For Detroit To Imitate

MUNICH, the capital oí Bavarl, Ís a city of about the same population as Detroit. Thoughatthe begluuing ofthis eentury scarcely known or heard of outsidc of Germany, It has now a world-wide ! renown, and le one of thc favorite resorts I of European and American tourlsts. The great change that h tlius taken place in the fame and fortunes of thls ancient city, is entirely due to the accunmlation there ' of treasures oí art, and especlally to the building up of calleries oí seulpture and palnting. Now Munich cannot for a moment be compared wtA Detroit in beauty of situation and oí natural turroundlngs ; rouch less Ín wealth and trado and commerce; yet Munich 1 visited by a constant stream of travelers, many of ivhom remata for raonths or years; and at some periods lts numerous and ampie hotels can scareely accommodate the influx of guest. Art galleries have done all thls for Munich, and much more. They have led to the establishment of schools for the cultivation oí art, not only in lts higher sense, but art In lts application to manufacturing industries. And so the people of Munich, and to somf extentthekingdomof Bavarla have derivcd from thls art enterprise so recent, no little increaso of business pro9perity, wnlle the city itselí has become well known throughout the world as one of the great centers of art culture. Many other European cities, as every one lenows, are resorted to by travelers chlefly or wholly as shrlnes of art; and without this attractionthey would 6carccly possess o much interest as American cities of the same size. What would Dresden be without lts picture gallery, or even Florence or Paris without thelr museums of art and hlstoryi Pleasant and attractive, indeed, to look at for a moment, like many of our American cities, but speedily losing thelr interest, because destitute of that whlch is craved by the mind as well as the eye. Such a city as Detroit, it is necdless to say, with lts magniMcent location, lts handsome streets and avenues and many fino buildings, both public and private, lacks only tha wealth of art which old world places possess, to more than rival them in interest oí every kind. Let Detroit build up a complete art collection, let it become famed as tho possessor of choice masterpieces of painting and sculpture of the preeent day, and, at least, copies of all the older works illustrating the whole history of art, and strangers will not merely "Btop off" to take a drive through her streets, inake a brief excursión on the river, and then hasten away to "do" some other town in the same íashion. They will iind here that which is the painful lack in nearly every other place this side of the ocean, food for thowjht d iion, in the assemblage of those works of art which are themselves the creatlons of thought and imagination. But this is not all. It is a good thlng; it suits well the honorable pride of the "townsman," the sentiment of local patriotism, to make one's native or adopted city by every means attractive to trangers, and favorably known to the couutry and the world. Hut apart from this motive, however honorable, even a due regard for the happiness of our local populatlon, and of its moral and inte!lec,tual culture, will juBtify all the effort and the expense necessary to the establishment and maintcnance of public galleries of art. And nol only on uu giuuinl Ban i u h umi lilirral citizens be expected to do such awork for the eommon good but should thcyfail to do it, reasonable argumenta are not wantlnfl to prove that it would be right and wi . to provide for such an object even by public taxatlon. Forwe scareely bedtateto tax ourselves to the amount of hundreds of thousands for the opening and mainten&nce of public parks and pleasure grounds for the benelit of the people. VVhatever expense is thus incurred, al] men feel it is wisely incurred; it secures to the eitizens of all classes places of recreation and rest, where the beautlful in nature is enhanced by beautiful art. Yet "lm1 provisión is made for the recreation and restful entertainment of thc same population during the seven or elght montlis of the year when public parks are not attractive or available? One would think that proper regard to our cllmate and to the average characterof ourseasons would 'iemand resorts and mean6 of reereatlon for the people, in addition to those whieh can be enjoyed only about one-third of the year. And if this is so, we eannot conceive of anything so practicable, and so well suited in every respect to meet this want as ampie museums of art, with the addition, if you please, of antiquities and of objects of natural history. ' Such collections, beside affording a resource from the cares and toils of routine Ufe, exerci6e also an edueating and reflning influenceuponthe eitizens, none the less real because it is gradual and not at once visible. If, therefore, it pays well to be taxed for the ministerial of healtliful entertainment to the people one-third of the yearainidst the beauties of nature, why not be taxed for the purpose of securing to the same people entertainment of a still higher character the other twothirds of the year amid the beauties of art? Therefore, it is just as reasonable, to say the least, that public museums should be created and maintained for the benefit of the people at the expense oí the people, as public parks and pleasure grounds. And this principie, long ago reeognized and carried out by European governments and municipalities, let us hope will some day be accepted here at home. Meantime, if it is still too early to expect such enilghtened liberality from city govcrumcnts, let us hopo that Tiberal citizeus, In pride of citlzenship, in love of home, in love of the public good, wlll go still farthcr in the good work 60 wel! begun, and furnish abumiantly the means for tilllng the art building with the works of art, without which the building itself is a body without a eouI. Naturally, and almost of necesslty, ichoole of art spring up around museums of art. At the present stage of the hlstory of our state, no addltion to lts aoble instltutlons of educatlon and culture is 60 much needed as the organization of such schools; and, of course, they can in no way be created and sustained without the establishment of art galleries as the flrst essential condition. Obvlously, too, Detroit, the metropolitan city of the state, wUl be their most fitting location. Many of the youth of both sexes, from Detroit and from the state at large now annually resort to the art schools of New York and Boston. Why ehoulil this be necessary? Why should not Detroit aftord to the youth both of the city and the state all the faeilitles needful for the study of artr- art in all its branches and grades; drawing, painting and modeling; pure or high art, dccorative art and, by no means less important, industrial art. For this art entcrprise lias its eeonomical aspect. No argument indeed should be needed at the present day to prove that aitistic cnlture, at least to some extent, soine degree of development In artistic taste and skil!, is necessary to the progresa and perfection even of our industrial arts. Not only the bullder and the engitieer, but the mechante, the furnlture maker, the calicó printer, molders, designers, workmen of alraobt evcry kiml, are better prepared to make their products more valuable and marketable through some acquaintance with the principies and the works of art. It is only a few yeara 6incc even Enffland fouud herself falling bebind France and Germany in some of her manufactures on account of the lack of proper attention to this very kind of education. The application of art studies to practical industries had for a Mmegiven precedence in the world markets to certain French products over those of Eugland, on account of the superlority of the former in more elegant patterns and designs, and in the more tasteful employment of colore. But Englaud hastened to correct the error by opening to her youth everywhere in the country opportunities for the study of art in connection with her eollections of sculpture and painting and works of decorativo irt. For the honor oí Detroit, for the benefit of her citizens and those of the state at larce, and even in the interest of our trades and manufactures, this w,,rk. mttiated and thus far paid for by a comparatively small number of contributors, should be recoguized and corillallj supported by every citizen, rich or poor, now and hereaftur, to theextentof hls abilitv. If this enterpriee of private eitizens should sometlme in the future be adoptcd by the munlofpal government asoue of the iiMitutious to which, as we have suggested above, the public iunds can be legitiinatelv applied, then will Detroit have the honor of being one of the foremoit cities of the West in carrying into effect au idea long ago expressed by the most eminent of American philosophers. lt was Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote the iollowing words on the relatiou oí municipal govenunent to Museum oí Art: "I do uot undervalue the flue instruction whieh statues and picture i;ive; but I think the public museum in each town will one day relieve the private house oí the charge of owning and extiibitlng them. 1 go to Kome and see on the walls of Vaticau the transfiguration nainted by Rapbael, reckoned the lirst piciure in tiie world, or in the Sistlne chapel, I see the grand Sibyls and Prophets, painted ín fresco by Miehael Angelo, liich have every day now for 800 years inilamed the Imaghiatlon and exalted the piety of what vast multitudes of men of all uations: I wish to bring home to iny ehildren and my friends copies of theee admirable íoruis, which I can find in the shops of the engravers, but I do not wish the vexation of owuing them. I wish to üud in my own town a library and museum which is the property of the towu, where I can deposlt this precious trewurtt, where I aud my childreu eau see it from time to time, and where it has its proper place among hundreds of such donations frum othcr eitizens who have brought thither whatever artielcs they have judged to be In their nature rather a public thau a private property." A collection of tliii, kind, iperty of each town, would dignlfy the (own, und wc should love and respect our aelghbon inore. Übviously, it would be easy for every town to discharge this truly municipal duty. Every oue of us would gladly contribute his share; and the moru gladly, the more considerable the iustitutiou had become." He.nhï S. Fuieze. "No num was ever great by imitation. An artist must exhibit such prominent and strtldng featuréi us recall the original , mlnd; tnd must neglect the minuter dlscrtminattont, vrhlcb une may have remarked and aoother neglectea, for those charactrltica which are alike obvious to vigil.ince aud carolessuess."- [Imlac in -'as," Often blame is too largely awarded, I study of causes would 6uggest iiiuch that is etieouragiuj; while on the otber band lndiscrimtnote praise maj be lavished where tbere la essentlal jioverty or declension.- JS. Q. W. Benjamin. Ruskin sa;,: "Bad art offers ill work for good, tumult for peace, the Beab of man for his spirit, and the curse of God íor hií blcssiug." 1. Museum of Art. 2. Michigan Central, D..L. A. N., and F. & P. M. railroad stations. a. D., O. H. &M. andOraod Trunk rIlwajr Maüuuv 4. Russell House. 6. Cadillac Hotel. 8. Brunswick HoteL 7. Wyn Hotel. 8. Griffln House. 9. Michigan Eicbange IIotcL 10. Pl&nk'i new hoteL