DLA096-0011  Transcription

Daily Telegraph, 24 March 1925

BENEVOLENCE.

AMATEUR ART EXHIBITION.

Mrs. Baldwin opened the Royal Amateur Art Exhibition at 12, Belgrave-square, yesterday. The ceremony took place in the fine dining-room, the walls of which are hung with family portraits. Countess Bathurst, who lent the house, said what pleasure it gave the committee to welcome Mrs. Baldwin there, and hoped that she had been pleased with the beautiful things in the exhibition. Mrs. Baldwin made a short, but effective speech, in which she expressed her opinion that the arts were a gracious gift from Heaven, and that she approached all fine art with awe and reverence. She said that she was feeling rather like a swimmer about to plunge into an unknown pool, and greatly fearing to go beyond her depth. Painting and authorship were the chief arts, she thought, because they went on through generations.

Sir Frank Dicksee, president of the Royal Academy, said that he had not supposed that he was to give an address until he saw it in the newspapers, and that he had prepared nothing. What had impressed him most in a hurried round of the exhibits was the absence of any following of transient fashion, and the sanity of the art expressed. The present day fashions, he thought, would not provide portraits which would be a grace to future generations. If ladies liked to have their waists appear where artists knew their hips to be it would be unwise so to paint them, and if an artist really loved his art, he would not do it. Sir Frank also spoke of the necessity for the study of technique; as obligatory in art as grammar in literature. He then proceeded to give the awards which, he said, he had not judged nor paid for, therefore all the pleasure and honour were his. Mr. de Laszlo had acted as judge for painting and experts for the needlework are handicraft sections.

Mrs. Baldwin wore a long tunic dress of dark blue crêpe de Chine, the front of soft red crêpe de Chine, fastened with a blue and red enamel buckle. A hat of blue silk was worn, trimmed with dark blue ostrich feathers. Countess Bathurst was in golden brown velvet and crepe de Chine, and had a brown velvet hat with brown orbs ospreys sewn flat round the crown [...]

[...] The charities benefiting are the East London Nursing Society, the Infant Welfare Centre, Stepney, and the Working Ladies’ Guild.

MD

05/12/2007