Art and Science What is, and what is not, fine art? Shakespeare's injunc tion to hold, as it were, the mirror up to nature" is the best artistic advice ever given. Bacon in his essay is not so direct. He asks which is the greater trifler, one who would make a personage by geometrical proportions (perhaps by the fabled Greek cabala) or an other who would select the best parts of divers faces to make one excellent (a veritable corn posite picture)? He concludes at last that a painter may make a better face than ever was, but he must do it by a kind of felicity, as a musician who makes an excellent air in music, not by rule. If ever there was an artist, he was Shakespeare —if ever there lived a scientist, Lord Bacon was, perhaps, the most eminent, and in their respective views and definitions we find the differentiation between science and art. In any given work in so far as it may be me chanically constructed is presented a scientific product; and in so far as reproductive processes may exhaustively duplicate it, it falls short of the possibilities of fine art. An etching by a master may be an autographic art creation; but when it is possible through photography, photo gravure or chromolithography to so perfectly duplicate a painting that the reproduction pre sents all the merits of the original it may be relegated to science rather than be accepted as genuine fine art. True consummate mechanism must ever go hand in hand with fine art; still a great work of art presents the maximum of art to the minimum of mechanism. A paint ing portraying living objects.with a sharp con tour, such as may delight the photographer, without the suggestive quality of Stereoscopic relief, does not hold the mirror u,p to nature, and the work may be classed with scientific achievements even if accredited to the consum mate mechanism of a Messonnier. Indeed re productive processes have served a great pur pose in defining the line of demarcation between science and are. Affectations have been swept away by a revelation of their superficiality; while the possibilities of inimitable fine oil painting, a medium and technique that, of all ever employed, has the fewest possible limita tions, have been enhanced as seen in the works of the American artists already mentioned; and in those of a growing group of American ideal ists, colorists and tonalists.
Various have been the fashions or ((isms)) that have dominated Amer ican art at different periods of its history. Pre raphaelitism as advocated by Ruskin was one of the earliest imported. Being appointed the legal executor of his hero-client, as well as being an enthusiastic admirer of his work, Ruskin claimed for Turner not only the grander qualities, but a command of detail that rivaled the ancients, although the artist, we are told, the compliment. Turner was unquestionably the greatest modern master of decorative and scenic effect in pictorial com binations representing earth, air and water, being, indeed, entitled to the apotheosis of synthesis; still diligent search in the archives of the Royal Academy and National Gallery fails to reveal the qualities attributed to him by the author mentioned. Ruskin's enthusiasm proved contagious throughout the art circles of Eng land and America; solicitous friends as well as the most influential art writers pleaded with the tyro to emulate not the work of Michelangelo, Titian or Raphael himself, but to follow in the footsteps of Perugino and Raphael's father or grandfather. This verily seemed like unto the dotage of imbecility in the light of Raphael's glorious art that had evolved the immaculate Sistine Madonna. He was brave, indeed, in the field of American art of that day, who could resist the popular and professional pressure of this pseudo-aesthetic movement. No vestige of it remains, and no wonder it was followed by impressionism — as a free and joyous transition from mechanical restrictions in art.
True Impressionism.— This was the ar tistic attempt to present the maximum of soul fulness conveyed to the world by finest art; employing the minimum of materiality and mechanism as seen in the rendition through mental vision of the fleeting sunset or twilight — such as may only be materialized on the mor row; the epitomization perhaps of a day's outing under the open skies or flying clouds, or in the sublime thunder-storm; in fact, the entire realm of imagination is unfolded by artistic impres sion. i Such was the accepted province of gen uine impressionism originally as associated with the artistic convictions and poetic spirit of Corot, Monet, Monticelli, William Hunt, Will iam Page, George Fuller and many others. Impressionism naturally evolves symbolism and idealism, but in too many instances has deterio rated into affectation and mysticism. Premedi tated and assumed mysticism is the dernier-res sort of mediocre painters and sculptors, as well as of the minor poets. It may not be mistaken for sublime spirituality. Dante, Shakespeare
and Milton, treating even divine themes, never nebulized their ideas in mysticism; the same may be said of Bryant and Longfellow ; while Poe, temperamentally, a mystic solitudinarian, in the field of poetic art presented the apotheo sis of spirituality.
Ideal Naturalism.— The crowning glory in the art of any civilized country is that of naturalism. In the truest sense it utilizes even scientific <(disjecta mernbra," as enumerated, and subjugates the same to the entirety of art — the comprehensive structural organic presentation of material nature, suggesting the qualities of size, form, weight, color and perspective values chiaroscuro, and, above all, the ultimatum of expression and tone. These enduring qualities characterize the art of Inness, Martin, Wyant, Hunt and Page, and the growing group of American tonalists of the naturalistic school. A great advantage exists in American art from its cosmopolitan resources. In Paris one sees nothing but French art; in Munich, the German school; in London, English art, while the art institutions of America contain specimens of masterpieces from every source, notably the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and art institutes of Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as collections in all our large cities. While every art centre of Christendom seems to be provided with an American colony of artists and students, expatriation is no longer a neces sity in order to obtain an education in fine art_ Expert Supervision.— The Department of Commerce established by the general govern ment is a step in the right direction of national affairs, and may make clear the way for the proposed Department of Art and Industries. It has been repeatedly advocated and constant evi dences of its requirement as an absolute neces sity have been presented to the government and to the people; still it is being detrimentally delayed. The appropriations for national and international expositions have been used in a manner giving anything but satisfac tion. Commissions and contracts for statuary, monuments and architecture that should receive the supervision of expert art judgment are left to provisional committees of who frankly admit their inability to judge the affairs of fine art. The experiences resulting from the careless management of international expositions, certainly teach that no such enter prises should be thrust upon the community through flattering prospectuses, promises of profit, etc., until matured and definite plans and specifications shall have been officially inspected, approved or rejected by the projected national department of art and industries; this would also provide a valuable bureau of information in art affairs, enabling legislator and citizen to act or vote intelligently in regard to any appro priation, commission or tariff. The practical utility and public good to be derived from such a department may be demonstrated in many in stances. A member of Congress having been appointed upon a committee assigned the duty of supervising the ground immediately sur rounding the House of Representatives was as tonished to find that millions of dollars had been expended upon the same; each new com mittee annually appointed having exercised its taste and judgment on the important matter. It was concluded that the advice of an expert landscape architect be secured, and this being done, the expenditure was practically ended. Again the enormous expense of indiscriminate illustration of congressional and department literature or printed matter has, to-day, caused anxiety and criticism. So in relation to all official cases requiring expert art supervision, eclectic sense and msthetic taste should be at the service of the government. The plan in volves no untried innovation; the French nation has it Minister des Beaux Arts, who is a mem ber of the Cabinet of the republic of France, leading the world in art affairs, taste and fashion. The establishment of municipal art commissions is a step in the right direction. The task of correcting the contour of metro politan architecture seems, indeed, herculean; individual buildings of great beauty are ad joined by the most heterogeneous structures; a three-story house appears between one of eight and a skyscraper of twenty. In no capital of Europe would such incongruities be permitted, and every possible facility should be afforded our municipal art commissions to correct this chaotic condition. Victor Hugo said °the beau tiful is as useful as the useful, more so, per haps." European municipal politics profit by the practical application of this fact; great cathedrals, public statuary and fountains, pic ture galleries and museums attract multitudes of tourists, thereby financially as well as msthet ically benefiting communities that keep in the vanguard of culture and civilization. See