SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS
…..
It is these tender feelings of deep and silent admiration evoked from our
hearts by the beauties of creation that should find adequate expression in the
fine arts …..
The
ancient paintings that are still to be seen in the great monasteries and
churches of Ethiopia, and the carvings in wood and stone which have come down
to us in the ruins of the ancient palaces, bear witness to the fact that the
fine arts had attained a comparatively high degree of development even in very
early times. Although the major portionof these works of art was destroyed in
the wars that broke out from time to time, those that still remain in Lalibela,
Gondar, Shoa, Gojjam and elsewhere fill the competent observer with a sense of
wonder and admiration. Since these works of art are also closely related to the
history of Ethiopia, the young artists of Our country who pursue these fine
arts on modern lines can find occasion therein for legitimate pride.
We
have established this institution because We consider it a matter of great
importance to revise and develop the fine arts in Our country in a manner which
will enable Our artists to combine the historical and traditional art of
Ethiopia with the advantages of modern technical developments in the field.
If
Ethiopian paintings and other works of art attain such a standard that they can
be sent out of the country and can hold their own amidst exhibits from other
countries, they can certainly help in the efforts to make Ethiopia known more
widely as a nation fully participating in the spirit and the substance of
modern civilization.
Our
customary support shall always be forthcoming to similar efforts in the fields
of music and literature as well.
A
purely materialistic art would be like a tree which is expected to bear fruit
without flowering, and to sacrifice grace and beauty for mere utility. Those
who learn here should from the beginning, assidulously avoid this spirit of
utilitarianism. Our admiration for the Creator’s handiwork should not be
limited to those things He has provided us with for our daily needs, but should
include all that is good and beautiful. It is these tender feelings of deep and
silent admiration evoked from our hearts by the beauties of creation that
should find adequate expression in the fine arts.
As
We have stated time and again, it is easy to begin but hard to finish, and We
express on this occasion both Our happiness at what We see here today, as well
as Our strong hope to see this work which is now begun bearing fruit in the
near future.
July 23, 1958.
Selected
Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie – page 50 –
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