Art and the Beauty of the Earth. By William Marris.
(Long- mans and Co. 2s. 6d.)—In this lecture, delivered in 1881 at Burslem, Mr. "Morris Metes to regret the courser art took as it developed -from- the Middle Ages into the- perfect flower of the RensieFutnee. The chief regret seems.to be that instead of the- art of the nations-finding its expression in -artistic craftemanship applied-to objects.of common use, the tendency developed towards individual artists, who created works which were works of -art and nothing else. Mr. Morris regrets this because it made great works of art the property of the few. Also, when the best people left off decorating household goods, and, instead, painted frescos and pictures, their work became less easily comprehensible by the Mass of the population. This is no doubt true in a sense. So it is true that when art became fully developed, ideas and feelings qf a much more complex nature could be expressed than was pos- sible when art was ip a primitive state. It is, indeed, a misfortune- that great art should be appreciated by snoh a few people. But is this the-fault of art? The widely spread power of appreciating ornamented things which prevailed in the Middle Ages was a great blessing to the people. But universal ornament can never take the-place of the Sistine and the Stanze in the few minds who can appreciate these culminations of .ert.
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