The third International Art Congress for the development of drawing
and art teaching was opened on Monday in the Hall of the University of London, South Kensington. Lord Carlisle, who delivered the presidential address, dwelt at length on the shortcomings of our insular methods, which he attributed chiefly to the "extreme stupidity and ignorance" of our governing classes, and deprecated the unfortunate reliance that Ministers placed on literary men with theories. He noted that our art education did not extend either to our public schools or our Universities, and commented on the injurious divergence between the art training of the work- man in the art school and the work he was called upon to do for the silversmith and jeweller when he went out into the world. At the same time, he admitted that artistic education had made great strides of late years. It had altered whole classes and districts that before bad no possibility of hearing or knowing anything about art. As a set-off to Lord Carlisle's somewhat pessimistic survey, it may be urged that Government neglect is better than Government interference. Mr. Dunn, the chairman of the Scottish Committee, who spoke on methods of disseminating ideas of art and developing public taste, declared that he had no faith in the improvement of public taste by legislation, and experience of l'art administrant goes far to justify his scepticism.
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