Evening star., 1924-05-29
The North Window
By LEILA MECHLIN

At a small, invited gathering of art
lovers at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
George II. Myers recently. Phyllis
Ackerman. wko is an authority on the
decorative arts, speaking on the sub
| ject of tapestries. said, Great art de-
velops early and dies young" OF the
art of tapestry this seems to be pecu-
liarly true. for the greatest works in
this medium were undoubtedly pro-
duced In the centuries preceding the
renaissance, rather than during that
brilliant period when the art of paint
ing attained its greatest height These
early tapestries were primarily deco
rations, and the weavers, who were
something more than copyists and
skilled craftsmen, were allowed a
measure of freedom in expression. 1t
was when the tapestry manufacturers
began to initiate paintings that the
art OF tapestry began to deteriorate,
until today comparatively few, IL any.
great works are rendered in this me-
dunn.
But this Is true in all branches of
art AS soon as an art becomes imi-
tative IT loses it's value. A water
color which looks like a pastel is far
less interesting than one which takes
advantage of the peculiar qualities
and recognizes the special limitations
of that medium. An etching which
suggests a lithograph-if that were
possible-would have no value at all
lnsincerity in material has gone a
long way to injure the building arts.
There was Il mania one time. for in
stance. for using on houses Of mOder-
ate cost. supposedly as ornamentation,
imitation stone corniceS made out of
tin, painted; doors were grained to
look like other woods than what they
were; all sorts of deceptions Were
practiced, with the result that the fin
fshed work did not ring true. and in
the long run failed TO satisfy even the
uninitiated
Along these lines there has been
improvement in taste in the last
twenty years, due undoubtedly to the
effort of the teachers of art in the
public schools. the missionaries of art
in the women's clubs, and the organ
lied work of the various art associa-
tions, which have carried on an ac-
tive propaganda in this field. How
widespread this movement is and how
much effort is being expended in this
direction comparatively few are
aware. Take. for example the small
mouse service bureau of the American
Institute of Architects. This is COM
posed or ten or dozen practicing
architects, and has as its purpose the
betterment in design of the home of
extremely modest cost. The first step
was the making of designs; the next,
getting these designs before the pub
llc. An interesting account of the
development Of the work was given
at one of the sessions of the conNcn-
tion of the American Institute of
Architects. held in this city last week
The result is widely syndicated
newspaper publicity service which is
taking the material-both drawings
and descriptive text-into the hands
and the homes of not thousands but
hundreds OF thousands Of newspaper
readers throughout the United
States. and an upgrowth of small
houses, mostly of good design and of
type which is unpretentiouS. livable
and essentially American. This, as
speaker at the American Federation
aptiy put it. is art getting into ac-
ton"
But we are to accept Miss Acker-
mans statement that great art de-
velops early and dies young, and if
SO, what have We to look forward to-?
To extent she seems to be right
The art of tapestry. as we have seen
has fallen far below the standard set
in the early days of it's DEVELOPMENT
The art of painting IS not today what
1T was at the time of the renaissance;
some say not what ii was at the time
of our early American portrait paint
ers. save in certain phases. The art of
sculpture has made no great progress
since the golden days of Greece, or a
least it seems so to us now. though
Michelangelo and Rodin and a legion
of others less brilliant have left wor-
thy works in this medium as d record
of their times.
But in the art of architecture the
spirit seems to have been repeatedly
reborn, each great period giving the
art new life. Here in America in our
own time such rebirth seems to have
taken place, and il has been occa
stoned by a requirement of cotem-
porary life and the use of new mate
rials-steel and concrete. In our
great commercial buildings. our sky
scrapers, the architects have found
new expression, and the art of archi-
lecture has taken new lease of life.
x
Whether art-great art-dies young
or not. the spirit of art is immortal
and if We do not seem at all times,
to attain to the height which those
who went before reached. we need
not despair, for great art will come
again in the ripeness of time, and.
feeble as is our effort, we ourselves
may be fastening that time, though
we little dream it. And all along the
way. so long as are sincere and
susceptible, so long we hold fast
TO the best, we shall find great enjoy
ment.
Otto II. Kahn, the we'll known New
York banker. said in an after dinner
speech not long ago that art is veri-
table fountain of youth, inter-
preting the old saying that whom
the Gods love die young" as meaning
that they who love art never grow
old. There are. he truly said,
many millions of the plain people
the "silent mu1titude''-in all parts of
this great land of ours. whose souls
are hungry, whose ears are open to
the call of Art in music. whose eyes
light up a her approach in painting
and sculpture. whose voices welcome
her with enthusiastic gladness
roic men and women, who lin meet
ing the tasks of the work a day
world" as Mr.. Kahn said. practice
the brave and simple philosophy of
righteous living, contributing to the
common cause daily acts of self dis
cipline and self-denial, of honor and
of duty and of faith" 1t is to these
people. apparently. that are in these
United States is beginning to have a