The sum estimated required for the National Gallery is £5,488. I move that.
ESTIMATES. - NATIONAL GALLERY.
I raised the question before on the earlier Vote. It was improper on that Vote, because I thought the National Gallery would come in on that other. On this I would like to invite the President to make a statement on a subject, that is a matter of very great concern to a number of people, and which is with regard to the Lane pictures. The late Commander-in-Chief himself happened to conduct these negotiations, and he had led a number of people to believe that we were to retain possession of what was intended to be our national property. We would like to know if these negotiations have continued, and whether the hopeful prospect he saw is likely to be fulfilled. It seems now that, when the date is coming forward when the Treaty will be finally ratified on each side, that with the start off of Saorstát a very excellent opportunity would be furnished for what would be not only an act of goodwill from a neighbouring and friendly country to this, but also an elementary act of justice.
With regard to this Estimate for the National Gallery I should like to say just a few words, This is a very important element in the national life—more particularly on the cultural side of the work of construction which we are undertaking. It may appear out of place at a moment when the National funds are being diverted to compensations for malicious injuries to ask for more money to be devoted to the promotion and the study of fine art. While I am conscious that it is somewhat audacious to ask for more, I would like to draw the attention of the Dáil at any rate to the insufficient allowance that can be given in aid of the purchase of works of art. I rather feel inconsistent in what I say, because I rose to congratulate the Finance Minister on having the courage to make a grant of even £1,000 in aid of it, and it seems rather peculiar that in congratulating him on doing this that I should at the same time complain that it is not more. It would be better if instead of appearing to complain of the Finance Minister I were to complain of the situation which makes it impossible for him to do more than to recognise the duty of the Government towards art with this small dole. When you consider that the Director of the National Gallery has to be a man of world wide eminence as a connoisseur on paintings, a man of established reputation, who has merely a salary of £500 to tempt him, one is inclined to think that if it were not for the self-devotion of some men our National Gallery would be in a parlous plight. You will notice that the item "Expenditure" is expenditure on the Director's journeyings— £150. Now, these are not journeyings from one art sale to another in the hope of picking up some admirable work of art at a small price, so as to bring it within the compass of the miserable £1,000. This expenditure is merely for travelling from his own home in England to the Gallery from time to time.
If it were not that he is willing to put himself to that trouble, and to accept this small remuneration, we should not be able to have the services of a man who stands in the opinion of Europe as one of the greatest authorities, for example, of the Primitive Italian Art, and it is a great thing for the position of Ireland among the nations that it should have in Art circles its name associated with a very eminent connoisseur, a man who is a recognised authority. I thought it really worth while to intrude myself for these brief moments to draw attention to this. We hope in future Dáils to find a very much more generous contribution under this head, and we hope to interest our people not merely in the "Lane" Gallery, but in the priceless works of art which have already been secured for the Nation. It is a subject of endless regret to me that the National Gallery is not in close association with the Universities. In German Universities, such as for example at Dresden, there is a public fund which provides for students being brought around under a competent director and lecturer to the great Art Galleries, so as to have their taste cultivated, and the interest in these things stimulated. One great thing in the new Ireland should be the great value attached to the cultural elements of the nations, and, therefore, I properly conclude by congratulating the Minister, even although the amount is so small.
On this particular vote, I would like to make a suggestion, that we should encourage attendance at these Art Galleries of school children and adults, with some kind of lectures and descriptions, explanatory of the various Art objects, pictures, etc., so that one can generate in these, few perhaps, but still select and valued citizens, who would be willing to attend such visits under such kind of direction, a proper appreciation of Art. Most of us who have only an elementary school education, and many of those who have had higher education, read Art criticism, but we know nothing at all about it. We only know that a thing pleases us for the time being, but we do not know why it pleases us. I think it would be a very good thing if we were to get this National Gallery to start this work, which I think is common in other countries for schoolchildren and adults, and give lectures on Art subjects in the Art Galleries. Deputy Magennis has pointed out how eminent the Director of this Gallery is, and it has occurred to me several times within the last month or two that there should be some authority in the country, now that we have not a Minister for Fine Arts to whom we could appeal. The Minister for Fine Arts might be very willing to collaborate with, say, the Director of the National Gallery in improving the public taste in regard to mural decorations. We are all familiar with the examples of the new Art. I do not know what description it has—I have read of Cubism and post-impressionism, but I do not know what particular school this is—but I am sure that the late Minister for Fine Arts would be very willing to assist in explaining what these particular wall paintings which we see about the city at the present time mean. It is a matter of some concern that the public taste should be improved, and that even the artists should be brought under a more strict training.
And properly rewarded.
I throw that out to the Minister, and perhaps he will arrange for the collaboration of the Director of the National Gallery with the late Minister of Fine Arts in this matter.
With regard to the Lane pictures, I have not done anything further than what has already been done by the late Commander-in-Chief. I made up a list of the various items, which are of very considerable importance. There are twenty of them on the list I have. However, I intend to take up the matter from the point at which he left it, and see if it will be possible for us to get possession of these pictures. We have discussed so far, I think, eight Estimates, and only one generous Deputy appeared to consider the needs of the Exchequer by reducing a Vote by £100. Everybody else wants them increased. I do admit that there is a case for an increase in this matter. Alderman Kelly spoke some years ago of cities in which there were some examples of Art schools—painting and so on—and he said that there were no slums in these places. I quite agree with Deputy Johnson that the evidence of art which is to be seen on our walls would want the immediate attention of either the Minister for Education or some specialist in mental gymnastics. However, having regard to our funds at the moment, I do not think that it is possible to hold out any great prospect of a material increase in this sum, but I will take note of what the Deputy has said and see if any improvement can be made in the future.
Motion made and question put: "That the Dáil in Committee, having considered the Estimates for the National Gallery in 1922-23, and having passed a Vote on Account of £4,400 for the period to the 6th December, 1922, recommend that the full Estimate of £5,488 for the Financial Year 1922-23 be adopted in due course by the Oireachtas."
Agreed.