years that we're little more than
fcastS OF color. In every now PLAY
you sec tho influence at work. In n
striking handling OF backgrounds. in
massngs OF color In the chorus. and
in beautiful effects in tho lighting.
These things arc especially noticeable
III vaudeville OF the best class where
the newly discovered possibilities OF
color effects arc being worked FOR all
they arc worth.
.f, .i.n
is the now place Of color as q healing
agent in m"dicinr. II is beginning: 70
tnd application especially in cases ~
nervous aud mental trouble I, is
we'll known by pcoplc sensitive 10 tho
influence OF color that some HUGS arc
exceedingly depressing 10 thcu. willie
others arc pleasant aud stimulating.
Aiicnists Making Experiments.
II Is thought that this may be moro
generally true and more important
than We have realized. and several
specialists III mental diseases arc OK
pcrimcntinG with tho effects OF differ
cnt colors on their patients There is
an asylum in the Middle West which
has room specially equipped 10 give
patients baths 81 different coior"d
lights. Miss Beatrice Irwin. ono of
tho pioneers and most cuthusiistic hc-
!icvcrs in the Now science OF rolors.
claims 10 have cured such ailments ~
insomnia and dips"mauia. ana even +"
have restored vicor 10 = shrivollcd
arm ny means OF tho application o.
color.
1t IS probably true that colors AFFECT
us more than has bccm generally
realized. some recent studies In the
chcct Of working conditions on tho
efficiency OF tho worker show that
more and better work can bc done III
the room Is tinted III an agreeable and
stimulating color than :t tho tint is
negative and depressing. These com
mercial and medical applications Of
color viii doubtless be worked out
more exactly IN tho future. Mean
whiic, III" closer study Of color prom
Uses 10 give new art and to
broaden and enrich several Of tho old
ones.