INDIAN ART
Sm,—Mr. Douglas Barrett is, of course, entitled to say that Gandhara sculpture makes no appeal to him. But "dreary echoes of the work of the Roman provincial mason," and 'dull and stereotyped formula of image-making "—how he comes to write thus passes one's comprehen- sion. There are many to whom the work of this school was a revelation and remains a sheer delight. I make no claim to expert knowledge. But I should say this work was very poorly represented in English public collections, and poorly also in the present exhibition. It is a pity there is nothing in it from the fine collection in the Kabul museum. It could also have been immensely enriched if the private collection of Mr. Eric Dickinson could have been made available. But even as it stands let anyone go to the Small South Room and judge for himself. How can the unique blending of the Graeco-Roman with the Buddhist-Indian, the provincial Roman, if you like, but informed with fresh grace, Buddhist tenderness, and tinged with something of Indian which defies capture in one word, be dull ? And stereotyped ? Look at the infinite variety of humanity, of character and individuality so charmingly and inimitably portrayed. "Dreary, dull and stereotyped" simply is not true—rather,
the truth is the exact reverse.—Yours faithfully, A. C. C. HERVEY. Brook House, Glemsford, Sudbury, Suffolk.
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