Evening star., 1925-03-12
THE NORTH WINDOW
BY LEILA MECHLIy.

OF his monumental book, "Etchers
and Etching" Joseph Pennell gives
rather a grim impression of the
present state of art among US in this
country. He says: There are sew
eral interesting facts which have
discovered in my two years of teach
ing in the United States. First, the
appalling ignorance of and indiffer
ence to the graphic arts in the coun-
try, which Is proven by the fact that
with population Of 100000 IL
is with the greatest difficulty that an
artist OF the greatest reputation can
sell 100 prints from a plate--usually
he can't sell 60--and even when he
does 1t Is mostly because: of some
extraneous circumstance. or because
II ts considered good buy the
merit OF work even counting
against II. Artistically, these
United States are in the Main Street,
mid-Victorian age. and, like England
at that epoch, we are blindly proud
OF it,"
This is pretty severe, and perhaps
not altogether merited because a
great many more Americans are buy
Ing prints today than ever before.
There are three large and active
print societies-the California Print
Makers and the Chicago and Brook
lyn Societies of Etchers, which are
holding annual exhibitions interna-
tional in scope, and are recording
many sales. The American Fedora
tlon OF Arts is circulating not only
exhibitions Of etchings but port
folios among individuals who wish
to inspect them and make purchases
4 nA h.s,K
quite numerous. Besides which, as
an etcher. Mr.. Pennell is himself
held In quite universal high esteem
The director of one of our largest
art museums has devoted an alcove
or the living room in his own home
to examples of Mr. Pennell's work
and charming exhibit II makes
obviously Mr.. Pennell was looking
out upon the world from his Brook
Iyn windows over the skyscrapers
OF New York when he wrote this
preface. Probably no one had told
him, Furthermore, that in almost
every farmhouse In the State Of
Kansas he would find at least one
ana In some instances three or four
really fine etchings, the works of
Rembrandt. Haden, whistler, Zorn
and now and then a Joseph Pennell
Another evidence of development in
our national art consciousness is in
the field OF Industrial art To an ex-
tent this is by-product of the great
war. Up to 1914 we were in the habit
In this country OF securing our indus
trial art designs from abroad. When
this source of supply was cut off by
the great upheaval We were thrown
upon our own resources, and some
what to our surprise, discovered them
not inadequate. Apparently there was
plenty or native talent; what was
needed was development and use I'm
der the auspices of the General Edu-
cation Board Charles r. Richards. at
that time director OF art at Cooper
Union, New York, made a survey of
Industrial art conditions in the United
states, which was published in the
FORM or an exceedingly readable book
Dy Scribners. This told much that the
majority did not know and of which
few had any idea, and il opened the
eyes of our manufacturers and to an
extent the directors of our art schools
to an amazing degree. Since then
steps have been taken In New York
TO establish not merely classes, but
schools Tor the training of Industrial
dowment is being sought and has in
part been secured for the establish
ment OF school of Industrial art.
More than a year ago under the Joint
auspices of the General Education
Board and the American Association
or Museums, of which he had lately
become director, Mr.. Richards made
an exhaustive survey of Industrial art
conditions in Europe, the result of
which has been told In lectures. but
is soon. IL is understood, to be pub
hshed, supplementing the survey pre-
viously made in this country.
So far this inquiry has been made
on the initiative Of individuals and
privately endowed institutions; now
it takes on a wider scope Announce
ment has just been made that in rec
ognition of the relation Of art to in
dustry the United States Government
has appointed a commission to visit
the International Exposition of Mod
ern Decorative and Industrial Arts
to be held in Paris this coming Sum
mer. This appointment was made by
the Secretary of Commerce, Mr.
Hoover, and comprises Charles r.
Richards, chairman: Henry Crenge of
the Cheney Silks, Frank G. Holmes of
the Lenox Potteries, and Edward l..
Bernays( the last an associate-all
recognized authorities, having per-
sonal experience and first-hand
knowledge of industrial art as prac-
ticed both in this country and abroad
This commission will visit Paris in
June, and later report its findings to
the Secretary Of Commerce for the
benefit of American manufacturers.
In the meanwhile, delegates from such
trades throughout the country in
which art is prominent are being off,
cially designated to visit the exposi-
tion.
The United States was invited to
participate in this exposition. In
fact, it was offered by the French
government the best site availa BILE
a large piece of ground on the right
bank of the Seine, adjacent to the
Grand Palais. The conditions named
however, were apparently such that
our manufacturers were unable to
comply with assurance, and therefore
the United States declined the invi-
tation.
The restricting clause which brought
about this decision and is accountable
for MISREPRESENTATION on the part of
this country was to the effect that no
works would be acceptable which
were not completely original in de-
sign, which, in short, showed relation
to tradition. This is an effort to put
an end to repetition, even Of good
models, and to encourage originality
Whether the result will be good or
bad cannot be Judged in advance. but
to a large extent up to the present
time American Industrial design has
depended almost solely since the early
days Of the republic upon the inspira-
tion of traditional models. There are
some who feel that the repetition of
that which is good is infinitely to be
preferred to the creation no matter