these principles, in spite of Mr. Wentworth Huyshe's terrible threat that
he will not propose to them as long as they wear it, for all charges of a
want of womanly character in these forms of dress are really meaningless;
every right article of apparel belongs equally to both sexes, and there
is absolutely no such thing as a definitely feminine garment. One word
of warning I should like to be allowed to give: The over-tunic should be
made full and moderately loose; it may, if desired, be shaped more or
less to the figure, but in no case should it be confined at the waist by
any straight band or belt; on the contrary, it should fall from the
shoulder to the knee, or below it, in fine curves and vertical lines,
giving more freedom and consequently more grace. Few garments are so
absolutely unbecoming as a belted tunic that reaches to the knees, a fact
which I wish some of our Rosalinds would consider when they don doublet
and hose; indeed, to the disregard of this artistic principle is due the
ugliness, the want of proportion, in the Bloomer costume, a costume which
in other respects is sensible.
MR. WHISTLER'S TEN O'CLOCK
(Pall Mall Gazette, February 21, 1885.)
Last night, at Prince's Hall, Mr. Whistler made his first public
appearance as a lecturer on art, and spoke for more than an hour with
really marvellous eloquence on the absolute uselessness of all lectures
of the kind. Mr. Whistler began his lecture with a very pretty aria on
prehistoric history, describing how in earlier times hunter and warrior
would go forth to chase and foray, while the artist sat at home making
cup and bowl for their service. Rude imitations of nature they were
first, like the gourd bottle, till the sense of beauty and form developed
and, in all its exquisite proportions, the first vase was fashioned. Then
came a higher civilisation of architecture and armchairs, and with
exquisite design, and dainty diaper, the useful things of life were made
lovely; and the hunter and the warrior lay on the couch when they were
tired, and, when they were thirsty, drank from the bowl, and never cared
to lose the exquisite proportion of the one, or the delightful ornament
of the other; and this attitude of the primitive anthropophagous
Philistine formed the text of the lecture and was the attitude which Mr.
Whistler entreated his audience to adopt towards art. Remembering, no
doubt, many charming invitations to wonderful private views, this
fashionable assemblage seemed somewhat aghast, and not a little amused,
at being told that the slightest appearance among a civilised people of
any joy in beautiful things is a grave impertinence to all painters; but
Mr. Whistler was relentless, and, with charming ease and much grace of
manner, explained to the public that the only thing they should cultivate
was ugliness, and that on their permanent stupidity rested all the hopes
of art in the future.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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