When Paris Hats are Lovely

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 97, 2 May 1941, Page 5

When Paris Hats are Lovely

T is never safe to assume that Gertrude Stein is merely being frivolous. Take two remarks which occur in different parts of her book, " Paris France," but which are closely connected in thought. "It is funny," says Miss Stein, " about art and literature, fashions being part of it, Two years ago everybody was saying that France was down and out, was sinking to be a second class power, etc., etc. And-I said, but I don’t think so because not for years, not since the war ‘have hats been so various and lovely and as’ French as they are now. I don’t believe that when the characteristic art and literature of a country is active and fresh, that country is in its decline. There is no pulse so sure of the state of a nation as its characteristic art product, which has nothing to do with its material life. And so when hats

in Paris are lovely and French and everywhere, then France is all right." There-a typical provocative squib, we think; the sort of thing that makes an evening party a success. Then later we read: " As always, art is the pulse of a nation. From Bismarck to Hitler anybody can see that from 1870 to 1939 Germany has had not art. When a country is in such a state that people

who like to buy things can find nothing to buy, there is something wrong." And that is not only true, but exceedingly interesting. Since Germany became an Empire there has been nothing individual and supreme in her arts. Another large and spreading subject to think out. Miss Stein is more than just amusing. One of the main themes of her book is that France accepted, welcomed and created the 20th century, while England refused it, preferring the 19th, Russia tried to skip it and go on to the next, and America standardised it-(Book Reviéw by Mrs. Richards, 1YA, April 9.)