essays and lectures-第29章

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

in　the　choice　of　design。　　One　does　not　want　to　eat　one's　terrapins

off　a　romantic　moonlight　nor　one's　clams　off　a　harrowing　sunset。

Glory　of　sun　and　moon；　let　them　be　wrought　for　us　by　our　landscape

artist　and　be　on　the　walls　of　the　rooms　we　sit　in　to　remind　us　of

the　undying　beauty　of　the　sunsets　that　fade　and　die；　but　do　not　let

us　eat　our　soup　off　them　and　send　them　down　to　the　kitchen　twice　a

day　to　be　washed　and　scrubbed　by　the　handmaid。



All　these　things　are　simple　enough；　yet　nearly　always　forgotten。

Your　school　of　design　here　will　teach　your　girls　and　your　boys；

your　handicraftsmen　of　the　future　（for　all　your　schools　of　art

should　be　local　schools；　the　schools　of　particular　cities）。　　We

talk　of　the　Italian　school　of　painting；　but　there　is　no　Italian

school；　there　were　the　schools　of　each　city。　　Every　town　in　Italy；

from　Venice　itself；　queen　of　the　sea；　to　the　little　hill　fortress

of　Perugia；　each　had　its　own　school　of　art；　each　different　and　all

beautiful。



So　do　not　mind　what　art　Philadelphia　or　New　York　is　having；　but

make　by　the　hands　of　your　own　citizens　beautiful　art　for　the　joy　of

your　own　citizens；　for　you　have　here　the　primary　elements　of　a

great　artistic　movement。



For；　believe　me；　the　conditions　of　art　are　much　simpler　than　people

imagine。　　For　the　noblest　art　one　requires　a　clear　healthy

atmosphere；　not　polluted　as　the　air　of　our　English　cities　is　by　the

smoke　and　grime　and　horridness　which　comes　from　open　furnace　and

from　factory　chimney。　　You　must　have　strong；　sane；　healthy　physique

among　your　men　and　women。　　Sickly　or　idle　or　melancholy　people　do

not　do　much　in　art。　　And　lastly；　you　require　a　sense　of

individualism　about　each　man　and　woman；　for　this　is　the　essence　of

art　…　a　desire　on　the　part　of　man　to　express　himself　in　the　noblest

way　possible。　　And　this　is　the　reason　that　the　grandest　art　of　the

world　always　came　from　a　republic：　　Athens；　Venice；　and　Florence　…

there　were　no　kings　there　and　so　their　art　was　as　noble　and　simple

as　sincere。　　But　if　you　want　to　know　what　kind　of　art　the　folly　of

kings　will　impose　on　a　country　look　at　the　decorative　art　of　France

under　the　GRAND　MONARQUE；　under　Louis　the　Fourteenth；　the　gaudy

gilt　furniture　writhing　under　a　sense　of　its　own　horror　and

ugliness；　with　a　nymph　smirking　at　every　angle　and　a　dragon

mouthing　on　every　claw。　　Unreal　and　monstrous　art　this；　and　fit

only　for　such　periwigged　pomposities　as　the　nobility　of　France　at

that　time；　but　not　at　all　fit　for　you　or　me。　　We　do　not　want　the

rich　to　possess　more　beautiful　things　but　the　poor　to　create　more

beautiful　things；　for　ever　man　is　poor　who　cannot　create。　　Nor

shall　the　art　which　you　and　I　need　be　merely　a　purple　robe　woven　by

a　slave　and　thrown　over　the　whitened　body　of　some　leprous　king　to

adorn　or　to　conceal　the　sin　of　his　luxury；　but　rather　shall　it　be

the　noble　and　beautiful　expression　of　a　people's　noble　and

beautiful　life。　　Art　shall　be　again　the　most　glorious　of　all　the

chords　through　which　the　spirit　of　a　great　nation　finds　its　noblest

utterance。



All　around　you；　I　said；　lie　the　conditions　for　a　great　artistic

movement　for　every　great　art。　　Let　us　think　of　one　of　them；　a

sculptor；　for　instance。



If　a　modern　sculptor　were　to　come　and　say；　'Very　well；　but　where

can　one　find　subjects　for　sculpture　out　of　men　who　wear　frock…coats

and　chimney…pot　hats？'　I　would　tell　him　to　go　to　the　docks　of　a

great　city　and　watch　the　men　loading　or　unloading　the　stately

ships；　working　at　wheel　or　windlass；　hauling　at　rope　or　gangway。　　I

have　never　watched　a　man　do　anything　useful　who　has　not　been

graceful　at　some　moment　of　his　labour：　　it　is　only　the　loafer　and

the　idle　saunterer　who　is　as　useless　and　uninteresting　to　the

artist　as　he　is　to　himself。　　I　would　ask　the　sculptor　to　go　with　me

to　any　of　your　schools　or　universities；　to　the　running　ground　and

gymnasium；　to　watch　the　young　men　start　for　a　race；　hurling　quoit

or　club；　kneeling　to　tie　their　shoes　before　leaping；　stepping　from

the　boat　or　bending　to　the　oar；　and　to　carve　them；　and　when　he　was

weary　of　cities　I　would　ask　him　to　come　to　your　fields　and　meadows

to　watch　the　reaper　with　his　sickle　and　the　cattle…driver　with

lifted　lasso。　　For　if　a　man　cannot　find　the　noblest　motives　for　his

art　in　such　simple　daily　things　as　a　woman　drawing　water　from　the

well　or　a　man　leaning　with　his　scythe；　he　will　not　find　them

anywhere　at　all。　　Gods　and　goddesses　the　Greek　carved　because　he

loved　them；　saint　and　king　the　Goth　because　he　believed　in　them。

But　you；　you　do　not　care　much　for　Greek　gods　and　goddesses；　and　you

are　perfectly　and　entirely　right；　and　you　do　not　think　much　of

kings　either；　and　you　are　quite　right。　　But　what　you　do　love　are

your　own　men　and　women；　your　own　flowers　and　fields；　your　own　hills

and　mountains；　and　these　are　what　your　art　should　represent　to　you。



Ours　has　been　the　first　movement　which　has　brought　the

handicraftsman　and　the　artist　together；　for　remember　that　by

separating　the　one　from　the　other　you　do　ruin　to　both；　you　rob　the

one　of　all　spiritual　motive　and　all　imaginative　joy；　you　isolate

the　other　from　all　real　technical　perfection。　　The　two　greatest

schools　of　art　in　the　world；　the　sculptor　at　Athens　and　the　school

of　painting　at　Venice；　had　their　origin　entirely　in　a　long

succession　of　simple　and　earnest　handicraftsmen。　　It　was　the　Greek

potter　who　taught　the　sculptor　that　restraining　influence　of　design

which　was　the　glory　of　the　Parthenon；　it　was　the　Italian　decorator

of　chests　and　household　goods　who　kept　Venetian　painting　always

true　to　its　primary　pictorial　condition　of　noble　colour。　　For　we

should　remember　that　all　the　arts　are　fine　arts　and　all　the　arts

decorative　arts。　　The　greatest　triumph　of　Italian　painting　was　the

decoration　of　a　pope's　chapel　in　Rome　and　the　wall　of　a　room　in

Venice。　　Michael　Angelo　wrought　the　one；　and　Tintoret；　the　dyer's

son；　the　other。　　And　the　little　'Dutch　landscape；　which　you　put

over　your　sideboard　to…day；　and　between　the　windows　to…morrow；　is'

no　less　a　glorious　'piece　of　work　than　the　extents　of　field　and

forest　with　which　Benozzo　has　made　green　and　beautiful　the　once

melancholy　arcade　of　the　Campo　Santo　at　Pisa；'　as　Ruskin　says。



Do　not　imitate　the　works　of　a　nation；　Greek　or　Japanese；　Italian　or

English；　but　their　artistic　spirit　of　design　and　their　artistic

attitude　to…day；　their　own　world；　you　should　absorb　but　imitate

never；　copy　never。　　Unless　you　can　make　as　beautiful　a　design　in

painted　china　or　embroidered　screen　or　beaten　brass　out　of　your

American　turkey　as　the　Japanese　does　out　of　his　grey　silver…winged

stork；　you　will　never　do　anything。　　Let　the　Greek　carve　his　lions

and　the　Goth　his　dragons：　　buffalo　and　wild　deer　are　the　animals

for　you。



Golden　rod　and　aster　and　rose　and　all　the　flowers　that　cover　your

valleys　in　the　spring　and　your　hills　in　the　autumn：　　let　them　be

the　flowers　for　your　art。　　Not　merely　has　Nature　given　you　the

noblest　motives　for　a　new　school　of　decoration；　but　to　you　above

all　other　countries　has　she　given　the　utensils　to　work　in。



You　have　quarries　of　marble　richer　than　Pentelicus；　more　varied

than　Paros；　but　do　not　build　a　great　white　square　house　of　marble

and　think　that　it　is　beautiful；　or　that　you　are　using　marble　nobly。

If　you　build　in　marble　you　must　either　carve　it　into　joyous

decoration；　like　the　lives　of　dancing　children　that　adorn　the

marble　castles　of　the　Loire；　or　fill　it　with　beautiful　sculpture；

frieze　and　pediment；　as　the　Greeks　did；　or　inlay　it　with　other

coloured　marbles　as　they　did　in　Venice。　　Otherwise　you　had　better

build　in　simple　red　brick　as　your　Puritan　fathers；　with　no　pretence

and　with　some　beauty。　　Do　not　treat　your　marble　as　if　it　was

ordinary　stone　and　build　a　house　of　mere　blocks　of　it。　　For　it　is

indeed　a　precious　stone；　this　marble　of　yours；　and　only　workmen　of

nobility　of　in