essays and lectures-第28章

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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

as　if　it　were　of　none；　and　in　so　doing　are　wronging　both　themselves

and　those　that　are　to　come　after　them。　　For　that　beauty　which　is

meant　by　art　is　no　mere　accident　of　human　life　which　people　can

take　or　leave；　but　a　positive　necessity　of　life　if　we　are　to　live

as　nature　meant　us　to；　that　is　to　say　unless　we　are　content　to　be

less　than　men。



Do　not　think　that　the　commercial　spirit　which　is　the　basis　of　your

life　and　cities　here　is　opposed　to　art。　　Who　built　the　beautiful

cities　of　the　world　but　commercial　men　and　commercial　men　only？

Genoa　built　by　its　traders；　Florence　by　its　bankers；　and　Venice；

most　lovely　of　all；　by　its　noble　and　honest　merchants。



I　do　not　wish　you；　remember；　'to　build　a　new　Pisa；'　nor　to　bring

'the　life　or　the　decorations　of　the　thirteenth　century　back　again。'

'The　circumstances　with　which　you　must　surround　your　workmen　are

those'　of　modern　American　life；　'because　the　designs　you　have　now

to　ask　for　from　your　workmen　are　such　as　will　make　modern'　American

'life　beautiful。'　　The　art　we　want　is　the　art　based　on　all　the

inventions　of　modern　civilisation；　and　to　suit　all　the　needs　of

nineteenth…century　life。



Do　you　think；　for　instance；　that　we　object　to　machinery？　　I　tell

you　we　reverence　it；　we　reverence　it　when　it　does　its　proper　work；

when　it　relieves　man　from　ignoble　and　soulless　labour；　not　when　it

seeks　to　do　that　which　is　valuable　only　when　wrought　by　the　hands

and　hearts　of　men。　　Let　us　have　no　machine…made　ornament　at　all；　it

is　all　bad　and　worthless　and　ugly。　　And　let　us　not　mistake　the

means　of　civilisation　for　the　end　of　civilisation；　steam…engine；

telephone　and　the　like；　are　all　wonderful；　but　remember　that　their

value　depends　entirely　on　the　noble　uses　we　make　of　them；　on　the

noble　spirit　in　which　we　employ　them；　not　on　the　things　themselves。



It　is；　no　doubt；　a　great　advantage　to　talk　to　a　man　at　the

Antipodes　through　a　telephone；　its　advantage　depends　entirely　on

the　value　of　what　the　two　men　have　to　say　to　one　another。　　If　one

merely　shrieks　slander　through　a　tube　and　the　other　whispers　folly

into　a　wire；　do　not　think　that　anybody　is　very　much　benefited　by

the　invention。



The　train　that　whirls　an　ordinary　Englishman　through　Italy　at　the

rate　of　forty　miles　an　hour　and　finally　sends　him　home　without　any

memory　of　that　lovely　country　but　that　he　was　cheated　by　a　courier

at　Rome；　or　that　he　got　a　bad　dinner　at　Verona；　does　not　do　him　or

civilisation　much　good。　　But　that　swift　legion　of　fiery…footed

engines　that　bore　to　the　burning　ruins　of　Chicago　the　loving　help

and　generous　treasure　of　the　world　was　as　noble　and　as　beautiful　as

any　golden　troop　of　angels　that　ever　fed　the　hungry　and　clothed　the

naked　in　the　antique　times。　　As　beautiful；　yes；　all　machinery　may

be　beautiful　when　it　is　undecorated　even。　　Do　not　seek　to　decorate

it。　　We　cannot　but　think　all　good　machinery　is　graceful；　also；　the

line　of　strength　and　the　line　of　beauty　being　one。



Give　then；　as　I　said；　to　your　workmen　of　to…day　the　bright　and

noble　surroundings　that　you　can　yourself　create。　　Stately　and

simple　architecture　for　your　cities；　bright　and　simple　dress　for

your　men　and　women；　those　are　the　conditions　of　a　real　artistic

movement。　　For　the　artist　is　not　concerned　primarily　with　any

theory　of　life　but　with　life　itself；　with　the　joy　and　loveliness

that　should　come　daily　on　eye　and　ear　for　a　beautiful　external

world。



But　the　simplicity　must　not　be　barrenness　nor　the　bright　colour

gaudy。　　For　all　beautiful　colours　are　graduated　colours；　the

colours　that　seem　about　to　pass　into　one　another's　realm　…　colour

without　tone　being　like　music　without　harmony；　mere　discord。

Barren　architecture；　the　vulgar　and　glaring　advertisements　that

desecrate　not　merely　your　cities　but　every　rock　and　river　that　I

have　seen　yet　in　America　…　all　this　is　not　enough。　　A　school　of

design　we　must　have　too　in　each　city。　　It　should　be　a　stately　and

noble　building；　full　of　the　best　examples　of　the　best　art　of　the

world。　　Furthermore；　do　not　put　your　designers　in　a　barren

whitewashed　room　and　bid　them　work　in　that　depressing　and

colourless　atmosphere　as　I　have　seen　many　of　the　American　schools

of　design；　but　give　them　beautiful　surroundings。　　Because　you　want

to　produce　a　permanent　canon　and　standard　of　taste　in　your　workman；

he　must　have　always　by　him　and　before　him　specimens　of　the　best

decorative　art　of　the　world；　so　that　you　can　say　to　him：　　'This　is

good　work。　　Greek　or　Italian　or　Japanese　wrought　it　so　many　years

ago；　but　it　is　eternally　young　because　eternally　beautiful。'　　Work

in　this　spirit　and　you　will　be　sure　to　be　right。　　Do　not　copy　it；

but　work　with　the　same　love；　the　same　reverence；　the　same　freedom

of　imagination。　　You　must　teach　him　colour　and　design；　how　all

beautiful　colours　are　graduated　colours　and　glaring　colours　the

essence　of　vulgarity。　　Show　him　the　quality　of　any　beautiful　work

of　nature　like　the　rose；　or　any　beautiful　work　of　art　like　an

Eastern　carpet　…　being　merely　the　exquisite　gradation　of　colour；

one　tone　answering　another　like　the　answering　chords　of　a　symphony。

Teach　him　how　the　true　designer　is　not　he　who　makes　the　design　and

then　colours　it；　but　he　who　designs　in　colour；　creates　in　colour；

thinks　in　colour　too。　　Show　him　how　the　most　gorgeous　stained…glass

windows　of　Europe　are　filled　with　white　glass；　and　the　most

gorgeous　Eastern　tapestry　with　toned　colours　…　the　primary　colours

in　both　places　being　set　in　the　white　glass；　and　the　tone　colours

like　brilliant　jewels　set　in　dusky　gold。　　And　then　as　regards

design；　show　him　how　the　real　designer　will　take　first　any　given

limited　space；　little　disk　of　silver；　it　may　be；　like　a　Greek　coin；

or　wide　expanse　of　fretted　ceiling　or　lordly　wall　as　Tintoret　chose

at　Venice　（it　does　not　matter　which）；　and　to　this　limited　space　…

the　first　condition　of　decoration　being　the　limitation　of　the　size

of　the　material　used　…　he　will　give　the　effect　of　its　being　filled

with　beautiful　decoration；　filled　with　it　as　a　golden　cup　will　be

filled　with　wine；　so　complete　that　you　should　not　be　able　to　take

away　anything　from　it　or　add　anything　to　it。　　For　from　a　good　piece

of　design　you　can　take　away　nothing；　nor　can　you　add　anything　to

it；　each　little　bit　of　design　being　as　absolutely　necessary　and　as

vitally　important　to　the　whole　effect　as　a　note　or　chord　of　music

is　for　a　sonata　of　Beethoven。



But　I　said　the　effect　of　its　being　so　filled；　because　this；　again；

is　of　the　essence　of　good　design。　　With　a　simple　spray　of　leaves

and　a　bird　in　flight　a　Japanese　artist　will　give　you　the　impression

that　he　has　completely　covered　with　lovely　design　the　reed　fan　or

lacquer　cabinet　at　which　he　is　working；　merely　because　he　knows　the

exact　spot　in　which　to　place　them。　　All　good　design　depends　on　the

texture　of　the　utensil　used　and　the　use　you　wish　to　put　it　to。　　One

of　the　first　things　I　saw　in　an　American　school　of　design　was　a

young　lady　painting　a　romantic　moonlight　landscape　on　a　large　round

dish；　and　another　young　lady　covering　a　set　of　dinner　plates　with　a

series　of　sunsets　of　the　most　remarkable　colours。　　Let　your　ladies

paint　moonlight　landscapes　and　sunsets；　but　do　not　let　them　paint

them　on　dinner　plates　or　dishes。　　Let　them　take　canvas　or　paper　for

such　work；　but　not　clay　or　china。　　They　are　merely　painting　the

wrong　subjects　on　the　wrong　material；　that　is　all。　　They　have　not

been　taught　that　every　material　and　texture　has　certain　qualities

of　its　own。　　The　design　suitable　for　one　is　quite　wrong　for　the

other；　just　as　the　design　which　you　should　work　on　a　flat　table…

cover　ought　to　be　quite　different　from　the　design　you　would　work　on

a　curtain；　for　the　one　will　always　be　straight；　the　other　broken

into　folds；　and　the　use　too　one　puts　the　object　to　should　guide　one

in　the　choice　of