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perceived. This elevating and refining influence must eome from its appeal to 

 the higher faculties; not only to the imagination, but to the sense of beauty 

 and of truth ; to the perception of the sublimity and beauty of nature, the har- 

 mony and loveliness of all pure objects of the natural world. The old, un- 

 answerable replies are always ready for the mere clod who disbelieves in beauty 

 at the outset — at least in use of beauty. Why does the Great Creator paint tin' 

 rose, and make the lilies of the field more magnificent than Solomon in all his 

 glory i But to the far larger class of those who acknowledge that beauty was 

 not made in vain, there are wonderful and most interesting connections to be 

 found between beauty and truth, between beauty and use. The very wonder 

 of the bright flower that attracts the bee whose ardent rush into and over it 

 makes its perfect em], the fruition of the seed by which it is to reproduce itself, 

 possible— this is one illustration of the numberless beautiful designs of beneficent 

 nature. 



The two great sources of pleasure in art as in nature, delight in color and de- 

 light in form, — these two sources of keen enjoyment to all persons of a so called 

 artistic temperament, are natural, healthful, desirable and instinctive. 



The man who lives in our beautiful county, and has before his eyo; its charm- 

 ing panorama of hills and meadows, its constant successsioti of varied beauty, 

 would surely be like his ox or Ids ass if such pictures brought to his mind no 

 thoughts elevated and refined, no gratitude, no joy in the mere beauty of the 

 world and the delightsomeness of life. 



As the highest and best of our objects is the humanity which our crops, our 

 herds, and all our labors serve and support, the great ideal world which art 

 opens up for our youth should be made as free to them as possible. That 

 knowledge which is the key to its understanding and enjoyment should be given 

 them. In judging of seed-work, wax flowers, hair work, and the like, it may 

 be that the only ground necessary for decisions is the mere prettiness of the ob- 

 ject, as these are really onty matters of tasteful handicraft, scarcely art — artistic 

 being alwa}-s an epithet of high compliment when applied to them. But to the 

 picture it must be considered that far more has gone to form it. The qualities 

 which it shows are to be carefully noticed ; the conception, and the power over 

 the materials employed which makes that conception more or less clear, and 

 transmits the fancy, knowledge, or emotion embodied more or less strongly to 

 the mind of the beholder. We hope the time may come when the children of 

 our schools will learn to draw as they now learn to write. There are convinc- 

 ing arguments on the ground of plain, practical advantages accruing, but room 

 does not suffice here to set them forth, nor indeed does inclination serve. The 

 practical and the prosperous are followed but too much, we want to give room 

 here only to the ideal. The best art can never be successful unless it touches 

 the higher nature of the man— it must do this or it descends to the level of me- 

 chanical skill. 



The admirably qualified chairman originally chosen upon this committee 

 being unfortunately absent it was hastily reorganized, and we proceeded with 

 as much regard to these principles as might be, yet we admit somewhat blindly, 

 being ignorant of the conditions under which the work had been executed — ex 

 cept in one or two praiseworthy instances — to examine the specimens submitted 

 to us. Some of these your committee found highly creditable and encouraging. 



Awards were made as follows : 



PAINTING— 15 ENTIUE3. 



Best specimen Painting, Miss Emma Burghardt, Stockbridge, $5 00 



2d do., Ernest S. Pease, Stockbridge, 4 00 



3d do., Miss M. A. Loop, Great Barrington, 3 00 



4th do., Miss L. H. Brewer, Stockbridge, 2 00 



5th do.. Miss Martha Royee, Sheffield, 1 00 



