RELIGION AND ART

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22724, 10 May 1937, Page 12

RELIGION AND ART

r Sir _The great artists of the middle and more modern ages, who have given to the world their conception of sacred and religious subjects, could not possibly have been inspired to treat their subjects so sincerely if they had "not been deeplv religious within themselves and have found their inspiration in the sanctity of their churches, it is against psvchic law for a human being to be inspired by that to which he is rebelliously or indifferently driven. A true artist attending church because , he is driven to do so politically would hardly have in his heart or mind the desire or impulse to reproduce ..that with which he had no sympathy. Inspiration comes from that which appeals. The love of nature reproduces' landscapes or sea-scapes. The lover of animals reproduces them with chisel or brush. The lover of humanity reproduces portrayals of human characters or incidents. The artist with religious and spiritual tendencies will be impelled to reproduce his conception of spiritual divine subjects. Could Mozart, Gounod or Beethoven have composed their glorious Masses and other sacred works if they had not gone freely and of their own will to worship at the altar of their God, to whom they dedicated these' works of love and reverence. Murello, Leonardo da Vinci and of" later times William Blake and Holman Hunt, could never have conceived their creations if their souls had not been consumed with lovo and worship for the Divine. Art is the concrete expression of emotionalism, so why single your true artist out as one debarred from religious emotion which finds an outlet in prayer before the altar of his adopted church. Has neither Evelyn C. Yaile nor Alice Weston experienced the emotional satisfaction and spiritual comfort of resting quietly secluded within the walls of a chapel or cathedral when no congregation is present? I am fully aware that down through the ages there have been persecutions and tyranny practised under the cloak of religion and of state, as I am aware that to-day certain dictator nations are persecuting their subjects who remain faithful to their religious beliefs. To persecute and tyrannise is the attribute of the hypocritical and the over-zealous. These unhappily we shall have with us as long as the human race endures. Can William Campbell, of Auckland,, prove that the Word of God was possessed and suppressed from public knowledge at anv period by the true teachers and preachers of Christianity? In the misnamed dark ages, misnamed according to recognised histories of education, when the Word of God was being kept supposedly from the multitude, it is a fact, according to Muni'o, in his nistory of education, that so mtent were the masses on practising self-restraint and the Christian teaching of faith, hope and charity, that they did not acquire any desire for mundane knowledge. It was to the poorer classes Christianitv made the most marked appeal, and they were disinclined through nature, sympathy and tradition to take an interest, in culture so long associated with Paganism that was made possible onlv bv their debasement as slaves.. In replv to Evelyn C. Vaile's queries, i maintain that undoubtedly the majority of the people who signed the petition for tlie altering of " The Athlete statue would have welcomed in its place a well-conceived statue of Christ appropriately clothed. A statue impersonating Christ as the Messenger of I eace, Btotheriv Lore and. Understanding could not fail to have an uplifting influence and be an inspiration to the many who are not dulled to the appeal of true Christianity. As to whether art or religion first became decadent in ancient Greece and Rome. Ihe surmise is that as they were the compliment of each other they probably descended together step by step. Aka Aka. Kathleen* Campbell.