Evening star., 1925-02-12
THE NORTH WINDOW
BY LEILA MECHLIN.


the street car returning Monday night
from the opera, adding: Il had much
rather save in some other way ana
go to one really good thing than TO
spend my money on lot or ordinary
things" In SO speaking this young
woman seemed to have voiced the
sentiments Of many and to nave as
proved the contention OF the pessi-
mists that the great American public
to which she belonged is without
appreciation of the finer things. the
higher manifestations Of art.
In opera, at least in the so-called
grand opera, OF which washington is
having a taste this week, one finds
an interesting correlation of the arts.
AS the author Of the program notes
for "Tannhauser' pointed out. Wag-
ner felt that the arts-inusfc, scuip-
ture, painting. architecture ana
poetry--had been Independent OF each
other too long, that the work he had
to do was to combine thems and he
did quite Observation-Disclosures
ing into existence opera as we know
IL today, in which the splendors of
color and pictorial effect combine
with music and poetry to give dra-
matte expression, to lift the ordinary
mortal above ordinary earthly things
Undoubtedly IT is this which gives
grand opera it's enormous appeal the
appeal Of art in it's full Towering.
Wagner was right. the arts had In
his day, as in ours, been independent
of each other too long, but their kin
ship Is better Understood at the pres
ent time than 1t was when Wagner
wrote "Tannhauser," and many agen-
cies are striving to bring them to-
gether. Not the least of these are
our art museums. which no longer
confine themselves to exhibitions Of
painting and sculpture, ..hur include
In their programs of activity exhi-
bitions Of deroratfye and Industrial
arts ard also. n1usic; and the drama g.
The Cleveland Museum ~. Art !, in
stalled not so very long ago fine
organ In itg scuIpturee court on. which
recitals are given bys skilled or
ganists. ss 49, = q Nd.s- s.tS.-
This muse,im also conducts regular
instruction m the appreciation OF
music ana has a1weIl orgsntzed music
department. The Chicago Art 1nsti-
tute Is about to open a newly estab-
lished school Of dramatic arts, tc
which a lately erected wing is de-
voted These are but two, instances
from the many.
y y y
In a recent number of THE Out
look" Lewis Kinds, the well known
English critic, in his London letter
tells how some years ago he plann ed
and preached the esta abiishment of q
palace of art for great cities and
small q place which should not only
contain paintings and sculpture, bui
provide snslteE for the arts of music
dancing and the drama-and hence be-
come a center of amusement. a place
of genuine recreation associated in
the minds of all. with jeyousness, that
joyousness derived from participation
IN. rather than viewing Of, the arts
The increase in land, and hence renta
values, and the decrease on the part
of the British public in interest ir
paintings, have helped. it would seem
to lends attractiveness to Mr.. Hines
scheme.
Within the past few months tive
galleries have been opened in Lon
don--one in the very heart of the
city-wherein pictures and sculpture
are shown. not separately. but in con
nection with a diversity of entertain
ment This may work out well. but
there is a wide difference between
lodging the arts under one roof and
bringing them into felicitous family
relationship. To properly correlate
the arts they must be brought into
working Connect ioa.- A splendid ex-
ample of correlation of the arts is
the Gothic cathedral. which called
into service architects. sculptors
painters and eventually musicians
We have similar opportunity. which
has not been altogether neglected. in
the erection of some of our great
public bIildings-for example the Lii
hrary of Congress. the Lincoln Me-
mortal. In both of these instances
architects, painters and sculptors
coIlaborated finely in producing q
unified and eminently desirable re.
suit. work in which beauty is q
chief element.
But interest in all the arts shoule
not argue against interest in any one
or, in fact, every one. Because we bet
ter understand today the interrela.
tionship of the arts is no reason fol-
lack Of appreciation of the art o.
painting. Because we are making
new friends is no excuse for discard
ing the old ones. Nor is 1t probable
that we shall fall into such error un
less. nhappily, the art of painting ol
of the high standards attained In tn,
past. If in England the public Is NJ
longer interested in painting it mus
be that the painters have temporarily
lost their vision, for it is not merely
good painting. which the public de.
mands, but vfsualization of ideals
What interests the crowd. some one hs.
lately aptiy said, is what 1t knows ant
what it dreams. -Now, art in its trues,
sense is invariably some ones dream
come true. So long as this can bt
said OF any art 1t is bound to hold at.
tention, but when 1t fails it is like
wise equally sure to fall into Oblivion
X \ X
All this is more or less obvious. whst
is not generally understood is tha
the public as whole almost in
variably reacts to the best: that is
the highest expression of art. wha
the public does not care for is the
half-good, technicalities, even poten
tialities. full Of interest to the trained
technician. but meaningless to the
uninitiated. A test of art apprecia.
tion was tried out recently by one OF
the great Western colleges. with the
result that a much higher average
was discovered among the unframed
than had commonly been supposed te
exist. This is not only interesting
but encouraging and should spur
those who are producers of art te
better production. One of our great
local preachers was right when he
said last Sunday.."To those who have
no appreciation of beauty life is in.
deed drab."
\ X X
With further reference to the inter
relatioa of the arts. It Is a curious
thing how few seem to realize the
Importance of good design in build
ing--in other words. the element O,
beauty in private as well as public
"a The American Institute
OF Architects and the American Civi
Association are both urging upon
their members throunhout the IynitAd