Indian Art and Letters

Author(s): India Society
Publisher: India Society

Page 31

Modern Art in Western India students of the School of Art, which I happen to have with me, and which the India Society have kindly allowed me to display to-night.
CHAIRMAN : I think you will all agree that we have listened not only to an extremely eloquent but a very interesting statement on a number of facts, which, I fear, are far too little known to most of us.
We are therefore extremely grateful to Captain Gladstone Solomon for going to the trouble of coming here to tell us of these matters, and I now hope that some of you will say something about the work done in Western India.
There is one member here in particular on whom I would like to call, because I was referring to him in the early part of my remarks when I pointed out that the Government of Bombay had detached art from the administration of education and established it as a respectable and decent thing in its own right. The Governor responsible for that step, Lord Lloyd, is here to-night, and will perhaps do us the favour of saying something about the work of the Bombay School, of which he knows so much, as he was responsible for much of the support that has been given to it.
The Right Hon. Lord LLOYD : I must apologize for having come in very late. I was the loser, because I did not hear the beginning phrases of Mr. Gladstone Solomon's very interesting lecture.
I think, if you would allow me to, I might tell you one or two home truths and secrets about Mr. Gladstone Solomon which he did not tell you during his lecture.
I can illustrate them from his lecture. I think Mr. Solomon's tact has had a great deal to do with building up the school. We saw a very good example of it this evening. We who are the guests of this Society in this hall must not criticize it, but I do sometimes wish it had better projecting facilities. I noticed that Mr. Gladstone Soloinon, with great tact, said he was sorry his photographs did not fit the screen.
He is also a very skilful person, because I know that on many occasions he put into my mind and the minds of my successors ideas for the development of the School of Art, and then went about praising us for having done the things he suggested to us. That is the height of skill. So when he tells you that I or any other Governor helped the School of Art, it means that he with great genius and skill put into our minds good desires and himself carried them out.
But I do want to say a word about the work of the School of Art, if I may. Before Mr. Gladstone Solomon went there, it is perfectly true that the School of Art in Bombay had done good work. But there was not in it-I think everybody who knows will admit it-the real enthusiasm that he was able to infuse into it afterwards. Before he came, it was just a Government Department with all that that means no more and no less. Mr. Gladstone
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