The Cornhill, July, 1945. (John Murray. 2s. 6d.)
THE July number of The Cornhill keeps up the high standard of this review and is distinguished by an article, " Art and Democracy," by Sir Kenneth Clark, which is an outstanding example of keen perception and sound common sense on this most difficult subject. Politicians and civil servants need guidance in scientific and artistic matters and can find this expert guidance much more easily in science than in art because tests for the scientific expert's ability are ready at hand. The art expert must be taken largely on trust and he is always more liable to error in his specific judgements ; but in Sir Kenneth Clark we have an authority whose general principles, as laid down in this article, are as incontrovertible as they are enlightening, and what he says about the relation of art to democracy should be taken to heart by all democratic leaders and, in particular, by the Ministry of Education—its political head and all its senior and junior permanent officials.
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