essays and lectures-第27章

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nothing　can　be　conceived　at　once　so　simple　and　so　joyous。



The　fault　which　I　have　observed　in　most　of　your　rooms　is　that　there

is　apparent　no　definite　scheme　of　colour。　　Everything　is　not

attuned　to　a　key…note　as　it　should　be。　　The　apartments　are　crowded

with　pretty　things　which　have　no　relation　to　one　another。　　Again；

your　artists　must　decorate　what　is　more　simply　useful。　　In　your　art

schools　I　found　no　attempt　to　decorate　such　things　as　the　vessels

for　water。　　I　know　of　nothing　uglier　than　the　ordinary　jug　or

pitcher。　　A　museum　could　be　filled　with　the　different　kinds　of

water　vessels　which　are　used　in　hot　countries。　　Yet　we　continue　to

submit　to　the　depressing　jug　with　the　handle　all　on　one　side。　　I　do

not　see　the　wisdom　of　decorating　dinner…plates　with　sunsets　and

soup…plates　with　moonlight　scenes。　　I　do　not　think　it　adds　anything

to　the　pleasure　of　the　canvas…back　duck　to　take　it　out　of　such

glories。　　Besides；　we　do　not　want　a　soup…plate　whose　bottom　seems

to　vanish　in　the　distance。　　One　feels　neither　safe　nor　comfortable

under　such　conditions。　　In　fact；　I　did　not　find　in　the　art　schools

of　the　country　that　the　difference　was　explained　between　decorative

and　imaginative　art。



The　conditions　of　art　should　be　simple。　　A　great　deal　more　depends

upon　the　heart　than　upon　the　head。　　Appreciation　of　art　is　not

secured　by　any　elaborate　scheme　of　learning。　　Art　requires　a　good

healthy　atmosphere。　　The　motives　for　art　are　still　around　about　us

as　they　were　round　about　the　ancients。　　And　the　subjects　are　also

easily　found　by　the　earnest　sculptor　and　the　painter。　　Nothing　is

more　picturesque　and　graceful　than　a　man　at　work。　　The　artist　who

goes　to　the　children's　playground；　watches　them　at　their　sport　and

sees　the　boy　stoop　to　tie　his　shoe；　will　find　the　same　themes　that

engaged　the　attention　of　the　ancient　Greeks；　and　such　observation

and　the　illustrations　which　follow　will　do　much　to　correct　that

foolish　impression　that　mental　and　physical　beauty　are　always

divorced。



To　you；　more　than　perhaps　to　any　other　country；　has　Nature　been

generous　in　furnishing　material　for　art　workers　to　work　in。　　You

have　marble　quarries　where　the　stone　is　more　beautiful　in　colour

than　any　the　Greeks　ever　had　for　their　beautiful　work；　and　yet　day

after　day　I　am　confronted　with　the　great　building　of　some　stupid

man　who　has　used　the　beautiful　material　as　if　it　were　not　precious

almost　beyond　speech。　　Marble　should　not　be　used　save　by　noble

workmen。　　There　is　nothing　which　gave　me　a　greater　sense　of

barrenness　in　travelling　through　the　country　than　the　entire

absence　of　wood　carving　on　your　houses。　　Wood　carving　is　the

simplest　of　the　decorative　arts。　　In　Switzerland　the　little

barefooted　boy　beautifies　the　porch　of　his　father's　house　with

examples　of　skill　in　this　direction。　　Why　should　not　American　boys

do　a　great　deal　more　and　better　than　Swiss　boys？



There　is　nothing　to　my　mind　more　coarse　in　conception　and　more

vulgar　in　execution　than　modern　jewellery。　　This　is　something　that

can　easily　be　corrected。　　Something　better　should　be　made　out　of

the　beautiful　gold　which　is　stored　up　in　your　mountain　hollows　and

strewn　along　your　river　beds。　　When　I　was　at　Leadville　and

reflected　that　all　the　shining　silver　that　I　saw　coming　from　the

mines　would　be　made　into　ugly　dollars；　it　made　me　sad。　　It　should

be　made　into　something　more　permanent。　　The　golden　gates　at

Florence　are　as　beautiful　to…day　as　when　Michael　Angelo　saw　them。



We　should　see　more　of　the　workman　than　we　do。　　We　should　not　be

content　to　have　the　salesman　stand　between　us　…　the　salesman　who

knows　nothing　of　what　he　is　selling　save　that　he　is　charging　a

great　deal　too　much　for　it。　　And　watching　the　workman　will　teach

that　most　important　lesson　…　the　nobility　of　all　rational

workmanship。



I　said　in　my　last　lecture　that　art　would　create　a　new　brotherhood

among　men　by　furnishing　a　universal　language。　　I　said　that　under

its　beneficent　influences　war　might　pass　away。　　Thinking　this；　what

place　can　I　ascribe　to　art　in　our　education？　　If　children　grow　up

among　all　fair　and　lovely　things；　they　will　grow　to　love　beauty　and

detest　ugliness　before　they　know　the　reason　why。　　If　you　go　into　a

house　where　everything　is　coarse；　you　find　things　chipped　and

broken　and　unsightly。　　Nobody　exercises　any　care。　　If　everything　is

dainty　and　delicate；　gentleness　and　refinement　of　manner　are

unconsciously　acquired。　　When　I　was　in　San　Francisco　I　used　to

visit　the　Chinese　Quarter　frequently。　　There　I　used　to　watch　a


great　hulking　Chinese　workman　at　his　task　of　digging；　and　used　to

see　him　every　day　drink　his　tea　from　a　little　cup　as　delicate　in

texture　as　the　petal　of　a　flower；　whereas　in　all　the　grand　hotels

of　the　land；　where　thousands　of　dollars　have　been　lavished　on　great

gilt　mirrors　and　gaudy　columns；　I　have　been　given　my　coffee　or　my

chocolate　in　cups　an　inch　and　a　quarter　thick。　　I　think　I　have

deserved　something　nicer。



The　art　systems　of　the　past　have　been　devised　by　philosophers　who

looked　upon　human　beings　as　obstructions。　　They　have　tried　to

educate　boys'　minds　before　they　had　any。　　How　much　better　it　would

be　in　these　early　years　to　teach　children　to　use　their　hands　in　the

rational　service　of　mankind。　　I　would　have　a　workshop　attached　to

every　school；　and　one　hour　a　day　given　up　to　the　teaching　of　simple

decorative　arts。　　It　would　be　a　golden　hour　to　the　children。　　And

you　would　soon　raise　up　a　race　of　handicraftsmen　who　would

transform　the　face　of　your　country。　　I　have　seen　only　one　such

school　in　the　United　States；　and　this　was　in　Philadelphia　and　was

founded　by　my　friend　Mr。　Leyland。　　I　stopped　there　yesterday　and

have　brought　some　of　the　work　here　this　afternoon　to　show　you。

Here　are　two　disks　of　beaten　brass：　　the　designs　on　them　are

beautiful；　the　workmanship　is　simple；　and　the　entire　result　is

satisfactory。　　The　work　was　done　by　a　little　boy　twelve　years　old。

This　is　a　wooden　bowl　decorated　by　a　little　girl　of　thirteen。　　The

design　is　lovely　and　the　colouring　delicate　and　pretty。　　Here　you

see　a　piece　of　beautiful　wood　carving　accomplished　by　a　little　boy

of　nine。　　In　such　work　as　this；　children　learn　sincerity　in　art。

They　learn　to　abhor　the　liar　in　art　…　the　man　who　paints　wood　to

look　like　iron；　or　iron　to　look　like　stone。　　It　is　a　practical

school　of　morals。　　No　better　way　is　there　to　learn　to　love　Nature

than　to　understand　Art。　　It　dignifies　every　flower　of　the　field。

And；　the　boy　who　sees　the　thing　of　beauty　which　a　bird　on　the　wing

becomes　when　transferred　to　wood　or　canvas　will　probably　not　throw

the　customary　stone。　　What　we　want　is　something　spiritual　added　to

life。　　Nothing　is　so　ignoble　that　Art　cannot　sanctify　it。









ART　AND　THE　HANDICRAFTSMAN









PEOPLE　often　talk　as　if　there　was　an　opposition　between　what　is

beautiful　and　what　is　useful。　　There　is　no　opposition　to　beauty

except　ugliness：　　all　things　are　either　beautiful　or　ugly；　and

utility　will　be　always　on　the　side　of　the　beautiful　thing；　because

beautiful　decoration　is　always　on　the　side　of　the　beautiful　thing；

because　beautiful　decoration　is　always　an　expression　of　the　use　you

put　a　thing　to　and　the　value　placed　on　it。　　No　workman　will

beautifully　decorate　bad　work；　nor　can　you　possibly　get　good

handicraftsmen　or　workmen　without　having　beautiful　designs。　　You

should　be　quite　sure　of　that。　　If　you　have　poor　and　worthless

designs　in　any　craft　or　trade　you　will　get　poor　and　worthless

workmen　only；　but　the　minute　you　have　noble　and　beautiful　designs；

then　you　get　men　of　power　and　intellect　and　feeling　to　work　for

you。　　By　having　good　designs　you　have　workmen　who　work　not　merely

with　their　hands　but　with　their　hearts　and　heads　too；　otherwise　you

will　get　merely　the　fool　or　the　loafer　to　work　for　you。



That　the　beauty　of　life　is　a　thing　of　no　moment；　I　suppose　few

people　would　venture　to　assert。　　And　yet　most　civilised　people　act