Indian Art and Letters

Author(s): India Society
Publisher: India Society

Page 16

India Society's Exhibition of Modern Indian Art together that they are becoming all alike. We all more or less dress alike all over the world, and we have the same kind of vehicles to travel about in, and in every way possible life in all countries is becoming the same as in all others. This tendency to-day to universalize art will have a very great influence upon the art of the future, but I hope it will prove to be an absolute impossibility : for when countries give up their characteristic arts there is an end to their individuality. Art is really the revelation of the life of the country in which it is produced, and so we hope that in India we shall find work characteristic of that country.
It is impossible that much good can come to Indian art from the mere copying of Western methods. Nothing I have seen in the Exhibition gives cause for this fear. Students may come here-a few do—to train themselves, to get technical knowledge with which to go back to their own country, but it is the spirit that is in them and that belongs to their country which will enable them to produce characteristic work.
There is bound to be some Western influence, but I hope that it will not be carried too far, and that it will be used as a means to improve technique and not as a substitute for native inspiration.
We are glad to see all around us work that indicates that India is developing on her own lines. I am sure that there will be other Exhibitions of this kind over here, and English artists will cordially welcome them.
Mr. R. A. BUTLER, M.P., Under-Secretary of State for India. I am very grateful for the opportunity of saying a few words on the occasion of the opening of this representative Exhibition of Indian Art. Its importance has been shown by the presence of your Royal Highness and your kind consent to open the Exhibition.
The India Society, since its foundation in 1910, has done great good work and rendered invaluable assistance in promoting interest in the culture of India and in her art, not only in this country but in Europe. It is no mean feat to have organized in London out of India so comprehensive an Exhibition s this, and if I may say so the India Society has surpassed itself. (Applause.)
I am very glad of this opportunity for voicing on behalf of the Government of Inclia, on behalf of the various Provincial Governments, and on behalf of my Right Honourable friend the Secretary of State, who is unavoidably prevented from being here to-day owing to his impending activities this afternoon in Parliament on the occasion of the historic debates that are to take place there I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of those Governments and my Right Honourable friend, and to express their gratification to the Society for what it has achieved to-day, and their congratulations to India on this magnificent Exhibition which we see around us. 94