EUROPEAN ART.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18653, 23 August 1930, Page 14

EUROPEAN ART.

“A Miniature History of European Art.” By R. H. Wilenski. London: The Oxford University Press (per Mr Humphrey Milford). (4s 6d net.) To produce an outline even of European art in 76 pages is something of an achievement. Mr Wilenski has brought his own qualities to bear on the task, and, “mounting to a height” to survey this or that period, proves a valuable guide in pointing to the essentials, and, without any danger of their weariness, leads his readers through seven chapters to a finish. It is certainly a quick flight upon which they are taken from Christian Art—a glance at cave drawings—through medieval - Christian, Renaissance, seventeenth century, eighteenth century, nineteenth century, and twentieth century, or, as the author seems disposed definitely to label it, the cubist, classical renaissance. But Mr Wilenski draws upon his knowledge and sees what he sees. Certainly nobody can be blamed who should discover something rather provocative or challenging in his parting benediction on present-day art:—“Thus the human activity that we call art, which began with the creation of the magic image to secure some vital need, which has been at other times a most powerful instrument of tyranny, and at others again a most powerful instrument of religion, has now become an activity pursued for its own sake by a small group of experimenting artists, who are kept going by another small group consisting partly of people who believe in the meta-physical value of this work as an accompaniment and symbol of contemporary thought, and partly of people who hope to make profit eventually from these artists’ researches.” One is inclined to think that a trifle too much emphasis is placed on the significance of artistic experimentation. This artistic little volume is enhanced by a number of appropriate illustrations.

Quite what Aeschylus meant to convey by his “Supplices” scholars do not agree. It is the earliest of extraagree. It is the earliest of extant Greek plays and therefore of extraMurray, by translating it into English rhyming verse, has deserved well of all Greek scholars, both for his actual translation and for his introductory notes. Helpful notes to the play will be found in the back pages. The publishers of the translation are George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London.