Evening star., 1924-02-07
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

When Photography was first discov-
cred there were those who prophesied
that the result would be the decline
OF art. Instead, however, photog-
raphy has become an art, and the
painters and sculptors have profited
through it's instrumentality.
Within recent years there have
oeen not few who inclined to the
Delief that moving pictures would
pot only in time put an end to the
legitimate drama out would have an
extremely detrimental effect upon
art. But again we see art getting
the upper hand. for through this me-
dunn the movies" are being placed
on higher plane and are coming to
have new significance.
The moving picture is essentially
tne child of the hour. It eliminates
az non-essentials: it is time and
eHort saver; il is. in short, concen-
with the modern newspaper or the
less conservative sort, the works of
the post-impresSionist, the writer. of
free verse and the composers of the
nodernlst school. Its appeal is to
sensation, but none will say that il
rs anemic, and those who have given
the subject most study are Of the be-
lief that it has possibilities which
only few, SO far have dreamed of.
Inc moving picture cannot and will
not replace the spoken drama, but it
can and 1t may give us a new form
or visual expression truer and more
beautiful than we have had before,
ana there is possibility that through
sucn pictorial expression may be trans
mitted to vast numbers emotions of a
sort engender high ideals.
II is WeIl known that for a number
OF years Miss Maud Adams has given
intensive study to the subject Of
lighting in relation to the produc-
tion of moving pictures and to the
posslbiilty Of the presentation, of
such pictures In way that will bring
them not only within the field of art
put place them among the higher
aTts: arts TO continue this experiment
MISS Adams is planning to go to In
dia next summer and stage a produc-
tlon. Others are working along
somewhat similar lines. not only with
tne intention of securing pictorial eff
new pictorial language.
+ X + +
Meanwhile the film is coming to
Its own as an instrument of educa-
ton, and the moving picture thea
ters are evidencing gratifying hos
pltality toward such films of the bet
ter class A number of the leading
art museums have acquired moving
picture machines and are exhibiting
MINIS for their children audiences,
showing the making of a work in
sculpture, methods employed in the
several crafts, besides the manufar-
ture oi, within the field of the industrial
arts
The Architects Journal of London
recently made note that one of the
moving picture houses there had
iately put on film of recent addi-
,ions 10 London'S civic architecture,
that the audience was Interested and
lhduleed in discussion Of the merit
casion one of the great Gothic cathe-
orais was similarly displayed, the
audience being taken on a sight
seeing tour. as IT were. In comment
ing on these films the writer. an
architect, suggested various subjects
that would be of general Interest and
that would at the same time help to
1amlllarize the public with the great
est monumental works Of art
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There is one thing at least that all
Europe does very much better than
We do in the United States, and that
Is the issuance of beautiful and
artistic post cards. purchasable at
trifing sum. Many of these are in
color and are in reality works of art.
rms matter has been brought to
m ind by the receipt of an officiaI post
card announcing the fourteenth in
ternational exposition of art, to be
held by the city Of Venice from AnriI
to October of the present year. The
caro-; which is the work of one of
.9e Henetlan artists, shows a group
OF Venice buildings, one of the great
cnurches, with the canal and its gay
gondola crowds prominent in the
foreground. 1t is in color-a charm
ing little picture, which as poster or
post card instantly attracts the eye
see 1T are instantly moved with a de-
sire to go to Venice.
An EFFORT along somewhat these
same lines has been made lately by
one or the art organizations in Phila-
operation of three or four of the
leading artists and illustrators,
among them Thornton Oakley and
Joseph Pennell, who have made draw
ings of historic buildings in the
Quaker city which have been repro
duced as post cards and are not only
extremely individual, but peculiarly
intimate interpretations of place.
The post card is particularly de-
sirable medium, for it serves both as
a souvenir and as a medium of pub
licity. 1t is an habitual traveller.
X x y.
There is no doubt that the art of
etching is coming more and more
into vogue and that collectors of
etchings are rapidly multiplying. One
of the hopeful symptoms of the time
is that a good many young people
are manifesting an interest in this
branch of art and are acquiring as
their means permit really excellent
works by our foremost etchers. To
Of college training, a number of the
colleges owning collections of etch-
ings, which would go to show the
advantage of bringing students into
direct contact with original works
and would demonstrate the fact that
appreciation Of art is essentially
contagious.
With reference to 'the collector"
a writer in the Bulletin of the Rhode
Island School of Design recently re-
marked that all mankind might be
divided into four groups, viz: The
miSer, who collects solely for his own
enjoyment; the thrifty one, who coll
lectS purely as a business investment;
those who acquire because of appre-
citation of inherent merit, and those
who are collecting and learning at
the same time. To this last group,
the writer maintained, belong those
who give their collections to public
museums. desiring to share the joy
which they have had with others and
appreciating the educational value
of the works acquired.
Collecting is great game, and. as
the head of the print department OF
the Metropolitan Museum, Mr.. WINS,
has remarked, it is not necessary to
have a deep purse to be included in
this category. Excellent prints may
be bought for trifiing sums, but one
must have knowledge, discrimination