No. 62.— 1909.] 



PROCEEDINGS. 



295 



Dr. Coomamswamy's Lecture.* 



In reference to Dr. Coomaraswamy's letter elsewhere we 

 certainly regret the deficiencies in the report of his lecture, but 

 when no suitable provision is made for the press and reporters 

 sent to do their duty by the public are in difficulties, it is hardly 

 to be expected, especially when they are taking notes in the dark, 

 that an accurate report can be obtained. As to the differences 

 between our views and those held by the lecturer and the few 

 European artists he refers to, our correspondent does not touch 

 upon the point of defective execution which was most noticeable 

 in much of the art that he praised on Friday evening. We have, 

 therefore, nothing further to argue on this point. It does not clash 

 with the opinion he quotes that Indian art provides a new world 

 of artistic thought. However artistic it may be, we contend that 

 defective execution is probably more prominent in Indian drawing 

 than in the art of any other country. There were a certain 

 number of slides shown, depicting art to be found in Ceylon ; these 

 were not among those least praised by the lecturer. In contrast 

 however to his view we may quote from Mr. Reginald Farrer's 

 recent book " In Old Ceylon," which, however flowerly in language 

 and imaginative in treatment, certainly shows a close study of 

 ancient artistic work in the temples of Anuradhapura and else- 

 where. This is what he says : — 



"In Ceylon of to-day the pious need fear no distraction, no 

 seduction, by beauty ; he may be very sure that any emotion he 

 may feel in even the oldest shrines is born only of his own soul, 

 of his own unassisted, unadulterated zeal ; for to squalor and dirt 

 the Sinhalese temples, add a sense of the ugly that is almost 

 miraculous. In glaring, gaudy colours you will see everywhere 

 the most hideous pictures — crude illustrations of the birth-stories 

 of our Lord, or the daughters of Mara clad in sailor hats and the 

 fashions of 1894, most unseductively tempting the followers of the 

 Buddha, whose resistance in such circumstances, is neither to be 

 wondered at nor counted to their credit. Then in the central 

 shrine, there will be innumerable tawdrinesses and horrors of 

 tinsel — big gilt statues jostling with marble ones, unrealities, 

 shams , ugliness , and huddle. ' ' 



Indian Art.t May 18. 



Dear Sir,- — Inasmuch as I myself used two Ceylon pictures in 

 my lecture, to illustrate the great degeneration of Indian Art in 

 modern times, I do not see the point of your quotation against me 

 of Mr. Farrer's just denunciation of modern temple decoration in 

 Ceylon. I am afraid that I cannot agree with you in regarding 

 the test of anatomical accuracy as an illuminating one to be applied 

 to works of art. A far more universal and real standard is that of 

 Leonardo da Vinci's which I quoted : — 



" That execution is best which best expresses the passion that 

 animates the figure." 



* Ceylon Ob server, May 17, 1909. f Ceylon Observer, May IS, 1909. 



