,,works ,,by ,,walter ,,crane ,,the ,,bases ,,of ,,design4 ,with #bjj ,illustrations1 many drawn by the author4 ,third ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 net4 ,,line ,,and ,,form4 ,a ,series of ,lectures delivered at the ,municipal ,school of ,art1 ,manchester4 ,with #aeg ,illustrations4 ,third ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 net4 ,,the ,,decorative ,,illustration ,,of ,,books1 ,,old ,,and ,,new4 ,with #afe ,illustrations4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 net4 ,,london3 ,,george ,,bell ,,and ,,sons ,,ideals ,,in ,,art ,,ideals,,in,,art3 ,,papers,,theoretical,,practical,,critic al ,,by,,walter,,crane,authorof8,line,form0 4,et ,illustration ,,london3,,george,,bell,,sons3#aije ,,chiswick ,,press3 ,,charles ,,whittingham ,,and ,,co4 ,,tooks ,,court1 ,,chancery ,,lane1 ,,london4 ,,preface ,the collected papers which form this book have been written at different times1 and in the intervals of other work4 ,most of them were specially addressed to1 and read before the ,art ,workers' ,guild1 as contributions to the discussion of the various subjects they deal with2 so that they may be described as the papers of a worker in design addressed mainly to art workers4 ,they are not1 however1 wholly or narrowly technical1 and the point of view frequently bears upon the general relation of art to life4 ,some of the papers were delivered as lectures to larger audiences1 and others have appeared as articles1 mostly in journals devoted to art4 ,of the former1 the one upon the ,arts and ,crafts movement was prepared for and read as one of a series of lectures given during a recent exhibition of the ,arts and ,crafts ,exhibition ,society1 and is now for the first time printed in its entirety4 ,the 8,thoughts on ,house-,decoration0 was read before the convention of the ,national ,association of ,master ,painters and ,decorators recently held at ,leicester4 8,the ,influence of ,modern ,social and ,economic ,conditions on the ,sense of ,beauty0 was the substance of an address at the opening of a debate on that question at a meeting of the ,pioneer ,club4 ,the paper on 8,the ,progress of ,taste in ,dress0 was written for 8,the ,healthy and ,artistic ,dress ,union10 and appeared in their journal 8,aglaia40 ,the article on ,mr4 ,chesterton's book appeared in 8,the ,speaker02 that on 8,the ,teaching of ,art0 in 8,the ,art ,journal40 ,the notes on 8,gesso0 work appeared in an early number of 8,the ,studio10 and ,i have to thank the editor1 ,mr4 ,charles ,holme1 for kindly allowing me to reprint it here1 and also for the loan of the blocks used for the illustrations1 both for this and others of the papers4 ,my best thanks are also due to ,mr4 ,ernest ,gimson for the loan of photographs of his cottage at ,stoneywell2 to the ,earl of ,pembroke for enabling me to obtain those of the double cube room at ,wilton2 to ,mr4 ,charles ,rowley1 and ,mr4 ,charles ,w4 ,gamble of the ,municipal ,school of ,technology1 ,manchester1 for photographs of the ,madox ,brown frescoes2 to ,mr4 ,augustus ,spenser and ,mr4 ,fitz,roy1 the ,principal and the ,registrar of the ,royal ,college of ,art1 for their help in obtaining for me the examples of the work of the students given2 and to ,mr4 ,arthur ,p4 ,monger for the care he took in photographing them2 also to ,mr4 ,kruger of the ,royal ,college1 for the use of his admirable drawing of the decorations of ,westminster ,bridge1 which appeared in 8,the ,magazine of ,art10 and is now reproduced by permission of ,mr4 ,m4 ,h4 ,spielmann and ,messrs4 ,cassell4 ,i should like to add a note or two on some of the illustrations1 on other points not commented upon in the papers4 ,the sketch plan and elevation of a collective dwelling 7at page #aaf71 for which ,i am indebted to my architect-son1 is offered as a suggestion of what could be done in this way on very simple lines4 ,each tenant in such a collective dwelling would have his private house or cottage1 with the advantage of the use of the common dining-hall1 and the service of a collective kitchen2 also a general reading-room1 and to these rooms a vaulted way with an open arcade on the side next the quadrangle would enable each tenant to reach this part of the building under cover from his own dwelling1 which comprises a private garden1 as well as the use of the common quadrangle4 ,from the architectural point of view grouped dwellings1 upon some such principle as here suggested1 would undoubtedly lend themselves to artistic and pleasant treatment1 and would mitigate the depressing effect of the monotonous rows of squat dwellings intended for our workers' homes1 and the mean sameness of the streets1 which are spreading around our great towns in every direction1 only1 it is to be feared1 to form slums in the future4 ,in regard to ,manchester1 spoken of on page #aai1 another practical step has been taken in the much-needed direction of school-decoration4 ,through the public spirit of ,mr4 ,grant1 one of her citizens1 who has found money enough to start the work1 students of the ,municipal ,school of ,art are enabled to carry out on a large scale mural paintings upon the upper walls of the class-rooms in one of the principal primary schools4 ,the subjects have been enlarged from some of my coloured book designs such as 8,flora's ,feast40 ,such work might not only be made to bear most helpfully on the general work of education1 but in itself be an important side of school influence1 since by means of large simple typical mural designs great historical events and personages1 as well as natural form1 might be made familiar to the eyes of children at the same time that their sense of beauty and imaginative faculties were appealed to4 ,local history might in this way be preserved also4 ,in this connection one was glad to see the other day at ,hoxne 7the ancient ,eagles-dune7 in ,suffolk the school-house connected with the history of the place by having a figure of ,st4 ,edmund carved as a finial of the chief gable1 with a relief in stone let into the wall beneath1 illustrating the incident of the saintly king being taken by the ,danes at the bridge1 while an inscription mentions that the building marks the spot1 and the date of his death in #hgj4 ,,walter ,,crane4 ,,yew ,,tree ,,farm1 ,september1 #aije4 ,,contents ,,page ,,of ,,the ,,arts ,,and ,,crafts ,,movement3 ,,its ,,general ,,tendency ,,and ,,possible ,,outcome #a ,,of ,,the ,,teaching ,,of ,,art #ce ,,of ,,methods ,,of ,,art ,,teaching #eh ,,note ,,on ,,tolstoi',s 8,,what ,,is ,,art80 #fi ,,of ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,modern ,,social ,,and ,,economic ,,conditions ,,on ,,the ,,sense ,,of ,,beauty #gf ,,of ,,the ,,social ,,and ,,ethical ,,bearings ,,of ,,art #hh ,,of ,,ornament ,,and ,,its ,,meaning #ajb ,,thoughts ,,on ,,house-,,decoration #aaj ,,of ,,the ,,progress ,,of ,,taste ,,in ,,dress ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,art ,,education #aga ,,of ,,temporary ,,street ,,decorations #aib ,,of ,,the ,,treatment ,,of ,,animal ,,forms ,,in ,,decoration ,,and ,,heraldry #bjc ,,of ,,the ,,designing ,,of ,,book-,,covers #bbe ,,of ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,gilding ,,in ,,decoration #bcg ,,of ,,raised ,,work ,,in ,,gesso #bdg ,,the ,,relation ,,of ,,the ,,easel ,,picture ,,to ,,decorative ,,art #bfe ,a ,,great ,,artist ,,in ,a ,,literary ,,searchlight #bgc ,,index #bhc ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,page ,page from ,blake's 8,songs of ,experience0 #e ,page from ,blake's 8,songs of ,innocence0 #f ,wood engravings by ,edward ,calvert #g1 #h ,illustrations to ,tennyson3 ,the ,ballad of ,oriana1 by ,holman ,hunt #i ,the ,palace of ,art1 by ,d4 ,g4 ,rossetti #aj ,the ,bride 7from 8,the ,talking ,oak071 by ,sir ,j4 ,e4 ,millais #aa ,manoli1 by ,frederick ,sandys #ac ,royal ,college of ,art1 ,students' ,designs3 ,figure ,composition1 ,frederigo ,barbarossa1 by ,lancelot ,crane #cg ,time ,studies1 by ,h4 ,parr #ch1 #ci ,time ,studies of ,figures in ,action #da ,design and ,plan of a ,domed ,church1 by ,a4 ,e4 ,martin #db ,design for ,tapestry1 by ,e4 ,w4 ,tristram #dc ,design for ,embroidery1 by ,miss ,e4 ,m4 ,dunkley #de ,museum ,studies in ,embroidery1 by ,miss ,e4 ,m4 ,dunkley #df ,sheet of ,heraldic ,studies1 by ,miss ,c4 ,m4 ,lacey #dg ,studies in ,counterchange1 by ,w4 ,g4 ,spooner #di ,studies of ,scroll ,forms1 by ,w4 ,g4 ,spooner #ea ,studies of ,plant ,forms1 by ,w4 ,g4 ,spooner #ec ,pen ,drawings1 by ,h4 ,a4 ,rigby #ee1 #eg ,cabinet1 designed and decorated in ,gesso1 by ,j4 ,r4 ,shea #ei ,group of ,pottery1 designed and executed by the ,students #fj ,wood ,carving1 by ,j4 ,r4 ,shea #fa ,stained ,glass ,panel1 designed and executed by ,a4 ,kidd4 #fb ,frieze1 by ,james ,a4 ,stevenson4 #fc ,page of ,text1 written by ,j4 ,p4 ,bland #fe ,panel by ,vincent ,hill #fg ,wentworth ,street1 ,whitechapel #gi ,egyptian ,hieroglyphics as a ,wall ,decoration 7,temple of ,seti1 ,abydos7 #hi ,greek ,cylix 7,peleus and ,thetis7 #aje ,sketch for ,collective ,dwelling1 by ,lionel ,f4 ,crane #aaf ,plan of ,collective ,dwelling1 by ,lionel ,f4 ,crane #aaf ,frescoes by ,ford ,madox ,brown in the ,town ,hall1 ,manchester #aah1 #aai ,view in ,bournville #abc ,cottages at ,bournville1 designed by ,alex4 ,w4 ,harvey #abc ,interior1 #a;a1 ,holland ,park1 designed by ,philip ,webb #aca ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk 7from ,drawings by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury7 #acc1 #acd1 #ace1 #acg1 #ach1 #aci1 #ada1 #adc ,lucas van ,leyden1 8,the ,annunciation0 #ade ,carpaccio1 8,the ,dream of ,st4 ,ursula0 #adg ,cottage in the ,garden ,city1 ,letchworth1 ,herts1 designed by ,lionel ,f4 ,crane #adi1 #aej1 #aea ,stoneywell ,cottage1 designed by ,ernest ,w4 ,gimson #aec1 #aee ,old ,english ,farmhouse ,interior 7from a ,sketch by ,walter ,crane7 #aeg ,combe ,bank1 ,sevenoaks1 the ,saloon1 decorated by ,walter ,crane #aei ,printed ,cretonne ,hangings1 designed by ,walter ,crane #afj1 #afa ,wall-papers1 designed by ,walter ,crane #afc1 #afd1 #afe1 #afg1 #afh1 #afi ,greek ,drapery 7,temple of ,nike ,apteros1 ,athens7 #agc ,types of ,artistic ,dress #agg ,types of ,children's ,dress #agi ,types of ,working ,dress #aha ,hungarian ,peasant ,costumes #ahb1 #ahc ,a ,contrast4 ,modern and ,mediaeval ,simplicity #ahg ,decoration of ,westminster ,bridge1 by the ,students of the ,royal ,college of ,art 7from a ,coloured ,drawing by ,g4 ,e4 ,kruger7 #aie ,suggestion for a ,temporary ,gatehouse at ,temple ,bar1 by ,walter ,crane #aig ,temporary ,street ,decoration #aii1 #bja ,royal ,mantle from the ,treasury of ,bamberg #bje ,chasuble from the ,cathedral of ,anagni #bjf ,sicilian ,silk ,patterns 7,x,i,vth century7 #bjg1 #bjh1 #bji1 #baj1 #baa1 #bab1 #bac1 #bad ,embroidered ,tabard in the ,archaeological ,museum at ,ghent #bae ,details from the ,embroidered ,tabard #baf1 #bag1 #bah ,robe of ,richard ,,ii 7from the picture at ,wilton ,house7 #bai ,the ,lions of ,england1 designed by ,walter ,crane #bbj ,heraldic ,lion1 designed by ,walter ,crane #bba ,the ,lions of ,england 7from the ,tomb of ,william de ,valence1 ,earl of ,pembroke1 ,westminster ,abbey7 #bbb ,equestrian ,figure with ,heraldic ,trappings 7from the ,tomb of ,edmund ,crouchback1 ,earl of ,lancaster1 ,westminster ,abbey7 #bbc ,binding in black morocco1 with ,medallions and ,coat of ,arms1 by ,thomas ,berthelet #bbg ,binding in black morocco1 with ,arms of ,edward ,,vi1 by ,thomas ,berthelet #bbi ,binding in stamped calf1 with emblematical designs #bca ,binding of oak boards covered with stamped calf1 by ,john ,reynes #bcc ,binding in brown calf1 inlaid1 by the ,wotton ,binder #bce ,appartamenti ,borgia1 ,vatican1 showing ,pinturicchio's 8,salutation10 etc4 #bch ,detail from ,pinturicchio's 8,salutation10 with enrichments in ,gesso #bci ,palermo1 ,cappella ,reale 7from a ,water-colour ,sketch by ,walter ,crane7 #bda ,the ,double ,cube ,room1 ,wilton ,house #bdc1 #bde ,method of ,working with the ,brush in ,gesso #bdi ,filling for ,picture ,frame in ,gesso ,duro1 designed by ,walter ,crane #bej ,design for a ,bell-pull1 modelled in ,gesso1 by ,walter ,crane #bea ,gesso ,panel1 design for the ,art ,workers' ,guild1 by ,walter ,crane #bec ,the ,dance 7,frieze ,panel in ,gesso71 designed by ,walter ,crane #bed ,picture ,frame in ,oak with ,gesso filling1 designed by ,walter ,crane #bee ,treatment of ,form in ,gesso ,decoration1 by ,walter ,crane #bef ,system of ,modelling with the ,brush in ,gesso #beg ,gesso ,decoration at #a;a1 ,holland ,park1 by ,walter ,crane1 the woodwork by ,philip ,webb #beh1 #bei1 #bfj1 #bfa ,panel in ,gesso1 tinted with lacquers and lustre paint1 designed by ,walter ,crane #bfb ,panel in ,gesso1 tinted with lacquer1 designed by ,walter ,crane #bfc ,pictorial ,decoration 7,ducal ,palace1 ,venice7 #bga 8,love and ,death10 by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a4 #bge 8,sir ,galahad10 by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a4 #bgg 8,hope10 by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a4 #bgi ,,ideals ,,in ,,art ,,of ,,the ,,arts ,,and ,,crafts ,,movement3 ,,its ,,general ,,tendency ,,and ,,possible ,,outcome ,it seems a strange thing that the last quarter of the nineteenth--or what ,i was going to call our machine-made--century should be characterized by a revival of the handicrafts2 yet of the reality of that revival there can now be no manner of doubt1 from whatever point we date its beginnings1 or to whomsoever we may trace its initiation4 ,indeed1 it seems to me that the more we consider the characteristics of different epochs in the history of art1 or of the world1 the less we are able to isolate them1 or to deal with them as phenomena by themselves1 so related they seem to what has gone before them1 and to what succeeds them1 just as are the personalities associated with them2 and ,i do not think this movement of ours will prove any exception to this rule4 ,standing as we do on the threshold of a new century--which so often means a new epoch in history1 if not in art--it may1 perhaps1 be allowable to look back a bit1 as well as forward1 in attempting a general survey of the movement4 ,like a traveller who has reached a certain stage of his journey1 we look back over the region traversed1 losing sight1 in such a wide prospect1 and in the mists of such a far distance1 of many turns in the road1 and places by the way1 which at one time seemed important1 and only noting here and there certain significant landmarks which declare the way by which we have come4 ,to take a very rapid glance at the phases of decorative art of the past century1 we see much of the old life and traditions in art carried on from the eighteenth century into the early years of the nineteenth1 when the handicrafts were still the chief means in the production of things of use or beauty4 ,the luxurious excess of the later renascence forms in decoration1 learned from ,france and ,italy 7though adopted in this country with a certain reserve71 corrected by a mixture of ,dutch homeliness1 and later by ,french empire translations of ,greek and ,roman fashions in ornament1 often attained a certain elegance and charm in the gilded stucco mirror frames and painted furniture of our ,regency period1 which replaced the more refined joinery1 veneer1 and inlaid work of ,chippendale and his kinds4 ,classical taste dominated our architecture1 striving hard to become domesticated1 but looking chilly and colourless in our ,english gray climate1 as if conscious of inadequate clothing4 ,this ,greco-,roman empire elegance gradually wore off1 and turned to frigid plainness in domestic architecture1 and to corpulency in furniture1 as the middle of the century was approached1 when the old classical tradition in furniture1 handed on from ,chippendale1 ,sheraton1 and ,hepplewhite1 seemed to be suddenly broken into by wild fancies and fantastic attempts at naturalism in carving1 combined with a reckless curvature of arms and legs supporting 7or supported by7 springs and padding4 ,drawing-rooms revelled in ormolu and ,french clocks1 vast looking-glasses1 and the heavy artillery of polished mahogany pianos1 while ,berlin-wool-work and anti-macassars in crochet took possession of any ground not occupied by artificial flowers1 and other wonders1 under glass shades4 ,the '#ea ,exhibition was the apotheosis of mid-nineteenth century taste1 or absence of taste1 perhaps4 ,the display of industrial art and furniture then1 to judge from illustrated catalogues and journals of the period1 seemed to indicate that ideas of design and craftsmanship were in a strange state4 ,the new naturalism was beginning to assert itself1 but generally in the wrong place1 and in all sorts of unsuitable materials4 ,those were the days when people marvelled at the skill of a sculptor who represented a veiled figure in marble so that you could almost see through the veil6--but that was 8,fine ,art40 ,industrial art was in a very different category1 yet it was influenced by fine art1 and1 generally1 greatly to its disadvantage4 ,we had vignetted landscapes upon china and coalboxes1 for instance1 and ,landseer pictures on hearth-rugs--and our people loved to have it so4 ,these things were done1 and more also1 in the ordinary course of trade1 which flourished exceedingly1 and no one bothered about design4 ,if furniture and fittings were wanted1 the upholsterer and ironmonger did the rest4 ,yet was it not in the 8fifties0 that ,alfred ,stevens made designs for iron grates8 so that there must have been one artist1 at any rate1 not above giving thought to common things4 ,designers like ,alfred ,stevens1 and his followers ,godfrey ,sykes and ,moody1 certainly represented in their day a movement inspired chiefly by a study of the earlier renascence1 and an honest desire to adapt its forms to modern decoration4 ,their work1 though suffering--like all original work--deterioration at the hands of imitators1 showed a search for style and boldness of contour and line1 touched with a certain refined naturalism which gives the work of ,alfred ,stevens and his school a very distinct place4 ,it was mainly a sculptor's and modeller's movement1 and represented a renascence revival in modern ,english decorative art2 and through the work of ,godfrey ,sykes and ,moody1 in association with the government schools of art1 it had a considerable effect upon the art of the country4 ,but ,i think many and mixed elements contributed to the change of feeling and fashion which came about rather later1 in which perhaps may be traced the influence of modes of thought expressing themselves also in literature and poetry1 as well as the study of different models in design4 ,illustration3 ,page from ,blake's 8,songs of ,experience0 ,illustration3 ,page from ,blake's 8,songs of ,innocence0 ,illustration3 ,wood ,engravings by ,edward ,calvert ,the ,return ,home ,illustration3 ,ideal ,pastoral ,life ,illustration3 ,the ,chamber ,idyll ,illustration3 ,wood ,engravings by ,edward ,calvert ,the ,flood ,illustration3 ,the ,lady and the ,rooks ,illustration3 ,the ,brook ,one cannot forget that the early years of the nineteenth century were illuminated by the inspiration and clearness of inner vision were expressed in so individual a form with such fervour of poetic feeling and social aspiration1 both in verse and design1 in the books engraved and printed by himself which remain the remarkable monument of his neglected genius4 ,illustration3 ,illustrations to ,tennyson 8,the ,ballad of ,oriana40 ,by ,holman ,hunt ,the group of artists associated with him1 too1 such as ,edward ,calvert and ,samuel ,palmer1 marked an epoch in ,english poetic illustration1 associated with wood engraving and printing1 of very distinct character and beauty1 the influence of which may be seen at the present day in some of the woodcuts of ,mr4 ,sturge ,moore4 ,the more conscious classical designs of ,flaxman and ,stothard were colder1 but graceful1 and mark a period from which we seem more widely separated than from others more remote1 yet seemingly nearer in sentiment4 ,illustration3 ,illustrations to ,tennyson 8,the ,palace of ,art40 ,by ,d4 ,g4 ,rossetti ,quite a different kind of sentiment was fostered by the writings of ,scott upon which so many generations have been fed1 but they had their effect in keeping alive the sense of romance and interest in the life of past days1 still further enlightened by the researches of antiquarians1 and the increased study of the ,middle ,ages1 and above all of ,gothic architecture4 ,all these must be considered as so many tributary streams to swell the main current of thought and feeling which carried us on to the artistic revival of our own times4 ,illustration3 ,illustrations to ,tennyson ,the ,bride 7from 8,the ,talking ,oak074 ,by ,sir ,j4 ,e4 ,millais ,the poetry of ,tennyson1 with its sense of colour1 sympathy with art and nature1 and the romance of the historic past1 its thoroughly ,english feeling1 and its revival of the ,arthurian ,legend1 and its association 7in the ,moxon edition of #aheg7 with the designs of some of the leading pre-,raphaelite painters must be counted if not as a very strong influence upon1 at least as an evidence and an accompaniment of that movement4 ,the names of ,ford ,madox ,brown1 of ,dante ,gabriel ,rossetti1 of ,william ,holman ,hunt1 at once suggest artists of extraordinary individuality1 remarkable decorative instinct1 and carefulness for1 and scholarly knowledge of1 beautiful and significant accessories of life1 of which all have not only given evidence in their own craft of painting1 but also as practical designers4 ,the name of another remarkable artist must be mentioned1 that of ,frederick ,sandys1 contemporary with the pre-,raphaelites1 imbued with their spirit1 and following their methods of work4 ,a wonderful draughtsman and powerful designer1 who in all his work shows himself fully alive to beauty of decorative design in the completeness1 care1 and taste with which the accessories of his pictures and designs are rendered4 ,his powers of design and draughtsmanship are perhaps best shown in the illustrations engraved on wood which appeared in 8,once a ,week10 8,the ,cornhill ,magazine10 and elsewhere1 which were shown with the collections of the artist's work at the ,international ,society's last exhibition at the ,new ,gallery1 and at the ,winter ,exhibition at ,burlington ,house in the present year 7#aije74 ,illustration3 ,manoli4 ,by ,frederick ,sandys ,from 8,the ,cornhill ,magazine0 ,in some quarters it appears to be supposed that the pre-,raphaelite movement consisted entirely of ,rossetti1 and that to explain its development you have only to add water--or caricature4 ,it is extraordinary to think in what uncritical positions professional critics occasionally land themselves4 ,i cannot understand how any candid and fairly well-informed person can fail to perceive that the pre-,raphaelite movement was really a very complex movement1 containing many different elements and the germs of different kinds of development in art4 ,if it was primitive and archaic on one side1 it was modern and realistic on another1 and again1 on another1 romantic1 poetic1 and mystic2 or again1 wholly devoted to ideals of decorative beauty4 ,the very names of the original members of the brotherhood1 to say nothing of later adherents1 suggest very marked differences of temperament and character1 and these differences were reflected in their art4 ,the stimulating writings of ,ruskin must also be counted a factor in the movement1 in his recognition of the fundamental importance of beautiful and sincere architecture and its relation to the sister arts3 in his enthusiasm for truer ideals both in art and life3 in the ardent love of and study of nature so constantly1 so eloquently expressed throughout his works4 ,despite all controversial points1 despite all contradictions--mistakes even--,i think that every one who has at any time of his life come under the influence of ,ruskin's writings must acknowledge the nobility of purpose and sincerity of spirit which animates them throughout4 ,it is the fashion now in some quarters to undervalue his influence1 but at all events it was at its best a wholesome and stimulating influence1 provocative of thought1 and no man must be held accountable for the mistakes or misapplications of his followers--the inevitable ,nemesis of genius4 ,it was an influence which certainly had practical results in many ways1 and not least must be counted its influence upon the life1 opinions and work of the man to whose workshop is commonly traced the practical revival of sincere design and handicraft in modern ,england--,i need hardly say ,i mean ,william ,morris4 ,it is notable that at the outset the initiation of that practical revival was due to a group of artists1 including the names already mentioned1 and although in later days the practical direction of the work fell into the hands of ,william ,morris1 the fact that the enterprise had the sympathy and support of the leading artists of the pre-,raphaelite ,school must not be forgotten4 ,indeed1 it is said that the initiative or first practical proposal in the matter came from ,d4 ,g4 ,rossetti1 and it must be remembered that originally the main object of the firm was to supply their own circle with furniture and house decorations to suit their own tastes1 though the operations were afterwards extended to the public with extraordinary success4 ,the work1 too1 of the group was strengthened on the architectural side by such excellent designers as ,mr4 ,philip ,webb1 who1 in addition to architectural and constructive work of all kinds is remarkable for the force and feeling of his designs of animals used in decorative schemes1 both in the flat and in relief4 ,the hare and hound in the frieze of the dining-room at ,south ,kensington ,museum are early works of his1 as well as the woodwork of the room4 ,the study of mediaeval art had1 however1 been going on for many years before1 and books of the taste and completeness of those of ,henry ,shaw1 for instance1 had been published1 dealing with many different provinces of decorative art1 from alphabets to architecture4 ,the well engraved and printed illustrations of these works afforded glimpses even to the uninitiated of the wonderful richness1 invention and variety of the art of the ,middle ,ages--so long neglected and misunderstood--while the treasures of the ,british ,museum in the priceless illuminated manuscripts of those ages were open to those who would really know what mediaeval book-craft was like4 ,then1 too1 the formation of the unrivalled collections at ,south ,kensington1 and the opportunities there given for the study of very choice and beautiful examples of decorative art of all kinds1 especially of mediaeval ,italy and of the earlier renascence1 played a very important part both in the education of artists and the public1 and helped with other causes to prepare the way for new or revived ideas in design and craftsmanship4 ,the movement went quietly on at first1 confined almost exclusively to a limited circle of artists or artistically-minded people4 ,it grew under the shadow of the atrocious ,franco-,british fashions of the sixties1 now 7or recently7 so much admired1 crinolines and all1 in some quarters1 because ,i suppose they are so old-fashioned4 ,independent signs of dissatisfaction with current modes1 however1 were discernible here and there4 ,it was1 ,i think1 about this time that ,mr4 ,charles ,l4 ,eastlake 7late ,keeper of the ,national ,gallery7 who was trained as an architect1 published a book called 8,hints on ,household ,taste10 in which he says somewhere3 8,lost in the contemplation of palaces we have forgotten to look about us for a chair40 ,this seemed to indicate a reaction against the exclusive attention then given to what were called 8the ,fine ,arts40 ,associations were formed for the discussion of artistic questions of all kinds1 and ,i mind me of a certain society of art students which used to meet in the well-known room at ,no4 #i1 ,conduit ,street1 the existence of which indicated that there were thought and movement in the air among the younger generation and new ideas were on the wing1 many of them carrying the germs of important future developments4 ,even outside ,queen ,square there were certain designers of furniture and surface decorations not wholly absorbed by trade ideals1 who maintained a precarious existence as decorative artists4 ,there were architects1 too1 of such distinction and character as ,pugin1 ,william ,burges1 and ,butterfield1 who were fully alive to the value of mediaeval art1 and were bold experimenters as well as scholars and enthusiasts in their revival of the use of mural decoration in colour4 ,mr4 ,norman ,shaw's work1 which has so much influenced the newer architectural aspects of ,london1 comes later1 and is more distinctly and intimately related to our movement1 which it may here be said has owed much of its strength to its large architectural element4 ,there were1 of course1 builders and decorators in those days1 but the genus 8decorative artist0 was a new species as distinct from the painter and paper-hanger4 ,while these1 and the historic1 the landscape1 the animal1 and genre painter had their exhibitions1 were recognized1 and some of them duly honoured at times1 decorative artists and designers may be said to have had nowhere to lay their heads--in the artistic sense--so they laid their heads together6 ,the immediate outcome of this sympathetic counsel took the form of fireside discussions by members of a society of decorative artists founded by ,mr4 ,lewis ,f4 ,day1 strictly limited in number1 called 8the ,fifteen40 ,this small society was in course of time superseded1 or rather absorbed1 by a larger body known as the ,art ,workers' ,guild1 which contained architects1 painters1 designers1 sculptors1 and craftsmen of all kinds1 and grew and increased mightily2 it has since thrown out a younger branch in the ,junior ,art ,workers' ,guild4 ,guilds1 or groups of associated workers were also formed for the practice and supply of certain handicrafts1 and societies like that of the ,home ,arts and ,industries ,association organized village classes in wood-carving1 pottery1 metal-work1 basket-making1 turning1 spinning1 and weaving linen1 embroidery1 and other crafts4 ,these efforts1 mostly due to a band of enthusiastic amateurs1 must all be counted1 if not always satisfactory in their results1 yet as educational in their effects1 and as creating a wider public interested in the handicraft movement1 and therefore as adding impetus to that movement1 which in #ahhh--the year of our own society's foundation--even rose to the height of--or extended to the length of--a 8,national ,association for the ,advancement of ,art in ,relation to ,industry0 7such was its title7 which actually held congresses in successive years in ,liverpool1 ,edinburgh1 and ,birmingham--as if they were scientists or sectarians4 ,members of our society were more or less connected with these developments4 ,all this time we had1 as we still have1 a ,royal ,academy of ,arts4 ,but somewhere in the early eighties arose certain bold1 bad men who--not satisfied with an annual picture-show of some two thousand works or so1 always fresh--desired to see a national exhibition of art which should comprise not only paintings1 sculpture1 and architectural water-colours1 but some representation of the arts and handicrafts of design4 ,another plank in this artistic platform was the annual election of a selection and hanging committee out of and by the whole body of artists in the kingdom4 ,this movement attracted a considerable number of adherents1 largely among the rising school of painting1 until it was discovered that several of the leaders desired to belong to the garrison of the fortress they proposed to attack4 ,the ,arts and ,crafts section of this movement1 mostly members of the ,guild aforesaid1 seeing their vision look hopeless in that direction1 then withdrew1 and formed themselves into the present ,arts and ,crafts ,exhibition ,society1 with power to add to their number4 ,and ,i think they gathered to themselves all the artists and craftsmen of standing who were sympathetic and willing to subscribe to their aims4 ,we may note here that since the directors of the ,grosvenor ,gallery in its ,winter ,exhibition of #ahha arranged a collection of designs for decoration1 including cartoons for mosaic1 tapestry1 and glass1 no attempt to show contemporary work of the kind had been made4 ,we were1 however1 but few at first1 and but few of us widely known1 and with limited influence4 ,william ,morris and ,burne-,jones did not join us until we had fairly organized ourselves and defined our programme1 though their works from the first have enriched our exhibitions4 ,the initial steps were laborious and difficult and the process of organization slow1 each step being carefully debated4 ,suitable premises seemed at one time impossible to procure1 the demands of an ordinary picture-gallery being by no means suited to the mixed displays of an arts and crafts exhibition1 so little so1 indeed1 that it was proposed to hire a large old-fashioned ,london mansion in order to group our exhibits in better relation4 ,time1 however1 seemed to help us somewhat1 as1 during the period of our formation the ,new ,gallery was opened--emerging in marble and gilding from its whilom dusty chrysalis as an abandoned meat market--and here1 in the autumn of #ahhh1 as may be remembered1 supported by a courageous list of guarantors we opened our first exhibition4 ,i think we were fully conscious that an exhibition is at the best necessarily a very imperfect thing1 and should probably even agree that it was a necessary evil4 ,an exhibition of such various elements as an arts and crafts show brings together has its own particular difficulties4 ,one cannot place fragmentary pieces of decorative art in their proper relation1 and relation is of the essence of good decorative art4 ,we are driven to a sort of compromise1 finding practical difficulties in the way of logical systems--such as the grouping according to kind1 or the grouping according to authorship--and have resorted to a mixed method with a view to the best decorative ensemble with the materials at hand--with the result1 ,i fear1 of hurting the feelings of nearly everybody concerned--but that is the common fate of exhibition committees4 ,having had the honour of being president during the first three years of the society's existence ,i had occasion to state its objects and principles as far as ,i understood them1 and as these are set forth in our ,book of ,essays it does not seem necessary to repeat what is there written1 but a short re-statement of the chief points may not be out of place here4 ,we desired first of all to give opportunity to the designer and craftsman to exhibit their work to the public for its artistic interest and thus to assert the claims of decorative art and handicraft to attention equally with the painter of easel pictures1 hitherto almost exclusively associated with the term art in the public mind4 ,ignoring the artificial distinction between ,fine and ,decorative art1 we felt that the real distinction was what we conceived to be between good and bad art1 or false and true taste and methods in handicraft1 considering it of little value to endeavour to classify art according to its commercial value or social importance1 while everything depended upon the spirit as well as the skill and fidelity with which the conception was expressed1 in whatever material1 seeing that a worker earned the title of artist by the sympathy with and treatment of his material1 by due recognition of its capacity1 and its natural limitations1 as well as of the relation of the work to use and life4 ,we sought to trace back ornament to its organic source in constructive necessity4 ,we asserted the principle that the ,designer and ,craftsman should be hand in hand1 and work head with hand in both cases1 so that mere redundancy of ingenious surface ornament on the one hand1 or mechanical ingenuity in executive skill on the other1 should not be considered as ends in themselves1 but only as means to ends1 neither the one nor the other being tolerable without controlling taste4 ,but how assign artistic credit to nameless workers8 ,one can hardly expect artistic judgement and distinction without artistic responsibility1 and1 according to the usual methods of industrial exhibitions1 individual designers and craftsmen were concealed under the general designation of a firm4 ,we therefore asked for names of responsible executants--those who had contributed in any way to the artistic character of the work4 ,this seemed a simple and obvious request1 but there has probably been more difficulty over this one point than over any other of our programme4 ,but here we encounter the sharp corner of an economic question1 as is so often the case in pursuing a question of principle in art--a question touching the position and artistic freedom of the workman4 ,a workman1 one perhaps of many who contribute to the production of a piece of modern craftsmanship1 is in the hands of the firm that exhibits the work4 ,it is to the commercial interest of the firm to be known as the producer of the work1 and it must be therefore out of good nature or sense of fairness1 or desire to conform to our conditions1 when the name of the actual workman is given1 who so long as he is in the employ of a firm is supposed to work exclusively in that firm's interest4 ,complaints have been made that the workman whose name is given on an exhibited work may be tempted away to work for a rival firm1--an interesting illustration of the working of our system of commercial competition4 ,yet1 if a workman is worthy of his hire1 the good craftsman is surely worthy of due personal credit for his skill1 and if superior skill has a tendency to increase in market value1 we need not be surprised1 either as employers or private artists1 seeing that in either case we should consider it fair to avail ourselves of such increase4 ,i think the question must be honestly faced4 ,as it is1 owing to accidents1 intentional omissions1 or inadvertencies1 our cataloguing in this respect has not been so complete as one could wish1 and we are necessarily dependent in respect to these particulars upon our exhibitors4 ,our exhibition for the first three years was annual4 ,with the election of ,william ,morris as ,president a change of policy came in1 and it was considered advisable to limit ourselves to triennial exhibitions4 ,this was partly because the organization of a yearly exhibition put a considerable strain and responsibility upon a voluntary executive1 and consumed a considerable amount of the thought and time of working artists2 partly also from the consideration that more interesting shows would result if held after a three years' interval1 giving time for the production of important work4 ,it must be said1 however1 that artistic production of constructive and decorative work was then in fewer hands1 and it was impossible to foresee the increase of activity in the arts and crafts1 or the steady support of an interested1 if comparatively limited1 public which we have enjoyed4 ,looking back at the general character of our exhibitions1 it is interesting to note certain lines of evolution in the development of design and the persistence of certain types of design4 ,now even in the work of a single artist1 the character of his design is seen to undergo many changes in the course of his career1 as he comes under various different influences4 ,some are more1 some are less variable1 but a man's youthful work differs considerably from his mature work1 as his later work will again differ from his mature work4 ,while there is life there must be movement1 growth1 and change1 let us tie ourselves down as narrowly as we will4 ,but even apart from this1 the process of evolution may be seen and felt in the conception and construction of a design before it finally leaves our hands4 ,we get the germ of an idea1 and in adapting it to its material and purpose it is necessarily modified4 ,even in the character and quality of its line and mass it is added to or taken away from in obedience to our sense of what is fit and harmonious4 ,if1 then1 this process takes place with the individual1 how much more with many individuals developing either on one line or many8 ,how much more shall we discern this trend of evolution in the sum and mass of work after the passage of years8 ,to the superficial observer the work of a group of men more or less in sympathy in general aim is apt to be labelled all alike1 whereas among that very group we may discern tendencies and sympathies in reality most diverse4 ,now it seems as regards general tendencies in design in our movement that1 after a period of a rich and luxuriant development of ornament1 a certain reaction has taken place in favour of simplicity and reserve4 ,it is probably a perfectly natural desire for repose after a period of excitement4 ,and even where pattern is used the character of the form is much more restricted and formal as a rule4 ,there is a tendency to build upon rectangular or vertical lines and to allow larger intermediary spaces4 ,the same desire for severity and simplicity in a more marked degree is to be observed in furniture design and construction4 ,in fact1 throughout all the recent work in the larger kinds of decoration and craftsmanship1 this aim at simplicity and severity of line and general treatment is pronounced4 ,this probably reflects the same feeling observable in recent domestic architecture1 wherein a search for proportion and style1 with simplicity of line and mass seem to influence the designer1 and an appropriate use of materials rather than ornamental detail4 ,but in one direction richness and artistic fancy seems to have found a new field1 and it is a province which in our earlier exhibitions had hardly any representation at all1 ,i mean jewellery and gold and silversmith's work and the art of enamelling1 which show an extraordinary development1 and may be claimed as a distinct and direct result of the new artistic impulse in the handicrafts4 ,in these arts there is obviously very great scope for individuality of treatment1 for invention1 for fancy1 and taste4 ,it was in the year #ahhg that1 at the invitation of ,mr4 ,armstrong 7the then ,director for ,art at the ,science and ,art ,department7 a ,french artist-craftsman 7the late ,m4 ,louis ,dalpeyrat of ,limoges#a7 gave a series of demonstrations in enamelling at the ,south ,kensington schools4 ,among the band of interested students was ,mr4 ,alexander ,fisher1 who took up the work seriously2 his accomplishment is so well known and so many workers in enamelling owe their first instruction to him that he has been called the father of the recent ,english revival in this beautiful craft4 #a ,i am indebted to ,mr4 ,armstrong for some interesting particulars as to this4 ,it appears that ,m4 ,louis ,dalpeyrat was employed to make copies of some of the pieces of enamel in the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 which he did very skilfully1 and these copies were used for circulation among provincial museums and schools of art4 ,mr4 ,armstrong obtained sanction for ,m4 ,dalpeyrat to give a series of demonstrations in enamelling to a class of twelve students from the ,national ,art ,training ,school 7now the ,royal ,college of ,art71 and these were given in the metallurgical laboratory in the ,college of ,science1 where the plaques were fired1 ,prof4 ,roberts ,austen having given permission4 ,there was no grant at that time for technical instruction4 ,i ventured to say on some occasion in the early days of our movement that 8,we must turn our artists into craftsmen1 and our craftsmen into artists40 ,well1 certainly the first part of the sentence has been fulfilled in a remarkable way1 since the movement is chiefly notable for the number of artists who have become craftsmen in a variety of different materials4 ,in the second1 transformation has not taken place to the same extent1 which may1 perhaps1 be more or less accounted for by the consideration of those economic questions before spoken of1 in so far as they apply to the workman4 ,as a rule the workman has been specialized for a particular branch of work1 or a particular subdivision of a branch of workmanship2 he seldom can acquire an all-round knowledge of a craft1 and is seldom able to take a complete or artistic view of his work1 as a whole1 as he never produces a complete whole under the conditions of the modern workshop or factory4 ,then1 too1 ,english workmen have been trained to look upon mechanical perfection and mechanical finish as the ideal1 and it is impossible to set up a different ideal in a short time4 ,it must be remembered1 also1 that1 as a class1 the modern workman is engaged in a great economic struggle--an industrial war1 quite as real1 and often as terrible in its results as a military one--to raise his standard of life1 or even to maintain it amid the fluctuations of trade1 and1 as a rule1 he is not in a position to cultivate his taste in art4 ,let us hope that the new schools of design under the ,technical ,education ,board will have their effect1 as they undoubtedly offer new and better practical opportunities to young craftsmen than have been available before4 ,such schools as the ,central ,school of ,arts and ,crafts1 under the ,london ,county ,council1 may be regarded as a direct outcome of the movement1 and it is a remarkable fact that its teachers are composed principally of members of our society and committee1 to whom the organization of the classes was due4 ,besides1 if the artist has learned of the craftsman1 there must be a good deal of education going on quietly in the studios and workshops of those aforesaid artist-craftsmen1 wherein the craftsman learns in his turn of the artist1 and here again must spring good results4 ,sound traditions of design and workmanship should be of enormous help in starting students on safe paths1 and preventing that painful process of unlearning from which so many earnest students and artists have suffered in our days4 ,such traditions1 however1 should never be allowed to crystallize or hinder new thought and freedom of invention within the limits of the material in which the designer works1 for living art exhibits a constant growth and evolution2 and though in some cases the process of evolution in an artistic life may appear to take rather the form of degeneration1 the important thing is to preserve life with its principle of growth1 without losing balance1 and above all1 sense of fitness and beauty4 ,if beauty and utility are our guides in all design and handicraft1 we can hardly go wrong4 ,if our design is organic both in itself and in its incorporation with constructive necessity--if it1 springing out of that necessity1 expresses the joy of the artist1 and is truly the crown of the work1 making the dumb material vocal with expressive line and form1 or colour1 it must at least be a thing having life1 character1 sincerity1 and these are important elements in the expression of new beauty4 ,along with the formation of discussion clubs and societies of designers and craftsmen1 the tendency to form ,guilds of ,handicraft1 whether they are a new form of commercial enterprise1 or consist1 as they frequently do1 in the first place1 of a group of artists and craftsmen in genuine sympathy working together with assistants1 must be noted as another sign of the influence of the movement2 as also the influence of certain types of design upon ordinary trade production4 ,it is even asserted that--,i quote from a trade journal on a recent ,arts and ,crafts exhibition--8the arts and crafts movement has been the best influence upon machine industry during the past ten years0--that 8while we have sought to develop handicrafts beside it on sound and independent lines1 we have succeeded in imparting something of the spirit of craftsmanship to the best kind of machine-work bridging over the former gulf between machinery and tools1 and quickening machine-industry with a new sense of the artistic possibilities that lie within its own proper sphere40 ,let us hope so1 indeed4 ,certainly we cannot hope that the world1 just yet1 will beat its swords into ploughshares1 or its spears into pruning-hooks1 still less that it will return to local industry and handicraft for all the wants of life1 or look solely to the independent artist and craftsman to make its house beautiful4 ,the organized factory and the great machine industries will continue to work for the million1 as well as for the millionaire1 under the present system of production2 but1 at any rate1 they can be influenced by ideas of design1 and it must be said that some manufacturers have shown themselves fully alive to the value of the co-operation of artists in this direction4 ,those who desire and can command the personal work of artists in design and handicraft are now able to enlist it1 and this demand is likely to increase1 and therefore industrial groups or guilds of this kind may increase4 ,if such groups of workers1 or workers in the different handicrafts could by combination in some way still further counteract or control purely commercial production1 by raising certain standards of workmanship and taste1 and in the special branches of handicraft look after the artistic interests of their members generally1 their power and influence might be much extended1 especially if such guilds could be in some sort of friendly relation1 so that they could on occasion act together1 combining their forces and resources1 for instance1 for special exhibitions1 or representations1 such as masques and pageants1 of the kind recently presented by the ,art ,workers' ,guild at the ,guildhall of the ,city of ,london4 ,such shows1 uniting as they do all kinds of design and craftsmanship in the embodiment of a leading idea1 are a form of artistic expression which may be regarded as the latest outcome of the movement1 and may have a future before it4 ,i think that by such means1 at all events1 artistic life would be greatly stimulated1 and artistic aims and ideals better understood--especially in their relation to social life4 ,and1 surely1 art has a great social function1 even though it may have no conscious aim but its own perfecting4 ,even in its most individual form it is a product of the community--of its age1 and it is always impossible to say how many remote and mixed elements are combined to form that complex organism--an artistic temperament4 ,every age looks eagerly in the glass which art and craftsmanship hold up1 even if it is only to find itself reflected there4 ,but it not only seeks reflection1 it seeks expression--the expression of its thought and fancy1 as well as its sense of beauty1 and the successful artist is he who satisfies this search4 ,it seems1 too1 that every age1 probably even each generation1 has a different ideal of beauty1 or that1 perceiving a different side of beauty1 each successively ever seeks some new form for its expression4 ,this is the movement of growth and life1 the sap of the new idea rising in the spring-time of youth through the parent stem1 bursting into new branches and putting forth leaves2 the green herb springing from the dead leaves--the new ever striving with the old4 ,it is always possible for a society to narrow down1 or to widen4 ,it may consider its true work lies in the exposition chiefly of the work of one school1 and would be perfectly justified in so thinking1 so long as that school maintained its vitality and power of growth4 ,on the other hand1 it might determine to have no prejudices on the subject of school or style1 but welcome all good work after its kind4 ,such points are largely controlled by considerations of available space and determination of scope1 and are usually settled by the effective strength of the view which has the majority4 ,there might even be something to be said1 given unlimited space1 and security against financial loss1 for placing every work sent in to such exhibitions1 but keeping the selected work in a distinct section4 8,here10 we might say1 8is the material we had to deal with1 and here is our selection10 and so make the exhibition an open court of appeal4 ,these are questions for the future4 ,we have1 as a society1 even in our comparatively short life1 lived long enough to see great gaps in the ranks of ,english design4 ,great names1 great leaders have passed from the roll of our membership1 but not their memory1 or the effect and value of their work4 ,we are left to carry on the twin-lamp of ,design and ,handicraft as best we may4 ,if we bear that lamp with steady hands1 fully alive to the necessity of continual life and freedom of movement in art1 while conscious of the value of preserving certain historic traditions1 founded upon real artistic experiences1 and the necessities of material and use1 we may yet1 ,i hope1 be of service in our exhibition and other work1 if we succeed in comprehending within our membership the best elements of both new and old1 in maintaining the highest standard of taste and workmanship1 and in placing1 so far as we are able1 the best after its kind1 in our honest opinion1 before the public4 ,,of ,,the ,,teaching ,,of ,,art ,the teaching of ,art6 ,well1 to begin with1 you cannot teach it4 ,you can teach certain methods of drawing and painting1 carving1 modelling1 construction1 what not--you can teach the words1 you can teach the logic and principles1 but you cannot give the power of original thought and expression in them4 ,of course a man's ideas on the subject of teaching necessarily depend upon his general views of the purport and scope of art4 ,is ,art 7#a7 a mere imitative impulse--a record of the superficial facts and phases of nature in a particular medium8 or1 is it 7#b7 the most subtle and expressive of languages1 taking all manner of rich and varied forms in all sorts of materials1 under the paramount impulse of the selective search for beauty8 ,naturally1 our answer to the question what should be taught1 and how to teach it depends upon our answer to these questions4 ,but the greater includes the less1 and1 though one may be biassed by the second definition given above1 it does not follow that the first may not have its due place in a course of study4 ,the question1 then1 really is1 what is the most helpful course of study towards the attainment of that desirable facility of workmanship1 that cultivation of the natural perception1 feeling1 and judgement in the use of those elements and materials in their ultimate expression and realization of beauty8 ,and here we have to stop again on our road1 and ask what is this quality of beauty1 and whence does it come8 ,without exactly attempting a final or philosophical account of it1 we may call it an outcome and efflorescence of the delight in life under happy conditions4 ,the history of art and nature shows its evolution in ever varying degree and form1 constantly affected by external conditions1 and modified by place and circumstance1 following1 in the development of the sensibility to ideas and impressions of beauty1 through the refinement of the senses and the intellect1 much the same course as the development of man himself as a social and reflective animal4 ,as we cannot see colour without light1 neither can we expect sensibility to beauty to grow up naturally amid sordid and depressing surroundings4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,painting ,school under ,prof4 ,gerald ,moira ,sketch for ,figure ,composition4 8,frederigo ,barbarossa40 ,by ,lancelot ,crane1 ,a4,r4,c4,a4 ,to begin with1 then1 before we can have art we must have sensibility to beauty1 and before we can have either we must have conditions which favour their existence and growth4 ,we must have an atmosphere4 ,a condition of life where they come naturally1 with the colours of the dawn and the sunset2 where the common occupations are not too burdensome1 and the anxiety for a living not too great to leave any surplus energy or leisure for thought and creative impulse2 where the cares of an empty life1 and the deceitfulness of riches do not choke them2 where art has not to struggle1 as for very life1 for every breath it draws1 and ask itself the why and wherefore of its existence4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,painting and ,life ,school under ,prof4 ,moira ,time ,study4 ,by ,h4 ,parr ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,painting and ,life ,school under ,prof4 ,moira ,time ,studies of ,figures in ,action4 ,by ,h4 ,parr ,for art is not an independent accidental unrelated phenomenon1 but is the result1 as we find it in its various manifestations1 of long ages of growth1 and co-operative tradition and sympathy4 ,seeking beautiful art1 organic and related in all its parts1 we turn naturally to places and periods of history which are the culminating points in such a growth4 ,to ,athens in the ,phidian age1 for instance2 to almost any ,european city in the ,middle ,ages2 to one of our own village churches1 even1 where the nineteenth-century restorer has not been2 to ,venice or ,florence in the early renascence1 rather than to modern ,london or ,paris4 ,but even limiting ourselves to our own day we have got to expect far more from the man who has worked from his youth up in what we call 8an atmosphere of art10 even if it is only that of the modern painter's studio1 than from a mill hand1 say1 trained to some one special function1 perhaps1 in some process of machine industry1 whose life is spent in monotonous toil and whose daily vision is bounded by chimney-pots and back-yards4 ,a pinch of the salt of art and culture at measured intervals1 will never counteract the adverse and more prominent influence of the daily1 hourly surroundings on the eye and mind4 ,it is hopeless if one hour of life's day says 8yes10 if all the other twenty-three say 8no0 continually4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,painting and ,life ,school under ,prof4 ,moira ,time ,studies of ,figures in ,action ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,architectural ,school under ,prof4 ,beresford ,pite ,,design ,,for ,a ,,church ,,upon ,a ,,detached ,,site ,illustration3 ,design and ,plan of a ,domed ,church4 ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,martin ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,design for ,tapestry4 ,by ,e4 ,w4 ,tristram ,our fundamental requirements then1 are a sympathetic atmosphere1 a favourable soil and climate for the raising of the seed of art in its fullest sense2 which means1 practically1 a reasonable human life1 with fair play for the ideas and senses1 and good for the drama of the eye4 ,to how many is this now possible8 ,granting this1 however1 would go a long way towards solving the next problem--,what to teach8 for we should then find that art was not separable from life4 ,children are never at a loss what to learn1 or what to teach themselves1 when they see any manner of interesting work going on and have access to tools and materials4 ,they gather at the door of the village blacksmith1 or at the easel of the wayside painter4 ,demonstration is the one thing needed--demonstration1 demonstration1 always demonstration4 ,this is1 perhaps1 at the bottom of the present strong determination to ,french modes on the part of our younger painters4 ,you can learn this part of the painting business because you can see it done4 ,you could learn any craft if you saw it done1 and had ordinary aptitude4 ,but it does not follow that there is no art but painting1 and that impressionism is its prophet4 ,it might be said almost that the modern cabinet or competitive gallery picture1 unrelated to anything but itself1 and not always that1 has destroyed painting as an art of design4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,design for ,embroidery4 ,by ,miss ,l4 ,m4 ,dunkley ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,museum ,studies in ,embroidery4 ,by ,miss ,l4 ,m4 ,dunkley ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,sheet of ,heraldic ,studies4 ,by ,miss ,c4 ,m4 ,lacey ,i would1 therefore1 rather begin with the constructive1 and adaptive1 side of art4 ,let a student begin by some knowledge of architectural construction and form4 ,let him thoroughly understand the connection1 both historic and artistic1 between art and architecture4 ,let him become thoroughly imbued with a sense of the essential unity of art1 and not1 as is now so often the case1 be taught to practise some particular technical trick1 or meaningless elaboration2 or be led to suppose that the whole object of his studies is to draw or paint any or every object from the pictorial point of view exclusively4 ,let the two sides of art be clearly and emphatically put before him1 which may be distinguished broadly as3 7#a7 ,aspect1 or the imitative2 7#b7 ,adaptation1 or the imaginative4 ,let the student see that it is one thing to be able to make an accurate presentment of a figure1 or any object1 in its proper light and shade and relief in relation to its background and surroundings2 and quite another to express them in outline1 or to make them into organic pieces of decoration to fit a given space4 ,then1 again1 he should perceive how the various media and materials of workmanship naturally determine the character and treatment of his design1 while leaving ample range for individual choice and treatment4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,studies in ,counterchange4 ,by ,w4 ,g4 ,spooner ,the constructive and creative capacity may exist in a high degree without any corresponding power of drawing in the pictorial sense1 and considerable proficiency in some of the simpler forms of various handicrafts1 such as ornamental modelling in relief1 wood-carving1 and repouss work1 is quite possible of attainment by quite young people2 whereas the perception of certain subtleties in pictorial methods of representation1 such as perspective1 planes1 and values1 and the highly selective sense which deals with them are matters of matured mental perception1 as well as technical experience and practical skill4 ,the same is true as to power of design4 ,it is a question of growth4 ,so that there are natural reasons for a primary training in some forms of handicraft1 which1 while affording the same scope for artistic feeling1 present simpler problems in design and workmanship1 and give a tangible and substantial foundation to start with4 ,in thus giving the first places in a course of study in art to architecture1 decorative design1 and handicraft we are only following the historic order of their progress and development4 ,when the arts of the ,middle ,ages culminated in the work of the great painters of the earlier ,renascence1 their work showed how much more than makers of easel pictures they were1 so that a picture1 apart from its central interest and purpose was often a richly illustrated history of contemporary design in such things4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,studies of ,scroll ,forms4 ,by ,w4 ,g4 ,spooner ,now1 my contention is1 that whereas a purely pictorial training1 or such a training as is now given with that view1 while it often fails to be of much service in enabling a student to paint a picture1 unfits him for other fields of art quite as important1 and leaves him before the simplest problem of design helpless and ignorant2 while a training in applied design1 with all the forethought1 sense of beauty and fitness1 ingenuity and invention it would tend to call forth1 would not only be a good practical education in itself1 but would enormously strengthen the student for pictorial work1 especially as regards design and the value of line1 while he would get a clear apprehension of the limitations of different kinds of art1 and their analogies4 ,in studying form1 if we model as well as draw1 we enormously increase our grasp and understanding of it1 and so it is as regards art generally that studies in every direction will be found to bear upon and strengthen us in our main direction4 ,i should1 therefore1 endeavour to teach relatively--to teach everything in relation not only to itself1 but to its surroundings and conditions2 design in relation to its materials and purpose2 the drawing of form in relation to other forms2 the logic of line2 pictorial colour and values in relation to nature but controlled by pictorial fitness4 ,the ordinary practice of drawing and study from the human figure--the ,alpha and ,omega of all study in art--does not seem sufficiently alive to the help that may be gained by comparative anatomy4 ,we should study the figure1 not only in itself and for itself1 but in relation to the forms of other animals1 and draw the analogous parts and structures1 side by side1 not from the anatomist's point of view but the artist's4 ,we should study them in life and action no less4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,studies of ,plant ,form4 ,by ,w4 ,g4 ,spooner ,now a word as regards action4 ,we have been recently told that artists have been fools since the world began in their manner of depicting the action of animals1 or rather animals in action1 but it was by a gentleman who 7though ,i fully acknowledge the value and interest of ,mr4 ,muybridge's studies and discoveries7 did not appear to have distinguished between moments of arrested action1 and the action represented1 which is the sum of those moments4 ,instantaneous photographs of animals in action will tell you whereabouts their legs are found at a given moment1 but it is only when they are put in a consecutive series1 and turned on the inside of a horizontal wheel before the eye that they represent action1 and then it is illusion1 not art4 ,now the artist has to represent or to suggest action without actual movement of any kind1 and he has generally succeeded not by arresting the literal action of the moment1 but by giving the sum of consecutive moments1 much as the wheel does1 but without the illusory trick4 ,his business is to represent1 not to imitate4 ,art after all is not science or analysis1 or we might expect fidelity to the microscope on the part of our painters and draughtsmen4 ,until we all go about with photographic lenses in our heads instead of eyes1 with dry plates or films instead of retinas1 we shall1 ,i fancy1 still be interested in what artists have to say to us about nature and their own minds1 whether instantaneous impressions1 or the long result of years4 ,this is only one of the many questions which rise up at every step in the study of art1 and ,i know of no system of teaching which adequately deals with them4 ,no doubt our systems of teaching or attempting to teach art want constant overhauling1 like most other systems4 ,when we are overhauling the system of life itself1 it is not wonderful4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,pen ,drawing4 ,by ,h4 ,a4 ,rigby ,i do not1 of course1 believe in any cast-iron system of education from any point of view4 ,it must be varied according to individual wants and capacities4 ,it must be made personal and interesting or it is of little good2 and no system1 however efficient1 will manufacture artists in anything3 any more than the most brilliant talents will do away with the necessity of passionate devotion to work1 careful thought1 close observation and constant practice which produce that rapid and intimate sympathy of eye and hand1 and make them the responsive and delicate interpreters of that selective and imaginative impulse which results in ,art4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school under ,prof4 ,lethaby ,pen ,drawing4 ,by ,h4 ,a4 ,rigby ,,of ,,methods ,,of ,,art ,,teaching ,methods of teaching in art are1 ,i take it1 like most other human methods1 of strictly relative value1 depending at all times largely upon the current conception of the aims1 purpose1 and province of art4 ,as this conception necessarily alters from time to time1 influenced by all sorts of subtle changes in the social organism 7manifesting themselves in what we call ,taste71 as well as by fundamental economic conditions1 so the ideas of what are the true methods in art teaching change also4 ,naturally in a time when scepticism is so profound as to reach the temerity of asking such a question as 8,what is art80 there need be no perceptible shock when inquiries are instituted as to the best methods of art teaching4 ,as important witnesses in the great case of the position of art in general education1 or commercial interests v4 the expansion of the human mind and the pleasure of life--methods of art teaching have to be put in the box4 ,what do they say8 ,well1 have we not the good old 7so-called7 ,academic methods always with us8 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school ,craft ,classes1 ,gesso1 under ,mr4 ,g4 ,jack ,cabinet designed and decorated in ,gesso4 ,by ,j4 ,r4 ,shea ,the study of the antique by means of shaded drawings1 stumped or stippled 8up to the nines0 7if not further71 leading on to equally elaborate life-studies1 which somehow are expected to roll the impressions of eight1 ten1 or more sittings into one entirety--and wonderfully it is done1 too1 sometimes4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school ,craft ,classes1 ,pottery under ,mr4 ,lunn ,group of ,pottery designed and executed by the ,students ,are we not led to these triumphs through the winsome defiles of freehand and shaded drawing from the cast1 perhaps accompanied by cheerful model drawing1 perspective puzzles1 and anatomical dissections1 and drawings of the human skeleton seen through antique figures1 which seem to anticipate the ,rntgen rays8 8,the proper study of mankind is man10 but according to the ,academic system it is practically the only study--study of the human frame and form isolated from everything else4 ,no doubt such isolation1 theoretically at least1 concentrates the attention upon the most difficult and subtle of all living organisms2 but the practical question is1 do these elaborate and more or less artificial studies really give the student a true grasp of form and construction8 ,are they not too much practically taken as still-life studies1 and approached rather in the imitative spirit8 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school ,craft ,classes1 ,wood-,carving1 under ,mr4 ,g4 ,jack ,wood-,carving by ,j4 ,r4 ,shea ,then1 again1 such studies are set and pursued rather with the view to equipping the student with the necessary knowledge of a figure painter4 ,they are intended to prepare him for painting anything or everything 7and generally1 now1 anything but something classical7 that can be comprehended or classified as 8an easel picture0--that is to say1 a work of art not necessarily related to anything else4 ,it is something to be exhibited 7while fresh7 in the open market with others of a like 7or dis-like7 nature1 and1 if possible1 to be purchased and hung in a gallery1 or in the more or less darkness of the private dwelling--8to give light unto them that are in the house40 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school ,craft ,classes1 ,stained ,glass1 under ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,whall ,panel designed and executed by ,a4 ,kidd ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,modelling ,school under ,prof4 ,lanteri4 ,frieze by ,j4 ,a4 ,stevenson ,works of sculpture 7or modelling as she is generally practised7 may not fare any better 7privately7 in the end1 when one remembers the busts placed back to the windows1 or the marble statue forced to an unnatural whiteness by purple velvet hangings--but1 certainly1 the methods of teaching seem more in relation to the results4 ,to begin with1 a sculptor's or modeller's figure 7unless a decorative group or an architectural ornament7 is isolated and has no background2 and it is undoubtedly a severe test of skill and knowledge to model a figure in clay in the round from the life4 ,some are of the opinion that it is more difficult to model perfectly a basso-relievo1 but there is no end to the work in the round4 ,i am really inclined to think that ever since the ,italian ,renascence the sculptor's and modeller's art and aims have dominated methods of art teaching generally1 and have been chiefly responsible for what ,i have termed the ,academic method1 which seems mainly addressed to the imitation of solid bodies in full relief1 or projection in light and shade on a plane surface1 which method indeed in painting1 at least1 is quite opposed to the whole feeling and aim of ,decorative art4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,design ,school1 ,instructor in ,lettering ,mr4 ,johnson ,page of ,text1 written by ,j4 ,p4 ,bland ,in architecture1 on the classical and ,academic method1 the young student is put through the five orders1 and is expected to master their subtle proportions before he can appreciate their artistic value1 and with but a remote chance of making such knowledge of practical value1 in a country and climate to which such architectural features are generally unsuitable4 ,our methods of art teaching have sailed along in this stately way from time immemorial4 ,does not ,burlington ,house stand where it did8 ,at all events a new spirit is abroad1 since the arts and handicrafts of design have asserted themselves4 ,methods of art teaching in relation to these must at any rate be definite enough4 ,each craft presents its own conditions and they must be signed1 sealed1 and delivered at the gate1 before any triumph or festival is celebrated within4 ,such conditions can be at least comprehended and demonstrated2 materials can be practised with and understood1 and even if invention in design can never be taught1 on the negative side there are certain guides and finger-posts that may at least prevent lapses of taste1 and loss of time4 ,the designer may learn what different means are at his disposal for the expression of line and form2 for the colour and beauty of nature1 recreated in the translucent glass or precious enamel1 or speaking through the graphic printed line or colour of the wood-block--eloquent in a thousand ways by means of following the laws of certain materials in as many different arts4 ,what are the qualities demanded of a designer in such arts8 quickness of invention and hand1 power of direct definition of form4 ,the expressive use of firm lines2 sensitive appreciation of the value of silhouetted form1 and the relief and effect of colours one upon another2 perception of life and movement2 knowledge of the growth and structure of plants2 sense of the relation of the human form to geometric spaces1 and power over its abstract treatment1 as well as over the forms of the fowls of the air and beasts of the field4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,college of ,art3 ,modelling ,school under ,prof4 ,lanteri ,panel by ,vincent ,hill ,this is a glimpse of the vista of the possibilities of teaching methods opened up by the arts of design1 and in so far as those arts are understood and practised and sought after as important and necessary to the completion of a harmonious and refined life1 so will our methods of art instruction have to adapt themselves to meet those new old demands4 ,,note ,,on ,,tolstoi',s 8,,what ,,is ,,art80 ,count ,tolstoi's book is1 for the most part1 a very fierce and trenchant attack upon modern1 as well as some ancient art1 from the point of view of a social reformer and an ascetic and iconoclastic zealot4 ,in a true ,christian spirit he denounces nearly everybody and everything1 and indeed1 metaphorically speaking1 and to his own satisfaction at least1 first sacks and burns the houses of the aesthetic philosophers from ,baumgarten to ,grant ,allen1 flinging their various definitions of beauty to the winds2 and he proceeds to make a bonfire of the most eminent names and works1 both ancient and modern1 and including ,sophocles1 ,euripides1 schylus1 ,aristophanes1 ,dante1 ,tasso1 ,milton1 ,shakespeare2 ,raphael1 ,michael ,angelo's 8,last ,judgement10 parts of ,bach and ,beethoven2 ,ibsen1 ,maeterlinck1 ,verlaine1 ,mallarm1 ,puvis de ,chavannes1 ,klinger1 ,bcklin1 ,stck1 ,schneider1 ,wagner1 ,liszt1 ,berlioz1 ,brahms1 and ,richard ,strauss2--no ,english need apply1 ,i was about to say1 but he includes ,burne-,jones4 ,and then1 waving his torch1 he points to the regeneration of art in the re-organization of ,society1 tempered by the opinion of the plain man and--leaves the question still burning4 ,of an ideal of beauty in art he will have none4 ,beauty appears to his ascetic mind 7or mood7 as something synonymous with pleasure1 and therefore more or less sinful and to be avoided3 yet1 realist as he appears to be at times1 he is quite as vague and idealistic as the idealists he scorns when he speaks of a 8,christian art0 which is to take the place of modern corruptions4 ,tolstoi's view of art1 too1 is practically limited to literature1 the drama1 music1 painting1 and sculpture4 7,i am afraid he did not know of the ,art ,workers' ,guild when he wrote his book1 and seems ignorant of ,william ,morris and the ,english movement47 ,only towards the end of the work 7p4 #aga7 does he mention 8ornamental0 art1 or rather he speaks of 8ornaments0 7including 8,china dolls07 and remarks that such as these 8for instance1 ornaments of all kinds are either not considered to be art1 or considered to be art of a low quality4 ,in reality0 7however1 he says71 8all such objects1 if only they transmit a true feeling experienced by the artist and comprehensible to everyone 7however insignificant it may seem to us to be7 are works of real good ,christian art40 ,he then becomes aware1 recalling his denial of 8the conception of beauty0 as supplying 8a standard for works of art0 that he is in an inconsistent position1 and turns round and says that 8the subject-matter of all0 kinds of ornamentation consists not in the beauty1 but in the feeling 7of admiration of1 and delight in1 the combination of lines and colours7 which the artist has experienced and with which he infects the spectator4 ,this seems to be a cumbrous and roundabout way of saying that the thing is admired because it is beautiful4 ,tolstoi1 however1 seems to have a rooted idea that there is something essentially selfish and narrow about the conception and ideal of ,beauty and that it must be something necessarily exclusive1 appealing only to a privileged or cultured class4 ,he condemns the beauty which only appeals to a few1 but admits that which appeals to many1 though not because of its beauty1 but because it unites so many in a common feeling of admiration4 ,the horrible word 8infection0 is constantly used4 ,i do not know how far this may be the fault of the translation1 and whether it is the exact equivalent for the ,russian phrase1 but somehow it has not a pleasant association as applied to the reception of ideas of art4 ,tolstoi says3 8,art remains what it was and what it must be--nothing but the infection by one man of another1 or of others1 with the feelings experienced by the infector40 ,this is his main point throughout--the communicable power of art1 and he values it1 apparently1 solely for this power4 ,but this power of infection1 as he calls it1 is not the exclusive possession or distinctive characteristic of art4 ,a man with a disease may 8infect0 another1 but you don't call it art4 ,a fire may communicate some of its warmth to those who are cold1 but we don't call it art4 ,an angry man may punch you and infect you with his anger1 so that you punch him in return1 but we don't call it art--unless the art of self-defence is allowed to be an art4 ,it is true one is aware of the sort of physical test of good poetry--that it causes a shiver down the spinal column2 and it is generally a true one1 but whether it represents the shiver felt by the poet in writing one is not quite certain4 ,besides1 surely a work of art may communicate or suggest something more than was actually in the mind or emotions of the artist at the time1 as by the power of association it may awaken different thoughts and feelings in many different minds4 ,to limit fine art only to those forms which are capable of appealing to everybody1 and which communicate feelings and ideas which can be shared by humanity at large1 must necessarily limit it to few and simple forms and types4 ,no doubt ,tolstoi fully realizes this1 and he even recognizes that the art of the most universal appeal at the present day is apt to be rather trivial in form1 such as 8a song1 or an amusing jest1 intelligible to every one1 or a touching story1 or a drawing1 or a little doll0 7p4 #afe71 and he elsewhere says that the producer of such things is doing far more good than the elaboration of a work to be appreciated only by a few4 ,historic1 romantic1 or poetic art seems to have no attractions for ,tolstoi4 ,in fact1 he jumps upon what he terms poetic art with immense vigour1 and reserves his greatest vials of scorn for some of its modern exponents4 ,he seems to have little perception of the law of evolution either in life or in art1 which accounts for its very varied forms1 and different spirit in different ages1 and among different races and social conditions4 ,nor does he seem to recognize that every age demands a fresh interpretation of life in art4 ,form1 spirit1 and methods in art all change with the different temper of the times4 ,tolstoi plays havoc with the critics1 and his exposure of the shams1 imitations1 and pretentiousness in many forms of modern art is unsparing and often too true2 and one feels in hearty sympathy with his desire for spontaneity and sincerity in art1 as well as for a social state1 a true co-operative commonwealth in which again might be realized that unity of purpose and sentiment upon which all forms of art depend for their widest appeal4 ,tolstoi's ideal of a state in which all contribute to the useful labour of the community is a fine one1 and1 of course1 this would condemn none to a life of monotonous toil or drudgery2 but would afford leisure for thought and cultivation of the arts by those who had the real capacity in them2 no one being attracted by commercial advantage or material profits1 since1 under these conditions1 arts would be the spontaneous outcome of life1 and freely offered for the good of the community in the joy of producing it4 ,tolstoi's real strength lies in his zeal for and advocacy of such a simple communal life1 and this gives the real force to his arguments for a corresponding simple and universal art2 and1 indeed1 one feels that it is this conception and his religious views that are always dominant in his mind1 and existing forms of art are frankly condemned or approved so far as their influence is unfavourable or favourable to such views of life4 ,in a remarkable footnote on p4 #agj1 however1 he allows that he is 8insufficiently informed0 in all branches of art1 and that he belongs to the class of people whose taste is 8perverted10 that 8old inured habits0 may cause him to 8err10 and he goes on to consign certain works of his own to the category of 8bad art40 ,his deeply rooted idea that all good art must convey a definite message which can be universally understood gives the impression that he only values art in so far as this definite message can be read in it2 and1 by his denial of the validity of beauty as an ideal and object in art1 he removes himself1 curiously enough1 from where his sympathies lie really1 from the acknowledgment and appreciation of the far-reaching influence of beauty in the commonest things of daily life--things of use which the touch of art makes vocal--things without which even the ,tolstoian ideal of simple useful life would be impossible1 to which the spontaneous and traditional handicraft art of the peasant in primitive countries has so largely contributed1 and which reveal more definitely the character and artistic capacity and feeling of a people than whole galleries of self-conscious painting and sculpture4 ,,of ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,modern ,,social ,,and ,,economic ,,conditions ,,on ,,the ,,sense ,,of ,,beauty ,that modern conditions of life are destructive to the sense of beauty ,i do not doubt1 yet ,i am by no means sure that sensitiveness to beauty--or to its absence--in our daily surroundings is so very common 7or even that there is a common understanding as to the idea of beauty71 that such a proposition would obtain general assent without further explanation1 and1 as ,i have undertaken to open the case for the prosecution1 if ,i may so term it1 ,i will try to make clear my reasons and conclusions on the matter4 ,my first witness shall be ,london1 as ,london is typical and focuses most of the effects of modern1 social1 and economic conditions4 ,now we hear a great deal of the beauty of ,london1 but probably those who talk of her beauty are really only thinking of certain beauty-spots4 ,vast as ,london is1 most of us really live for the most part in a comparatively small ,london4 ,outside our usual haunts lies a vast unknown region1 of which1 indeed1 we obtain occasional glimpses on being obliged to travel across or through the multi-county city4 ,those whose ,london is bounded on the west by ,kensington ,gardens and on the east by ,mayfair1 do not figure to themselves ,clerkenwell or ,ratcliff ,highway1 ,bethnal ,green or ,bow1 and would not care to embrace the vast new suburbs spreading over the green fields in every direction1 or even the comparatively select slums in the shadow of ,belgravian mansions4 ,supposing we approached our metropolis by any one of the great railway lines--there is nothing to indicate we are entering the greatest and wealthiest city in the world4 ,we pass rows and rows of mean dwellings--yellow brick boxes with blue slate lids--crowded close to the railway in many places1 with squalid little backyards4 ,we fly over narrow streets1 and complex webs and net-works of railway lines1 telegraph and telephone wires1 myriad smoking chimney-pots1 steaming1 throbbing works of all kinds1 sky-signs and the wonders of the parti-coloured poster-hoardings1 which pursue one into the station itself1 flaring on the reluctant and jaded sight with ever-increasing importunity and iteration1 until one recalls the philosopher who remarked3 8,strange that the world needs so much pressing to accept such apparently obvious--and sometimes startlingly obvious--advantages40 ,all sense of architectural proportion inside the station1 however large1 is lost by the strident labels of all sorts and sizes2 and images of all sorts of scales and colours1 stick1 like huge postage stamps1 wherever likely to catch the eye4 ,the same thing meets us in the streets2 in the busier commercial quarters1 too1 it is a common device to hang the name of the firm in gigantic gilt letters all over the windows and the upper stories of the shops2 while the shops themselves become huge warehouses of goods1 protected by walls of plate-glass1 upon the edges of which apparently rest vast superstructures of flats and offices1 playfully pinned together by telegraph poles1 and hung with a black spider's web of wires as if to catch any soaring ideas of better things that might escape the mle of the streets4 ,in the streets themselves a vast crowd of all sorts1 sizes1 and conditions is perpetually hurrying to and fro1 presenting the sharpest contrasts in their appearance and bearing4 ,here the spruce and prosperous business man1 there the ragged cadger1 the club idler and the out-o'-work4 ,here the lady in her luxurious carriage in purple and fine linen1 and there the wretched seller of matches4 ,modern street traffic1 too1 is of the most mixed and bewildering kind1 and the already perilous ,london streets have been made much more so by the motor in its various forms of van and bus1 business or private car4 ,the aspect of a ,london street during one of the frequent blocks is certainly extraordinary1 so variously sorted and sized are the vehicles wedged in an apparently inextricable jumble2 while the railways and tubes burrowed underground only add fresh streams of humanity to the traffic instead of relieving it4 ,yet it has been principally to relieve the congested traffic of ,london that the great changes have been made which have practically transformed the town1 sweeping away many historic buildings and relics of the past1 and giving a general impression of rapid scene-shifting to our streets4 ,illustration3 ,wentworth ,street1 ,whitechapel ,from a ,photograph by ,f4 ,frith and ,co4 ,the most costly and tempting wares are displayed in the shops in clothing1 food1 and all the necessities of life1 as well as fantastic luxuries and superfluities in the greatest profusion--8things that nobody wants made to give to people who have no use for them0--yet1 necessities or not1 removed only by the thickness of the plate glass from the famished eyes of penury and want4 ,the shops1 too1 are not work-shops4 ,the goods appear in the windows as if by magic4 ,their producers are hidden away in distant factories1 working like parts of a machine upon parts of wholes which perhaps they never see complete4 ,turning to the residential quarters we see ostentation and luxury on the one hand and cheap imitation1 pretentiousness1 or meanness and squalor on the other4 ,we see the aforesaid brick boxes which have ruined the aspect of most of our towns2 we have the pretentious villa with its visitors' and servants' bells2 we have the stucco-porticoed town 8mansion10 with its squeezy hall and umbrella stand2 or we have the desirable flat1 nearer to heaven1 like the cell of a cliff-dweller1 where the modern citizen seeks seclusion in populous caravansaries which throw every street out of scale where they rear their ,babel-like structures4 ,i have not spoken of the gloom of older-fashioned residential quarters1 frigid in their respectability1 which1 whatever centres of light and leading they may conceal1 seem outwardly to turn the cold shoulder to ordinary humanity1 or peep distrustfully at a wicked world through their fanlights4 ,many of the features ,i have described are found also in most modern cities in different degrees1 and are still more evident in the ,united ,states1 where there is nothing ancient to stem the tide of modern--shall we say progress8 ,in justice to ,new ,york1 however1 one must note that there is an important movement there among artists and architects and people interested in municipal affairs in the direction of checking the excesses of commercialism and in favour of dignity and beauty in the streets and public places4 ,such publications as 8,the ,municipal ,journal0 bear witness to this1 so that there is hope for the future4 ,so may it be here4 ,turning from the aspects of houses to humans--take modern dress--in our search for the beautiful6 ,well ,national if not distinctive costume--except of the working and sporting sort1 court dress1 collegiate robes and uniforms--has practically disappeared1 and1 apart from working dress in working hours1 one type of ceremonial1 or full dress1 is common to the people at large1 and that of the plainest kind1 with whatever differences of cut and taste in detail4 ,i mean for men1 of course4 ,among the undisputed rights of woman the liberty to dress as she pleases1 even under recognized types for set occasions1 and with constant variety and change of style1 is not a little important1 and one that has very striking effects upon the aspects of modern life we are considering4 ,it is true this liberty may be checked by the decrees of eminent modistes and limited by the opinion of ,mrs4 ,grundy1 or the frank criticism of the boy-in-the-street2 and it is more than probable that the exigencies of trade have something to do with it also4 ,it is1 however1 too important an element in the ensemble of life to be ignored or under-valued in any way1 as women's dress affords one of the few opportunities of indulging in the joy of colour4 ,men suffer the tyranny of the tall hat1 as the outward and visible sign of respectability--surely far more so than ,carlyle's gig4 ,instead of 8gigmanity10 it has become tophatmanity4 ,the 8stove-pipe0 is the crown of the modern king1 the financier--the business man--he who must be obeyed4 7,i understand it is as much as a city clerk's place is worth for him to appear in any other head gear47 ,ladies1 too1 encourage it--with the black frock coat and the rest of the funereally festive attire of modern correct man4 ,i suppose the garb is considered to act as an effective foil to the feast of colour indulged in by the ladies--as black frames to fair pictures--black commas1 semi-colons1 or full-stops agreeably punctuating passages of delicate colour6 ,the worst of it is that the beauty of women's dress when it happens to be beautiful in modern times--as at present--seems to be a matter of accident and entirely at the mercy of fashion 7or commerce67 here to-day and gone to-morrow1 and1 alas--tell it not among the pioneers6--lovely woman1 our only hope for variety in colour and form in modern life1 in her determination to descend into the industrial and professional arena and commercially compete with men1 not unfrequently shows a tendency to take a leaf out of his tailor's pattern-book1 and to adopt or adapt more or less of the features of modern man's prosaic1 possibly convenient and durable1 but certainly summary and unromantic attire4 ,well1 ,i think1 on the whole1 the pictures which modern life in ,london1 or any great capital displays1 may be striking in their contrasts1 weird in their suggestions1 dramatic in their aspects--anything or everything in fact1 except beautiful4 ,the essential qualities of beauty being harmony1 proportion1 balance1 simplicity1 charm of form and colour1 can we expect to find much of it under conditions which make life a mere scramble for existence for the greater part of mankind8 ,bellamy1 in his 8,looking ,backward10 gives a striking and succinct image of modern1 social1 and economic conditions in his illustration of a coach and horses4 ,the coach is capitalism2 it carries a minority2 but even these struggle for a seat and to maintain their position1 frequently falling off1 when they either go under1 or must help to pull the coach with the majority1 toiling in the traces of commercial competition4 ,however these conditions may1 among individuals1 be softened by human kindness1 or some of its aspects modified by artistic effort1 it does not change the cruelty and injustice of the system or its brutal and ugly aspects in the main4 ,but1 if modern civilization is only tolerable in proportion to the number and facility of the means of escape from it1 we may find1 at least1 the beauty of the country1 and of wild nature unimpaired8 ,do we8 ,we may escape the town by train1 or motor--running the risk1 in either case1 of a smash--but we cannot escape commercial enterprise4 ,the very trees and houses sprout with business-cards1 and the landscape along some of our principal railways seems owned by vendors of drugs4 ,turning away our eyes from such annoyances1 commercial competition again has us1 in alluring us by all sorts and sizes in papers and magazines1 which1 like paper kites1 can only maintain their position by an extensive tail4 ,the tail--that is1 the advertisements--keeps the kites flying1 and the serial tale keeps the advertisements going perhaps1 and the reader is obliged to take his news and views1 social or political1 sandwiched or flavoured with very various and unsought and unwanted condiments1 pictorial or otherwise1 which certainly ruin artistic effect4 ,thus public attention is diverted and--nobody minds6 ,but it is in these ways that the materials of life--whereof the sense of beauty and its gratification is no unimportant part--are destroyed1 as it were1 in getting our living--well1 perhaps it would be truer to say1 in some cases1 a substantial percentage on our investments4 ,in obedience to the rule of the great ,god ,trade1 too1 whole districts of our fair country are blighted and blackened1 and whole populations are condemned to mechanical and monotonous toil to support the international race for the precarious world-market4 ,under the same desperate compulsion of commercial competition1 agriculture declines and the country-side is deserted4 ,the old country life with its festivals and picturesque customs has disappeared4 ,old houses1 churches1 and cottages have tumbled into ruin1 or have suffered worse destruction by a process of smartening-up called 8restoration40 ,the people have crowded into the overcrowded towns1 increasing the competition for employment1 the chances of which are lessened by the very industry of the working-classes themselves1 and so our great cities become blindly huger1 dangerous1 and generally unlovely1 losing1 too1 by degrees1 the relics of historic interest and romance they once possessed4 ,even in the arts and among the very cultivators of beauty we detect the canker of commercialism4 ,the compulsion of the market rules supply and demand4 ,the idea of the shop dominates picture shows1 and painters become as specialized as men of science1 and genius requires as much puffing as a patent medicine4 ,every one must have his trade label1 and woe to the artist who experiments1 or discovers capacities for other things than his label covers4 ,every new and promising movement in art has been in direct protest and conflict with the prevailing conditions1 and has measured its success by its degree of success in counteracting them1 and1 in some sense1 producing new conditions4 ,the remarkable revival of the handicrafts of late years may be quoted as an instance4 ,but it is a world within a world2 a minority producing for a minority1 although it has done valuable work even as a protest1 and has raised the banner of handwork and its beauty in an age of machine industry4 ,other notable movements of a protesting or protective or mitigating nature are at work in the form of societies for the protection of ancient buildings--for the preservation of the beauty of natural scenery1 for the abolition of smoke1 for checking the abuse of advertising1 for the increase of parks and gardens and open spaces4 ,indeed1 it would seem as if the welfare of humanity and the prospects of a tolerable life under modern conditions were handed over to such societies1 since it does not seem to be anybody's business to attend to what is everybody's business1 and we have not even a minister to look after such interests4 ,the very existence of such societies1 however1 is a proof of the danger and destruction to which beauty is exposed under modern conditions4 ,social conditions are the outcome of economic conditions4 ,in all ages it has been mainly the system under which property is held--the ownership of the means of production and exchange--which has decided the forms of social life4 ,the expansion of capital and the power of the financier are essentially modern developments1 and unrestricted commercial competition seems to lead direct to monopoly--a hitherto unexpected climax4 ,modern life becomes an unequal race1 or scramble for money1 place1 power1 or mere employment4 ,the social 7or rather1 unsocial7 pressure which results1 really causes those sordid aspects1 pretences1 and brutal contrasts we deplore4 ,private ownership is constantly opposed to public interest1 and the narrow point of view of immediate individual profit as the determining factor in all transactions obscures larger issues and stultifies collective action for the public good4 ,ladies and gentlemen of the jury1 perhaps ,i have said enough to support the case of ,beauty against modern1 social1 and economic conditions4 ,i do not ask for damages--they are incalculable4 ,she stands before you1 a pathetic figure1 obscured in shreds and patches1 driven from pillar to post1 disinherited1 a casual1 and obliged to beg her bread1 who should be a welcome and honoured guest in every city1 in every house1 bearing the lamp of art1 and bringing comfort and joy to all4 ,,of ,,the ,,social ,,and ,,ethical ,,bearings ,,of ,,art ,the very existence of art in any form among a people is itself evidence of some kind of social life2 and1 indeed1 as regards pre-historic or ancient life1 is often the only record left of life at all4 ,from its earliest dawn in the pre-historic etchings of the cave-dweller1 to the hieroglyphics of the ,egyptian2 the sculptured slabs of the ,ninevite and the ,persian2 from the treasury of ,athens1 and the spoils of ,troy1 to the refinement and monumental beauty of the ,parthenon marbles--everywhere art 7at first identical with language1 or picture-writing7 is eloquent of the mode of life2 the ideas and ideals which have held sway in the human mind1 until they have become precipitated1 or crystallized1 for us in antique architecture and sculpture1 and painting1 and the sister arts of design4 ,until every fragment of woven stuff1 every bead and jewel1 every fragment of broken pottery still speaks to us out of the past with its 8half-obliterated tongue0 of the life and thought which have gone away1 of buried hopes and fears1 of the loves and strife1 of the pride and power1 which have left but these frail relics to tell their tale4 ,illustration3 ,egyptian ,hieroglyphics on a ,wall ,decoration ,abydos3 ,temple of ,seti ,the keen1 observant eye of the primitive hunter noted down unerringly the outlines of the fierce animals he stalked and slew4 ,the same unerring perception of typical form reappears formalized1 and more and more abstracted1 in the hieroglyphic1 which1 using the familiar animals and objects of ,eastern life as symbols1 becomes finally cast1 by use and wont1 in the course of evolution1 into the rigid abstractions of the alphabet4 ,this1 though in calligraphic and typographic art entering another course of development1 has become quite distinct from the graphic and depicting power which appears to have been its origin2 but they are still closely and constantly associated together in our books and newspapers1 which form so large a part of1 and so intimately reflect1 our social life1 and which have carried picture-writing into another and more complex stage4 ,the early ,assyrian reliefs1 too1 in another way may often be considered as a series of emphatic historic statements--a graven writing on the wall4 ,their object1 to record the conquests of kings or their prowess as lion-hunters1 their battles and sieges1 their prisoners taken1 their weapons and munitions of war1 the attributes of their symbolic deities4 ,their value was perhaps as much their descriptive and recording power as their decorative effect4 ,the archaic ,greek passed through the same stage1 only gradually evolving that exquisite artistic sense1 until the monumental beauty and heroic ideality of the ,phidian work is reached to pass away again with the spirit and the life which gave it birth4 ,the wave of ,greek civilization rises to the crest of its perfection1 and breaks and falls1 yet spreads its influence1 and leaves its impress upon all lands2 unextinguished by the power and pomp of the ,roman which succeeded1 over which1 indeed1 in the artistic sense it triumphs1 springing to new life in ,italy1 until it is found wandering among the ruins and trivialities of ,pompeii1 where the last stage of ancient life has been preserved1 as it were1 in amber4 ,we may drop some natural tears over the death of paganism1 feeling that at all events1 with all its corruptions1 it has placed on record for us in art that joy of life1 and the frank acknowledgement of man's animal nature 7which no religion or philosophy can afford to leave out of account7 and has reconciled them in forms of enduring refinement and beauty4 ,a great deal must be set down to persistence of sunshine1 but anyone glancing at what has been left us in various beautiful forms of art from the classical times and countries must feel how much larger an external part art must have played in that life2 how constant and intimate must have been its appeal--from the storied pediment and frieze of the temple1 to the gilded statues and bronze fountains in the public streets and squares--walls whereon the painter's fancy is let loose--everywhere colour1 and overhead the blue sky of ,italy or ,greece4 ,there was at any rate no room for monopoly in the pleasure of such an external life4 ,the eye of the slave was1 at least1 as free as that of his master1 and the mere common possession of the spectacular pleasure of life is something4 ,we feel too that the ancient wealth of beautiful art was the direct efflorescence of the life of the time4 ,everywhere the artist's and craftsman's eye must have been stimulated1 the forms of man and woman moving without the restraint of formally cut costume1 but freely draped according to the taste of the individual or the demands of the season1 or circumstance4 ,he could see the athlete in the arena1 the beauty on her terrace1 the philosopher in his grove1 the colour and glitter of the market-place1 the slave at his toil1 the warriors clanging out to battle1 and all these in the broad and full light of a southern sky4 ,what wonder that his art took beautiful forms4 ,even the grave was robbed of its gloom by the ,greek artist1 and death was figured as a gentle and painless leave-taking between friends4 ,it is impossible to doubt that impressions of external beauty and harmony have a softening and humanizing effect upon the mind4 ,i believe that we are unconsciously affected by such influences--that we are unconsciously happier when we live in pleasantly proportioned rooms1 for instance1 with harmoniously coloured and patterned walls and furniture4 ,the nerves are soothed through the gentle stimulus of the eye dwelling on happy and refined forms and colours4 ,with the advent of ,christianity1 with the spiritual eye fixed upon another world1 the form1 with the spirit1 of art naturally changed1 and though the main current of the new teaching was to make man indifferent to externals1 after its first timid falterings in the dying traditions of classical design1 we know that ,christian art became one of the most powerful exponents of its creeds1 and by the awe-inspiring influence of the solemn and mystic splendour of the ,byzantine and early ,gothic churches so impressed the imagination of men's minds that1 other causes contributing1 the ,church became the great depository of artistic skill and inspiration1 and used its power of emotional appeal to the utmost1 by means of noble and impressive architectural form and proportion1 afterwards heightened by every decorative means at the command of the ,gothic craftsman in painted glass1 carving1 mosaic1 painting and work of gold and silver and precious stones4 ,a great church was inscribed within and without with ,bible history1 and the lives of saints were enshrined for an ensample to all in the living language of the painter or the carver4 ,the evil-doer was terrorized by presentments of the torments of a very realistic hell1 while the saint was lifted by ecstatic visions of angelic choirs and flower-starred meads of ,paradise4 ,art in the ,catholic ,church was indeed a preacher and teacher of unparalleled eloquence and moral force4 ,the unlettered could read its open book1 the poor and the lame and the halt--and even the blind might be moved by the 8full-voiced choir0 and 8pealing organ40 ,the splendour and beauty of a mediaeval cathedral must have had what we should now call quite an incalculable educational effect upon the people from the aesthetic and emotional side4 ,besides this1 the ordinary aspect of the towns must have been full of romance and interest3 the variety1 and quaint richness of the citizens' houses2 the colour and fantastic invention in costume and heraldry2 the constant shows and processions1 such as those organized by the crafts' guilds1 full of quaint allegory and symbolic meaning4 ,a street might be solemn with the black and white gowns of monks and priests1 or gay with flaunting banners and the flashing armour of knights1 or the panoply of kings and queens4 ,great gilded wagons1 bright with brave heraldry--instead of our black1 varnished1 respectable carriages1 with a modest lozenge on their panels--though these have of late been rather put out of countenance by the more daring and dangerous motor car with its mysteriously veiled and masked occupants1 a vehicle lately described by a wit as 8a cross between a brougham and a battleship40 ,well1 between the ordinary wonders of its mixed and perpetual traffic1 we in ,london have now nothing left as a free popular spectacle but the ,lord ,mayor's ,show1 or the ,oxford and ,cambridge boat-race4 ,there is the poster1 it is true--that cheap and generally nasty 8popular educator40 ,not always so cheap1 either1 since one hears of ,royal ,academicians being secured for the service of pushing commerce at the price of a thousand pounds or so--though the result is generally not a good poster1 but only an oil picture spoiled4 ,human life1 however disguised or uglified with unnatural and inharmonious surroundings1 must1 of course1 always remain intensely interesting4 ,if we all took to wearing sandwich boards to announce our personal tastes or wants to save trouble1 ,i suppose a certain amount of drama would still be possible1 and ,i have no doubt we should soon have aesthetic persons declaring that it was as fine a costume as a mediaeval herald's or ,joseph's coat of many colours4 ,it does not seem as if we could take art and beauty naturally in this country1 since the puritan frost came over us4 ,we have suffered from stiffness in our aesthetic limbs ever since4 ,a certain pedantry and affectation which have attached themselves to some parts of the question of art1 seem to have created mistrust in the ordinary mind4 ,the ordinary mind has been too much inured to ugliness1 perhaps--and habit is dear to all of us4 ,conscious efforts to produce things of beauty are not always convincing1 and even a thing of beauty does not look comfortable without harmonious environment4 ,if ,venus were to suddenly rise from the ,serpentine 7or from ,new ,york ,harbour7 she might be misunderstood4 ,if we are ever to have beauty in our common life again1 beauty must spring naturally from its ordinary conditions1 just as beautiful art always is inseparable from its material4 ,now1 it is often said that art has always been the minister to wealth and power1 that it has been the private possession of the rich1 and its dwelling-place the precincts of courts and the shelter of great houses4 ,if1 however1 the results of art 7so far as the art which appeals to the eye can ever be monopolized7 have often become forms of private property1 this is only so in a limited degree1 and is only partially true2 and in regard to the later detached or pictorial forms of art1 or in the case of antique bric--brac4 ,art1 in its nobler monumental forms1 by the necessity of its existence1 has appealed to the whole people of a city or state from a ,greek temple to a ,gothic cathedral with all the arts of design in retinue4 ,if1 in later days1 artists were pressed into the service of kings1 great nobles1 merchant princes or millionaires1 and art became largely tributary to their pomp and magnificence1 it was at least at the expense of the whole people4 ,and as1 by degrees1 partly owing to commercial and mechanical evolution1 and partly to the inducement of greater personal credit1 social distinction and sympathy 7which1 after all1 are parts of commercial evolution or rather1 perhaps1 some of its effects7 the artistic faculty was drawn more and more into purely pictorial channels1 and partook more and more of the nature of portable and private property1 its actual possession became a matter1 more or less1 for the rich4 ,even in this stage1 however1 it has made possible splendid public and national collections--as our own ,national ,gallery1 for instance1 where the very choicest works of the greatest painters of all time are the actual possession of each and all of us4 ,where there has been monopoly of art1 and large masses of the people 7the workers whose 8surplus value0 really pays for it7 have been excluded from1 or deprived of1 its enjoyment and socializing influence1 is it wonderful that monopoly in art should follow monopoly of land and the means of subsistence8 or that those who refuse to recognize1 or to respect1 common rights in land1 and common participation in the pleasures and refinements of life1 should refuse to recognize common rights in art also8 ,the growing enlightenment and demand for justice on the part of the workers1 and their growing power and capacity for combination under democratic institutions1 will insist upon the abolition of such monopolies2 and the spread of the feeling of fellowship and the inter-dependence of all workers will create a sounder public sentiment and morality in the matter of the uses of wealth and the social value of art4 ,i hope that we shall not be content as a people to remain satisfied with so little of the refining influence of art and beauty in our daily lives4 ,we are beginning to realize the immense loss and deprivation their absence causes1 and where they are not felt at all1 where their warm rays1 like the sun's1 never penetrate1 there is coarseness1 brutality1 and degradation4 ,it is a noticeable fact1 that harshness and roughness of manner and want of sympathy are usually found with an absence of sensibility to art in individuals4 ,the aesthetic sense1 indeed1 is like a sixth sense added to the other five1 or rather evolved from them4 ,yet we have1 until recently1 been in the habit of shutting up our national museums and picture galleries on ,sundays as if they were haunts of vice1 instead of refining1 intellectual and moral influences1 and sources of unselfish pleasure4 ,we allow the walls of our school rooms1 for the most part1 to be gaunt and bare1 and give no greater stimulus to the children's and young people's imaginative reason than is to be gleaned from varnished1 unillustrated maps and tame lithographs of wild animals4 ,but it is hardly surprising that the minds and imaginative faculties should be starved1 when we know that the bodies so frequently are1 as under our compulsory system of education it has been discovered poor children frequently go foodless to school4 ,yet if common life was thought worth enriching by suggestions of heroism1 poetry1 and romance2 if education was considered more as a means of developing the whole nature1 than merely as a preparation for a narrow competitive commercial existence1 might we not1 from the storehouses of history and folk-lore1 picture our school and college walls with great and typical figures of heroes1 and founders and fighters for our liberties and the commonwealth1 and make them glow with colour and suggestion8 and ,i believe we should see its after results in a more refined and more spirited1 more sympathetic1 more united and self-respecting people4 ,whether such changes can come before certain greater economic changes1 comprehended by socialism1 is another matter 7,i do not believe they can in their fulness71 and ,i have no wish to put the aesthetic cart before the economic horse1 although conviction sometimes comes from attempting the impossible--or the right thing at the wrong stage4 ,the social character of the appeal to the eye is brought home to us by the involuntary impulse which1 with a fine work of art before us1 or some lovely natural scene1 provokes such common exclamations as 8,look at that60 8,oh6 do look there60 8,did you ever see anything so beautiful60 and the like4 ,this seems to show that people are not content1 as a rule1 to enjoy the pleasures of vision alone4 ,they cannot look at a beautiful work without wanting others to see it also1 and participate in the same emotional excitement and appreciative delight4 ,appreciation and sympathy are also1 of course1 enormously stimulating to artists4 ,they are like the answering ring to the coin of his thought when he casts it forth to the world1 which tells him it is of true gold4 ,works of art are like questions or problems put by their inventor to the public at large4 ,if they are understood at once then the artist knows he is in touch with his questioner1 and that he speaks in a tongue that is comprehended3 but this is not always the case4 ,the conditions of the practice of art itself have undergone changes analogous to the evolutions of society1 the sentiment of which it always reflects4 ,from its earlier collective stages and typical forms1 when all the arts of design were united in architecture with such beautiful results1 to its more individual and personal character in modern days1 more especially in painting1 we can trace an entire change of spirit4 ,the focus of artistic feeling and expression is no longer centralized on religious ideals1 mysteries1 or mythologies1 but is turned everywhere on the parti-coloured aspects of human life1 and the changes of the face of nature4 ,its methods are no longer traditional but experimental1 and its point of view personal1 so that the position of a modern painter is not so much that of a musician taking his place in a great orchestra1 and contributing his part to a great and harmonious whole1 but rather that of a soloist1 who claims our entire attention to his performance on a particular instrument--it may be only a tin whistle1 or it may be1 of course1 the violin in the hands of a master4 ,this condition of things in art has had its effect on the individual practitioner1 and the tendency is to set up individual codes of artistic morality1 so that each can only be judged with reference to his own standard1 and according to the dictates of his own aesthetic conscience or consciousness1 and this perhaps may be quite the reverse of that of his brethren4 ,in every direction1 however1 the practice of art teaches the value of certain virtues as means towards the attainment of its higher aims and ideals3 conscientiousness in workmanship--doing all that is fitting and needful to obtain certain results3 the necessity of making certain sacrifices of lesser beauty1 for instance1 or minor truths1 to express the higher beauty and the more significant truth2 for it is no more possible to 8eat your cake and have it0 in art1 than it is in the affairs of life generally4 ,judgement and temperance have important parts to play in the making of the world of art2 and that faithfulness to an ideal1 and perseverance through all manner of technical and other difficulties and adverse circumstances1 which carry a man through1 and oblige him to exercise a certain self-restraint1 to reach the goal he has set before himself4 ,so that the practice of art cannot be said to be without its ethical side1 any more than its manifestations can be denied their social bearing and significance4 ,,of ,,ornament ,,and ,,its ,,meaning ,the decorative sense as expressed in the rich and varied field of surface ornament is now so much taken as a matter of course1 and so associated with certain historic styles1 racial types and climatic characteristics1 that few care to look further into origins than such well-defined and comprehensive sources seem to contain1 and doubtless did we know all about our historic styles 7a knowledge of which every art student is expected to have at his fingers' ends7 and could we thoroughly analyze the racial types and climatic influences of the world1 we should know as much as could be known about ornament4 ,ornament in its developed1 or sophisticated and conscious1 stage seems to me to have a close analogy to music of certain types1 in which the sensuous delight in rhythm and melody1 as well as the technical skill and invention of the musician1 constitute the principal charm4 ,i imagine1 however1 that the pleasure a designer may feel in following out a germ of what ,i might call ornamental thought to its natural or logical development1 and the pleasure derived by the beholder from some harmonious or rhythmical arrangement of form and line are themselves developments from a primitive germ4 ,it is the pleasure1 or search for pleasure1 of the aesthetic sense1 which1 from the first discovery of the fascination arising from a repeated form1 or a recurring line1 has been ever eager to extract from such simple elements fresh delight by greater complexity and new dispositions of the old elements1 until the ornamentalist1 or the student of pattern1 finds himself in a vast forest of invention1 complex and varied in its floral growth almost as ,nature herself--an enchanted garden of decorative form1 line1 and colour--in which1 nevertheless1 the struggle for survival1 or perhaps ascendancy1 takes place1 continually controlled by the stern schooling of necessity and utility--the gardeners with their pruning knives4 ,yet ,i imagine1 long before this conscious pleasure there was wonder--the wonder as of a child who gazes at the daily wonder of the sun1 and covers paper with attempts at making circular forms4 ,among the earliest scratchings of primitive man we get sun-symbols1 we find meandering lines for water1 acute points for fire1 and zigzags for lightning4 ,these signs1 too1 seem at first used in a detached way1 as if to convey to the mind the idea of the thing as words or signs and not with any ornamental intention4 ,the ,egyptians1 as we know1 afterwards developed this kind of sign-language in their system of hieroglyphics1 and in the necessity1 perhaps1 of making the forms represented extremely abstract and suitable for incision1 while conveying as much character as possible1 they also made them ornamental4 ,the necessity1 too1 of compression1 ordered scale1 and control of space or boundary would naturally help the decorative effect4 7,see illustration1 p4 #hi47 ,but apart from this consciously ordered and systematic language of hieroglyphic1 we may see the sun symbols and the meanders and zigzags forming in repetition simple borderings and types of ornament in the early art of most peoples on pottery1 textiles1 or carved in stone4 ,the sign known as the ,fylfot also1 originally supposed to indicate the rotation of the heavens1 and having a certain mysterious significance1 perhaps1 to others not fully aware of its original meaning1 was used as a mark or sign of good fortune1 and this1 too1 7being capable of repetition and pleasing recurrence7 in course of time became incorporated into systems of ornament4 ,it is found widely scattered and associated with many different types1 being found in the art of both eastern and western peoples1 and constantly reappearing4 ,the ,greek fret1 a type of border ornament frequently associated with the foregoing1 and apparently surviving by sheer logical persistence1 as well1 perhaps1 as its perfect adaptability to simple textile conditions1 may have originally had the significance attached to interlocked hands4 ,we know that borders of joined hands or fingers are still found upon oriental copper dishes1 and in association with the margin of the dish have an obvious significance1 either as the laving of hands before or after meat1 or as in the sense of the text 8he that dippeth with me in the dish40 ,illustration3 ,greek ,cylix ,peleus and ,thetis ,in regard to the fret1 however1 there is a well-known centre of a ,greek cylix painted with a design representing the wrestling of ,peleus and ,thetis1 where the interlocked hands take precisely the form1 seen in profile1 of the fret border which encloses the 7circular7 design1 the unit of which may be discovered by anyone who will interlock right and left hand and note the form expressed by the overlapped fingers4 ,again1 as ,i have elsewhere pointed out1 the garland or swag so dear to the heart of the classical architect and designer1 was originally the festive garland of leaves and flowers hung around the house or temple1 as may be seen in the beautiful ,romano-,greek relief of the visit of ,bacchus to ,icarius in the ,british ,museum4 ,there appear to me to be two sources of derivation or meaning in ornament2 the ,symbolic1 which ,i have touched upon1 and the ,constructive4 ,to the latter may be traced many of the forms in use as enrichments in the various orders of classical architecture1 which owe their origin to primitive wooden structures1 such as the dentil1 the egg and tongue1 the guilloche1 etc4 ,the volute and meandering borders so frequent in ,greek pottery are traceable in their main lines to the primitive structural art of wattling4 ,while the banded patterns upon weapons in the bronze age are1 like enough1 reminiscences of the tying and thonging1 by means of which primitive man dispensed with nails4 ,that universal and indispensable pattern-motive and pattern-basis1 the chequer1 seems obviously to have been suggested by rush platting1 or primitive weaving2 and the knotted and spreading strands of the primitive mat1 as it lay on the ground1 may have1 been the germ from which a whole family of border patterns was developed which come to us from the ancient ,asiatic civilizations of the ,east2 but the type reached its richest and most graceful form in the hands of the ,greeks in their anthemion or honeysuckle borderings4 ,the anthemion itself1 taken singly1 as sculptured ornament or finial upon a stele1 ,i am inclined to think had a symbolic intention1 and was intended to suggest the flames of the funeral pyre4 ,in general form it is almost identical with the gilded metal flame haloes placed behind the images of ,indian and ,burmese deities1 and recalls also the rayed flower so universal in ,persian ornament1 sometimes enclosing a fruit of the pomegranate type4 ,here again there is symbolic intention--life and the flame of life1 with its flower and fruit4 ,religious symbolism has1 of course1 played an important part in the history of ornament1 and especially enriches the ornament of the middle ages1 together with heraldic symbolism1 which may be said to have been almost exclusively the ornament of the earlier middle ages--and very splendid ornament it was4 ,what would have been those beautiful ,sicilian silks1 and the splendid thirteenth and fourteenth century textiles1 without those 8strange beasts and birds0 which form such valuable ornamental units1 and must have been reassuring and comforting upon the hanging or the robe1 filling the owner or the wearer with the pride of ancestry1 and the spirit of his fathers1 as he recognized the family totem1 or the badge and motto that had served well in so many a fight4 ,apart1 however1 from both symbolic and structural origin and meaning1 an important element in ornament is line1 and line1 owing to certain inseparable association of ideas according to its quality1 structure1 or direction1 must always carry definite meaning to the eye and the mind3 the association of restfulness with horizontal lines1 and ornament constructed upon such lines2 the suggestion of fixity and solidity by the use of horizontals with verticals2 the stern and logical character given to a design in which only angular forms are used2 the expression of movement by the waved or meandering line--the line actually described by human action 7even by simply walking1 as we may note by marking the recurring position of the head of a figure so moving along72 the lines of energy and resistance by the sharp irregular zig-zag2 the lines of grace and rhythmic sweetness by gently flowing and recurring curves2 or the lines of vigour1 of structural force1 of life itself in the radiating group1 or the upward spiral of aspiration4 ,one cannot attempt to follow out all the suggestions1 in a short paper1 which the thought of the meaning of ornament arouses1 but it appears to me1 regarded as a whole1 that we have in the world of ornament a language not only of extraordinary beauty1 but of deep symbolical1 historical1 constructive1 and racial meaning1 and could we follow it fully to its sources1 we should probably get as complete a history of the races which have used it as a means of expression1 as we could do from any other kind of human record4 ,to the modern designer1 accustomed as he is to play with what were once words and syllables of perhaps vital import1 meaning1 in the ornament he may be called upon to fashion1 apart from its own form or technical purpose1 seems1 perhaps1 a vain or an inessential thing4 ,but1 while by no means confusing the purpose of art with that of poetry or literature1 and fully allowing that to attain beauty and fitness is as much virtue as we ought to expect of any designer of ornament1 or any other artist--if it grows1 as it were1 naturally out of the structure and necessities of the building1 or of whatever it is the final expression and flowering--,i still think that there are some thoughts1 some suggestions1 proper to design as a language of line and form1 and that an ultimate symbolical meaning1 however veiled1 gives an interest and a dignity to any piece of ornament1 as well as a certain vitality which it could not otherwise possess4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,house-,,decoration ,house-decoration1 it would seem1 is almost synonymous with civilization1 and certainly has been co-extensive with its development in the world4 ,the domestic interior1 so far as we are able to realize it1 and all that it implies1 affords the best visible evidence of the standard of living and refinement1 and sense of beauty existing among a race or people of any age or country4 ,in proportion as the conditions of human life become more and more artificial1 and removed from nature1 man seems to require the aid of art4 ,decoration1 indeed1 might be regarded as a sort of aesthetic compensation for the increased artificiality1 complexity1 and restraint of civilized life4 ,sheltered from the storm in a rain-proof1 well-drained house1 by a comfortable fireside1 the comfort of a citizen who sits at home at ease is perhaps increased by the contemplation of pictures of wild landscape1 perilous coasts1 and even shipwrecks1 upon his drawing-room wall2 but when the sun smiles and the long days come1 something of the instinct of primitive man moves him1 and he wants to be off to the woods and moors1 seeking nature rather than art4 ,thoreau1 in his delightful book1 8,walden10 describes his endeavours to return to nature and reduce his life to the simplest conditions2 he found the woods of ,walden and its denizens1 and the pond with its wild fowl1 and the contemplation of the changeful drama of nature quite sufficient1 beyond a little rough wooden shanty1 with a bed1 a chair1 and a writing-desk in it4 ,the only attempt at decoration he seems to have made was when he introduced some curious stones1 by way of ornament1 but quickly got rid of them again1 as they needed dusting and arranging4 ,here he seems to have reached the zero of house-decoration4 ,decoration with primitive and pre-historic man may be considered chiefly personal and possible4 ,the taste for decorative pattern was gratified upon his own skin in the form of tattoo or war-paint1 or in strings of beads1 feather head-dresses1 and the carved handles of his weapons4 ,not that modern man--still less modern woman--has given up personal decoration1 in fact1 ,i suppose feathers and beads were never so much in demand1 but it seems that modern painters and decorators having provided so much more elaborate and becoming backgrounds they have to be 8lived up to40 ,one has heard of the man 7in 8,punch07 who was looking for a wife 8to suit his furniture40 ,well1 the background is an important element of a picture1 after all4 ,cave-walls1 though not neglected in primitive times1 no doubt had rather severe limitations1 regarded as fields for decoration1 and until the art of constructing dwellings had been developed to a certain extent1 it is obvious that mural decoration could hardly exist in any ordered form4 ,tent-dwellers1 like the ,tartars and the ,arabs1 developed the mat and rug1 the carpet and cover1 and thus1 on the textile side1 made their historic contribution to an important element in modern house-decoration1 as well as to certain typical forms of pattern well known to decorators2 but the ancient ,egyptian1 with his plastered surface over the sun-baked bricks which formed the wall of his dwelling was1 so far as we know1 the initiator of painted mural decoration4 ,the definite but abstract forms1 the primary colours cleared by black outlines1 and the resulting flat decorative effect of early ,egyptian art1 have set the abstract type for mural painting for all ages4 ,with the ,egyptians1 however1 as with the ancients generally1 the buildings most regarded for decorative purposes1 owing1 of course to their social and religious customs1 were the temple1 the palace1 and the tomb4 ,the ,greeks and ,romans1 and the nations of mediaeval ,europe1 broadly speaking1 followed the same order1 inspired by very different ideas1 and under the influence of very different habits of life and climatic differences4 ,the classic temple and the mediaeval cathedral became alike the depositories of the most beautiful decorative art4 ,they are the great representative monuments of the art of the age and of the races that produced them1 truly collective and typical4 ,the individual citizen under ,greek1 ,roman1 and especially ,christian ideas1 and the development of commerce becoming of more and more importance1 we find the private house considered more and more as a field for the decorator's art1 and for the expression of individual feeling and taste4 ,as regards walls1 fresco and tempera painting appear to have been the chief and most general methods of decoration from classical times to the middle ages1 and it is still to those methods we look for the higher forms of mural work4 ,the remains of ,pompeii1 disclosed from beneath their pall of volcanic ashes1 have furnished a mine of examples to the mural painter1 and1 indeed1 the influence of the ,roman and ,pompeian taste and methods of treatment seems to have remained almost traditional with the ,italian decorator1 who has never lost his skill as a workman in tempera painting1 though one may not always be able to admire his taste4 ,yet1 in regard to such a marked and distinct type of decoration as the ,pompeian1 one cannot but feel that in the endeavour 7which has often been made7 to adapt such types of decoration to modern domestic interiors there is an uncomfortable feeling of anachronism and incongruity4 ,the style1 the fancy1 the colour1 the treatment1 the motives1 all belong so essentially to another race1 and to a different climate4 ,to live surrounded by such imported decorations would be like masquerading in classical costume1 and1 indeed1 to be consistent1 the dwellers in a ,pompeian room ought to pose in classical draperies1 and endeavour to emulate an ,alma-,tadema picture in the aspects of their everyday life4 ,every race and every age1 however1 acted upon by all sorts of influences1 climatic1 social1 economic1 commercial1 political1 historic1 evolves its own ideas of home and comfort--and appropriate decorative surroundings as a necessary part of home and comfort4 ,these1 in the long run1 are the fittest to the circumstances and conditions1 but by no means always ideally the best1 in fact1 but rarely so1 being the result1 as a rule1 of certain compromises2 but the forces which fashion our lives and characters1 which determine our habits and pursuits1 also determine the character of our surroundings4 ,the very ideas of home and comfort which one might consider more fixed and permanent--more traditional--than most human notions1 seem1 with the increased complexity of modern life1 especially on the lines of the present development of large cities1 or commercial centres1 liable to change4 ,the practice of living in flats and residential hotels must surely tend to displace or modify in the mind of the ordinary citizen the older ideas of what constitutes the completeness and organic relation proper to an independently constructed dwelling4 ,the contraction of space1 and sometimes of light1 commonly associated with flats1 cannot have a favourable physical effect1 and the impossibility of any garden setting--beyond a window box--must again1 one would think1 affect both the general health as well as a healthy sense of decoration4 ,the decorative designer certainly depends largely for freshness of inspiration and suggestion in design and colour upon growing plants and flowers1 upon the sight of birds and animals1 of the ever-changing sea and sky1 and the colours of the landscape4 ,if the sense from which is produced the very elements of decoration thus requires to be kept alive and in health1 surely the sense which appreciates the product1 which selects and uses1 needs also similar access to nature to preserve a healthy tone4 ,but having provided small brick boxes with slate lids as homes for our people1 and packed them together in straight rows all alike on the eligible building land of our towns1 we next proceed to economize space 7and secure more unearned increment to the square foot7 by packing such boxes one on the top of the other and calling them 8mansions0 or 8residential flats40 ,illustration3 ,sketch for ,collective ,dwelling containing ,sixteen ,cottages with ,common ,dining-hall1 ,kitchen1 etc4 #a_/cb ,scale ,by ,lionel ,f4 ,crane ,illustration3 ,sketch for ,collective ,dwelling containing ,sixteen ,cottages with ,common ,dining-hall1 ,kitchen1 etc4 #a_/cb ,scale ,on the other hand the collective dwelling1 of which perhaps we see the germ in the better type of modern flats1 with a common kitchen and dining-hall1 may have an important future1 and there is no reason why1 given favourable conditions1 good sites1 and ample ground and careful planning with due regard to light1 air1 and aspect1 dwellings on the plan of collective living1 or collective homes1 should not have dignity and beauty1 as well as the comforts of a home combining provision for the necessity of privacy1 with the social advantages of a common room1 and the economic and continuous advantages of a common kitchen4 ,it should mean that the administration1 the housework1 and the cooking would be done by trained hands1 and one would suppose that the load of care to devise the recurring scheme of the daily dinner1 etc41 now so generally pressing on the poor housewife1 might thus be lifted1 and a great waste of individual effort saved4 ,the old plan of the quadrangle would be an excellent one for a co-operative dwelling3 one side of the square or wing opposite the entrance gate might be occupied by the dining-hall and public rooms1 the other sides might contain the private rooms or be divided into separate dwellings with separate private entrances on the outer sides3 on the inner side connected by a cloister which would enable the occupants of the private rooms or separate dwellings to pass to the public rooms at the head of the quad4 ,a formal garden might occupy the centre of the quadrangle with a fountain in the centre4 ,such a scheme has1 ,i believe1 already been proposed to be tried in one of the ,london suburbs4 ,illustration3 ,frescoes by ,ford ,madox ,brown ,town ,hall1 ,manchester ,illustration3 ,frescoes by ,ford ,madox ,brown ,town ,hall1 ,manchester ,from the decorator's point of view the plan and scale of such collective dwellings might afford fine scope for art3 the large public rooms such as the hall and the common dining-room1 might be simple and dignified with panelled walls1 leaving space above for a continuous frieze of figures1 or divided into separate subjects illustrating local history or legend1 poetry1 romance1 or symbolism of life and nature4 ,the true place1 however1 for the decorative perpetuation of local history and legend is the ,town ,hall1 and it is satisfactory to know that this principle has been thoroughly recognized in at least one important city of ,england and in a modern ,town ,hall4 ,i allude to the frescoes of ,ford ,madox ,brown which vividly and dramatically illustrate the history of ,manchester and her worthies1 and appropriately decorate the walls of the ,city ,hall4 ,in ,birmingham1 also1 ,i believe a scheme of painted panels has been devised to illustrate local history1 and students of the ,municipal ,school of ,art have competed for the design of these4 ,this seems an excellent idea which might be generally adopted4 ,every town which has municipal buildings and a municipal school of art might do much not only to stimulate public spirit and local feeling1 but also materially to help young students and designers by giving them an opportunity of doing public work and thus getting practice in the highest kind of decorative art--mural painting4 ,surely if we have any pride of place1 if we regard our towns and cities as something more than mere mills for money-making we must feel how greatly their interest and beauty might be added to in such ways as these1 as well as public parks and gardens1 fountains1 trees along the streets1 and seats and shelters4 ,indeed1 having regard to the future of our race1 and the importance of space and open air and surroundings of some beauty to the healthy growth and upraising of children1 it becomes a public question of pressing importance1 this of the conditions of life in our cities1 housing1 and house and school building and decoration4 ,one remarkable demonstration or object lesson has been given1 owing to the initiative energy and philanthropy of ,mr4 ,george ,cadbury at ,bournville near ,birmingham1 which ,i was afforded the opportunity of seeing the other day4 ,he has proved1 at least 7even as ,william ,morris did71 that factory work may be carried on amid pleasant surroundings and means of recreation for body and mind1 and that a working population can be housed in close proximity to their work in picturesque and cheap healthy dwellings1 surrounded with ample gardens and pleasant trees4 ,the ,garden ,city ,association is also in the field with ,mr4 ,ebenezer ,howard's scheme for uniting agriculture1 horticulture and manufactures1 with beautiful and healthy dwellings in garden cities which will1 it is hoped1 relieve the overcrowding of our great towns1 and bring back the people to the country with all the conveniences and advantages of well-organized city life1 and moreover enable the inhabitants to become the collective owners thereof4 ,the rapid means of escape from towns which modern invention and commercial interest and enterprise have placed within reach of the town dweller--while they suggest that modern cities are not meant to dwell in--by those who can get out of them--may to some extent counteract the ill effects of an artificial existence1 at least among some classes of the population1 but ,i think a certain restlessness is induced which has its effects--even upon decorative art4 ,the modern mind seems more easily fatigued1 and to require more constant and rapid change4 ,this restlessness1 no doubt accelerated by the effects of grime and smoke1 leads to the desire for more frequent change of colour and pattern in the living rooms1 than formerly4 ,this1 it may be said1 is healthy1 because it is 8good for trade0--for the painters' and decorators' trade1 that is4 ,one of the drawbacks of modern life1 however1 is the existence of trade organizations that are prepared to supply 7on the shortest notice7 any atrocity which may be in demand--indeed1 ,i am not sure that supply does not in some cases create demand1 and ,i suppose he is but a poor salesman who cannot persuade people to buy what they do not want--it may be some passing whim or phase of public taste1 or want of taste2 but the circumstances which are good for such trade cannot be expected to evoke much artistic enthusiasm4 ,what is 8good for trade0 is not always good for human beings1 either in the making or the using1 of which we have often had evidence1 but trade1 or profit1 is the modern fetish to which1 apparently1 all other considerations are expected to bow4 ,illustration3 ,view in ,bournville ,illustration3 ,cottages at ,bournville ,designed by ,alex4 ,w4 ,harvey ,now1 ,i take it1 a painter or a decorator must be primarily concerned with producing something of beauty1 even if1 owing to circumstances over which he has no control1 it cannot be 8a joy for ever40 ,let his problem be of the simplest--the choice of a flat tint for a wall1 for instance--the important element of individual taste comes in4 ,this1 again1 must be checked by considerations of adaptability and utility1 such as aspect and conditions of lighting in the room1 the kind of room1 its proportions and purpose4 ,we all know what a different effect the same tint has in full or in half-light1 in sunlight or in shadow1 and what transformations are effected in rooms by simply changing the tint or the wall-paper4 ,the effect1 too1 of the same tint upon different surfaces should be noted4 ,any texture or granulation of surface improves the quality of a flat tint1 and for this reason wall coverings with a texture in them2 such as are known under the name of ,burlaps1 are excellent1 providing a variety of plain tints of pleasant texture for wall coverings1 or admirable grounds for the decorator to work upon4 ,a good sense of colour1 therefore1 is of the first importance4 ,a knowledge of how to produce certain tints2 the effect of one tint upon1 or in juxtaposition to1 another2 the effect of one tint and of different tints in the same light2 the best grounds for different tints2 all these things1 in addition to the workman's skill of hand in laying on paint evenly1 are essential parts of a painter's and decorator's training and equipment4 ,the complex elements out of which have been evolved our ideas of harmonious decoration are not more complex than those out of which the varieties of the modern house have been produced4 ,true taste1 as well as common sense1 would say1 8cut your coat according to your cloth0--build your house and decorate it according to what you can spend upon it3 let it represent your own ideas of taste and comfort1 after due thought1 and not be an imitation of another's1 or of something in the mode which you think you ought to like1 neither something costly because of the cost1 or a cheap imitation of something costly4 ,how few houses seem to be built or decorated upon these principles4 ,how few1 indeed1 build their houses at all1 or have much choice in the matter--except perhaps that of ,hobson1 who must also have been a jerry builder4 ,there is an old saying that fools build houses and wise men live in them4 ,however that may be1 certainly town-dwellers are often like hermit-crabs1 glad to creep into more or less inconvenient empty shells erected by former generations1 happy if they succeed in adapting them to their own requirements more or less4 ,in a book on architecture of about the date #ahcf1 elevations and plans are given of 8a ,first-rate ,house10 8a ,second-rate ,house10 8a ,third-rate ,house10 and even 8a ,fourth-rate0--quite on the principle of railway carriages1 but going one better1 or one worse4 ,they all present modest street frontages of about twenty feet1 duly cemented and painted4 ,they differ chiefly in the number of their stories1 and consequently windows1 but the plans and elevations are all of the same type1 slightly varied in the details4 ,the 8first-rate0 house1 though a little more ornate and classic in some ways is by no means a palace1 and the fourth-rate house is not exactly a cottage2 the second-rate is only a cheaper edition of the first-rate1 and the third-rate tries to look like the second-rate1 but is conscious of having only one window to the dining-room4 ,all sport balconies to the first-floor front windows and iron railings1 guarding the ground-floor and basement1 only the fourth-rate has no basement4 ,it is as if the architect started with one elevation and literally cut it down to meet the exigencies of second1 third1 and fourth-rate tenants--,i had almost said passengers--and in strict accordance with the then building acts4 ,those building acts1 perhaps1 are responsible for the monotony of our modern streets4 ,although they have in some respects been modified of late1 houses in a street or road are obliged to dress up to a straight building line1 toeing the mark like a file of soldiers4 ,or1 perhaps1 more suggestive of a train of railway carriages1 which only needs a locomotive attached to the end of the row to pull them along1 and one might hope1 out of sight1 also4 ,there are miles of houses of this type still existing in our towns1 notably ,london1 for which in fact the designs ,i speak of were intended1 but ,i have seen their like in ,liverpool1 ,dublin1 and elsewhere4 ,though carefully graded in classes and adjusted to certain rentals1 the aim of the builder has been to make each present1 on the outside1 an equally neat and respectable appearance4 ,this is thoroughly characteristic of mid-nineteenth century ideas1 and the love of neatness has always been characteristic of the ,english4 ,the compromise1 also1 between modest requirements1 or shall we say1 between #e per cent4 and a respect for the ,five ,orders1 which the street frontages of this period exhibit1 is equally characteristic4 ,we see the last results of the wave of ,greco-,roman taste which ruled from the end of the eighteenth century to the early ,victorian time4 ,of course we have got beyond all that now1 though the type remains1 and in some cases even1 with its remnants of style1 affords a slight relief and sense of repose after certain flamboyant erections in terra-cotta and plate glass which have appeared in our streets1 with the up-to-date builders4 ,the type1 as ,i have said1 of these middle-class dwellings remains1 their chief charm as well as decorative point being in the design of the street doorway1 with classical columns or pilasters and a fanlight often with a graceful design in leaded glazing1 too often ruthlessly scooped out to make way for blank plate glass4 ,we know those iron railings 7protecting the area and kitchen quarters from the attacks of the soldier and policeman71 the windows of the basement timidly peeping above the ground as with half-closed eyes2 the steps to the front door whitened by successive generations of devoted housemaids2 the more or less ,doric front door2 the entrance hall1 or long squeezy passage with the umbrella stand as a principal decoration2 the staircase at the end leading to the upper rooms2 the dining-room opening out of the aforesaid passage1 with perhaps a dismal window in the rear1 commanding a fine prospect of back yards1 unless considerately veiled by ferns1 or stopped out by some would-be stained glass4 ,the bedrooms over1 back and front1 follow naturally from such an obvious plan4 ,such types of houses1 however out of date1 ought not to be without interest to the house-painter and decorator1 since they depend for keeping up appearances almost entirely upon fresh paint--and nothing is1 as we know1 8as fresh as paint40 ,indeed1 ,i have often noticed in ,london--from that commanding eminence the top of a 'bus--how the white-painted old-fashioned fronts with green doors of some of the houses in ,piccadilly1 facing the ,green ,park1 donning new 8coats0 for the season1 quite put to shame some of their neighbours--the gorgeous stone-built and marble-columned club faades with all the grime of a ,london winter thick upon them4 ,there is nothing like leather--,i mean paint--after all6 ,in fact1 whether inside or outside1 the town house requires constantly cheering up by the painter and decorator1 but it must be the decoration that cheers but not inebriates--and there is a good deal of what ,i should call inebriated decoration about4 ,much of what is generally known as 8l',art nouveau10 for instance1 belongs to this category--the wild and whirling squirms which form the chief ornamental unit1 whether in surface decoration1 furniture construction1 wood carving1 inlays1 or textiles--which was so much in evidence at the late ,paris ,exhibition1 and in the pages of 8,the ,studio10 which is1 moreover1 generally on the continent considered to be ,english in its origin4 ,in some of its forms it certainly does suggest a free translation into ,french or ,german of a kind of decorative art associated with the designers of the ,glasgow school1 but1 no doubt1 like all modern and mixed styles 7like the melancholy of ,jacques in 8,as you like it071 it is extracted from many simples and compounded of many elements4 ,it is said that the ,emperor ,augustus found ,rome of brick and he left it a city of marble4 ,i should1 contrariwise1 suggest that our decorator1 supposing he found the woodwork of 8a desirable residence0 grained1 should leave it plain-painting--beginning at the front door4 ,iron railings1 it may be noted1 in passing1 are generally painted 7perhaps from economic reasons7 too dark a colour1 which darkens still more in the smoke of towns4 ,a favourite hue is a kind of beefy red1 sometimes picked out with gilding1 though this artistic touch is generally reserved for public buildings--or the public house4 ,graceful wrought ironwork of a light kind often looks well painted white or a light cool green1 but ordinary ,brunswick-green 7of a middle tint7 has a good appearance with the white window frames1 reveals and door jambs of a red-brick house1 the green being repeated for the front door and any outside shutters4 ,apropos of the heavy red paint so frequently used for ironwork1 ,i think that the cylinders of gas-works 7which form such important items in the scenery of our suburbs7 would be far less trying objects if they were painted a discreet and retiring cool tint of green1 and the light ironwork supporting standards or columns painted white4 ,i do not think such a treatment ought to raise the price of gas1 but it would certainly elevate 7or shall we say mitigate7 the gasometer1 and it would certainly dispel the irresistible impression on the mind of the unprejudiced that these rotundas were really huge rounds of pressed beef waiting for some giant ,cormoran's luncheon4 ,but we stopped at a green door1 with white jambs4 ,dear to some decorator-painters' hearts 7and hands7 is 8graining40 ,wonderful1 and sometimes fearful are its results4 ,i quite recognize the skill sometimes spent upon graining--the extraordinary imitation of costly natural woods which a skilled grainer can produce over ordinary painted deal4 ,there are also motives of economy1 ,i believe1 to account for the persistence of graining--in an age of such transparent honesty and simple habits as ours 7874 ,the practice1 ,i have heard1 commends itself in some quarters for the same reason that influenced ,dame ,primrose in the choice of her wedding gown1 namely1 8for qualities that wear well40 ,nothing can be a more delightful1 or a more durable lining for the walls of hall or living-room than oak panelling1 but nothing1 to my mind1 can be more sordid and unpleasant than the woodwork of a room grained to imitate oak4 ,illustration3 ,interior1 #a;a1 ,holland ,park4 ,designed by ,philip ,webb ,from a ,photograph by ,w4 ,e4 ,gray ,the one field where skill in graining and marbling would be appropriate is that of stage scenery and decoration1 where the object is to imitate1 and where the scene has to be quickly changed in obedience to the demands of the drama4 ,few interiors are more pleasant than the white-painted panelled rooms in eighteenth-century houses1 a mode which some modern architects have revived with much success4 ,there is nothing like white paint for the wood-work of modern rooms4 ,it is the best set-off to wall-papers1 and though many attempts have been made by house painters and decorators to get variety of effect by repeating in the styles and panels of the doors some leading tint of the wall-paper1 the eye soon tires of the rather restless result1 and welcomes plain white flatted paint1 leaving it to the mouldings to give the necessary relief4 ,door panels are often considered suitable fields for painted or other decoration2 if1 however1 door panels are emphasized in this way1 the walls would have to be quiet in pattern and colour1 so as to let the doors tell as the chief decorative points2 in such a scheme they would naturally be balanced by a painted treatment of a wood mantelpiece and connected by a chair rail and panelled dado1 or wainscot2 on the other hand1 with a richly patterned and coloured wall the wood-work1 if painted1 should be kept plain colour4 ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,if our technical schools where house-painting is taught1 instead of devoting time and skill to teaching methods of imitative graining1 were to endeavour to train the pupils to use the brush as decorators and encourage them to design and paint simple ornamental borders1 fillings1 and friezes1 such as might be useful in interior decoration1 and train them to be able to space out walls with simple but tasteful sprays of leaves and flowers1 decoratively treated1 and painted by direct clean brush touches1 we should surely see better results4 ,following the spirit of such types as these from the ,ranworth screen in ,norfolk1 for instance 7a beautiful piece of mediaeval ,english work of the fifteenth century1 drawn for me by ,mr4 ,cleobury1 who has also furnished the ,south ,kensington ,museum with a complete set of drawings from the screen71 they would be doing much more excellent as well as interesting work1 work which in its practical results ought to prove much more pleasant and useful1 both to house-painters and to house-holders4 ,this might be supported by prizes being offered for such work in public exhibitions4 ,the attention now being given in primary schools to brush-work1 if wisely directed in its effects1 by giving facility to young hands in the use of the brush1 with its power of expressing form by direct strokes1 ought to be an excellent aid and preparation for such an after training in practical painting and decorating as is here suggested4 ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,stencilling and the design of stencils 7which affords excellent practice in pattern construction of all kinds to the designer and decorator71 has been developed of late years to rather a remarkable degree by our art schools1 as the ,national competitions bear witness4 ,there has been a tendency to over-elaborate this kind of decoration1 however1 by complex patterns and the use of blended tints1 which its conditions hardly bear4 ,though a useful and cheap and effective method of decorating large wall spaces1 friezes1 and even temporary hangings1 and for temporary decoration generally1 it seems to have its natural limits1 and is hardly fitted for positions near the eye4 ,but ,i have seen it effectively used in the large rooms and rough plastered walls of an ,italian villa1 associated with bold hanging brocade patterns of a ,gothic type4 ,in deciding on a scheme for the decoration of one's house1 one must consider what are to be the chief decorative points1 and endeavour to lead up to them4 ,the choice of wall-papers1 for instance1 would naturally be influenced by various considerations4 ,there is first the purpose and use of the room--dining1 drawing-room1 library1 living-room or bed-room1 or what not--there is its aspect and amount of lighting4 ,if the question be the colouring of a whole house1 a reasonable scheme would be to be comparatively simple and sparing of colour and ornament in the passages1 staircase1 and less important rooms1 but with some connecting link of colour lead on to the important rooms1 which might be much richer1 and vary much from each other4 ,at the same time it is not pleasant to jump suddenly from warm to cool tones1 and a house or suite of rooms might be reasonably planned in either a warm or a cool key according to its character1 situation1 and lighting4 ,much1 too1 would depend upon the type of furniture1 since house construction1 decoration1 and furniture1 are properly all closely related4 ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,there is the question of pictures4 ,it should never be a struggle for ascendancy between the wall-paper and the pictures4 ,pictures may be considered as central points in the decorative scheme of a room and the colour and pattern of the main field of the wall arranged and carefully harmonized to suit them4 ,the choice of tint must depend upon the tone and colour of the pictures to some extent1 though usually a gray-green or subdued red forms a suitable background1 or plain brown paper1 which is a very safe one4 ,a white wall1 however1 has more distinction1 and pictures in gold or black frames look remarkably well upon white4 ,one often sees old pictures hanging on white walls in old country houses1 and they always have a fine and dignified effect4 ,the little ,dutch interior by ,van der ,meer in the ,national ,gallery1 besides being a little gem of painting1 shows how beautiful a thing is a white wall1 and how suitable for pictures and becoming to persons4 ,one gets a more luminous effect in a white interior1 and in our towns1 where there is none too much light1 it is a good thing to get rid of gloomy corners4 ,two other charming interiors1 each distinct and characteristic of different races1 country1 and climate1 may be studied in the background of ,van ,dyck's wonderful portrait picture of ,jan ,arnolfini and his wife1 a ,flemish interior of the fifteenth century1 and again in the delightful house of the ,virgin in ,carlo ,crivelli's 8,annunciation10 with all its wealth of decorative detail1 which gives one an excellent idea of a well-appointed ,venetian citizen's house of the fifteenth century4 ,both of these are well-known gems of our ,national ,gallery4 ,illustration3 ,painted ,decoration1 ,ranworth ,rood ,screen1 ,norfolk ,drawn by ,w4 ,t4 ,cleobury ,illustrations of these pictures are given in my book on 8,line and ,form10 so that instead of repeating them here ,i give one from ,lucas van ,leyden's 8,annunciation0 at ,munich 7,pinacothek7 which shows a charming ,gothic interior with a wagon-vaulted roof1 wheel window1 and a rich brocade hanging to the bed1 with other interesting details4 ,another delightful example is the early renascence ,venetian interior which forms the background of ,carpaccio's 8,dream of ,st4 ,ursula0 7,l',accademia1 ,venice74 ,for photographs or prints a pale yellow wall looks well--a pale lemon or primrose tint--it lights up softly and agreeably at night4 ,pale yellow may also be recommended for a rather dark room4 ,even one fleck of sunlight on a pale yellow wall has a marvellous reflecting power and will illuminate the whole room4 ,one can agreeably complete the harmony with brown1 or black and white1 with a touch of orange in the furniture and texture4 ,as a rule1 in modern drawing-rooms and living-rooms1 there are too many colours1 as well as too much furniture4 ,the proportions of the architect and the scheme of the decorator hardly have a chance4 8,elizabeth in her ,german ,garden0 speaks of the charm of rooms newly distempered and papered1 with no furniture in them2 but though it might make a paper-hanger happy1 ,i fear this would be too severe for ordinary ,english taste4 ,illustration3 ,flemish ,fifteenth-,century ,interior ,lucas van ,leyden1 8,the ,annunciation10 ,munich1 ,pinacothek ,i remember a gentleman at ,los ,angeles1 ,california1 showing me with pride a room in his villa he had papered with a gorgeous wall-paper with lots of gold in it4 ,he considered it sufficient in itself1 an end and not a means1 and apparently had no intention of disturbing or obscuring the design by pictures or furniture1 except perhaps a chair or a couch from which to contemplate the splendours of the pattern4 ,i think there is a good deal to be said for the adoption of the ,eastern idea of a divan for western salons--seats all round the room and in the windows1 with small moveable coffee-tables4 ,ladies who entertain would find this a very convenient arrangement for 8at home0 days1 and with a parquet floor the young people would only have to roll up the rugs to find dancing room at short notice4 ,the hall1 or house place of old ,english houses1 no doubt easily lent itself to hospitable and social gatherings1 the long tables and benches ranged along the walls leaving plenty of floor space for games or dancing1 while the ingle-nook invited the gossips and story-tellers4 ,illustration3 ,carpaccio's 8,the ,dream of ,st4 ,ursula10 ,accademia1 ,venice ,from a ,photograph by ,anderson ,the revival of the hall or living-room with the ingle-nook is a noteworthy feature in recent country houses4 ,in fact1 in the design and construction of the small country houses or country cottages built of late years1 mostly as retreats for workers in towns1 artists and others1 we find the most successful1 attractive1 and characteristic buildings of our time1 probably4 ,the cottages designed by ,mr4 ,c4 ,f4 ,a4 ,voysey1 for instance1 with rough-cast battened and buttressed walls1 green or ,whitland ,abbey slates1 green outside shutters1 and white casements1 have the charm of neatness1 quaintness1 and simplicity1 an utter absence of pretentiousness and show1 and a regard for the character of their site4 ,there are some charming cottages of this type at ,bournville1 already referred to1 designed by ,mr4 ,harvey1 the young architect of the estate4 ,i give one here of my son's 7,mr4 ,lionel ,francis ,crane7 design--a timber cottage in the recent 8,cottages ,exhibition0 at ,garden ,city4 ,in designing a country house1 an architect is of course much less fettered than with a town or street site1 and he can frame it in a garden1 which is an important decorative adjunct or setting to a country house or cottage4 ,it is possible also to make it fit into or even become a part of the scenery1 especially if local materials are employed4 ,indeed1 it seems to me1 that the secret of harmonious effect in building lies in the use of local materials as regards country houses4 ,the beauty of our old castles1 abbeys1 country houses and cottages is greatly owing to this4 ,we feel they are in harmony with the character and colour of the scenery1 and have become parts of these1 independently of the effects of time4 ,in the present awakening of the public mind to the importance of the housing question1 and the want of substantial1 comfortable1 as well as comely dwellings for the people1 especially in the country districts1 much attention has been directed to cottage building1 and a practical effort is being made by the ,garden ,city ,association to solve the question in the competitive exhibition in cottage design and building they recently organized4 ,the question is1 as usual1 complicated by the commercial question of profit and percentages on invested capital4 ,illustration3 ,cottage in the ,garden ,city1 ,letchworth1 ,herts ,architect1 ,lionel ,f4 ,crane4 ,builder1 ,frank ,newton1 ,hitchin ,illustration3 ,interior of ,cottage at ,letchworth ,architect1 ,lionel ,f4 ,crane4 ,the ,furniture by ,a4 ,heal 7,messrs4 ,heal and ,son7 ,were the object solely the national welfare1 as it should be1 cottages could be designed and built good to live in and seemly to look at4 ,objections have been made to the local bye-laws1 but so far as ,i am aware these bye-laws are only intended to secure the minimum conditions necessary to health and comfort1 and would in no way interfere with the erection of well-built and sightly cottages4 ,thatch1 it is true1 is ,i believe1 in some counties forbidden on account of danger from fire 7probably really increased by the use of low-flash oil in cheap lamps71 but for detached cottages with the use of iron laths and reed thatch 7as ,mr4 ,robert ,williams has pointed out7 such danger is reduced to a minimum1 and certainly there are thatched cottages and barns1 and even churches1 in ,england which have lasted hundreds of years1 and thatch1 after all1 makes an excellent roof1 cool in summer and warm in winter1 and pleasant to look upon4 ,illustration3 ,interior of ,cottage at ,letchworth ,architect1 ,lionel ,f4 ,crane4 ,the ,furniture by ,a4 ,heal 7,messrs4 ,heal and ,son7 ,illustration3 ,stoneywell ,cottage1 ,exterior ,ernest ,w4 ,gimson1 ,architect ,how charming a cottage can be made1 how picturesque and pleasing though quite new1 how perfectly in keeping with its surroundings and fitted to its site1 ,i lately had an opportunity of seeing in the neighbourhood of ,leicester4 ,i allude to a certain cottage designed by ,mr4 ,ernest ,gimson4 ,the interior also was an illustration of how decorative rooms could look with hardly any decoration4 ,this is a hard saying for decorators1 but my impression was that whitewashed walls1 plain oaken furniture1 only relieved by ,william ,morris's printed cotton in the shape of window curtains or loose cushions here and there1 were sufficiently decorative considering the designs and conditions of the structure of the house4 ,with glimpses of the wild hill-side and the beautiful woodland landscape beyond them seen through the deep-set windows1 there seemed no need for landscapes on the walls--bad news for poor frozen-out picture-painters again6 ,the reign of the big plate-glass window1 ,i believe1 is over1 and certainly in such a climate as ours one needs as a rule to be assured one is really indoors4 ,certainly1 nothing makes so much difference to the aspect and comfort of a room or house as the position and size of the windows4 ,i have a preference for casements with plain-leading1 and if the window is high1 stained glass may find an appropriate place above the transoms1 or in windows where veiled light is needed1 or plain roundels where a view from within or without is not desired4 ,there is no doubt a determined effort in the direction of a return to simplicity1 both in house designing1 furniture1 and decorations on the part of the more refined and cultured1 as a reaction perhaps against the ostentation and luxury of the appointments of the extremely and newly rich1 and the pretentiousness of the decorations of monster hotels1 where coarse imitations of decadent periods of ,french art do duty for splendour1 though even here of late the simpler taste has asserted itself4 ,there is indeed some danger that oak or green-stained furniture and whitewashed walls may come to be considered as outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace1 when perhaps they are only the fashion4 8,have nothing in your house but what you believe to be beautiful or what you know is useful10 was the straightforward advice of that great conservative revolutionist in ,english decorative art and other things--,william ,morris--and he certainly acted up to it in his own house4 ,illustration3 ,stoneywell ,cottage1 ,interior of ,living-room ,furniture ,designed by ,ernest ,w4 ,gimson1 ,sidney ,h4 ,barnsley1 and ,ernest ,a4 ,barnsley ,as to the useful1 there are no complications about that4 ,a room with a definite purpose has character1 and is always more or less picturesque4 ,the kitchen is generally the most picturesque room in the house1 yet usually entirely devoid of what may be called decoration4 ,its objects of art are merely the tools of the workshop1 the bright brass and copper vessels1 the dish-covers gleaming like polished armour from the white walls4 ,the rows of blue and white plates and dishes upon the dresser1 and all the simple but sufficient hand tools of the cook's office about1 easily make up an attractive ,dutch picture4 ,illustration3 ,old ,english ,farmhouse ,interior 7,kent7 ,from a ,sketch by ,walter ,crane ,the real aesthetic dangers come in to the rooms which have no visible means of subsistence1 so to speak4 ,the dining-room1 perhaps for this reason1 is more successful generally than the drawing-room1 and there exists a sort of tradition that it should be warm and rich in colour4 ,silver plate often gleams pleasantly from the sideboard1 and the furniture is simple and massive in its lines4 ,an old ,english dining-room1 with ,chippendale or ,sheraton furniture1 has a character and distinction of its own4 ,a library1 again1 is almost sure to look a habitable room1 and there are few more agreeable linings to walls than books1 and here we must depend upon the taste of the binders1 as well as on the furniture provided for the mind4 ,there would1 however1 be room for the professional decorator upon the ceiling1 and ,i mind me of the lovely plaster ceilings to be met with in sixteenth-century houses1 sometimes armorial1 sometimes emblematic--such as those at ,knole and ,blickling4 ,in plaster work we have a beautiful and permanent kind of decoration which we owe to ,italy1 but which seems to have become quite domesticated here1 and to have developed its own forms with us4 ,the plain white1 flat ceiling of the ordinary modern dwelling-house is the last relic1 and even this used to have a big plaster rose screwed up in the middle1 from which sprouted the gaselier2 but one need not regret the departure of both excrescences in favour of the clean and pendulous shaded electric light1 with light and simple brass or copper fittings4 ,our plasterers1 however1 might be able to throw some delicate ribs or pleasant spacing of simple sprays and devices upon the inviting plain of white plaster over our heads1 or1 if not1 why not let the joists show and paint or stencil them with running leaf patterns1 or paint them black1 leaving white plaster between8 ,mr4 ,george ,walton1 one of the most tasteful and original decorators in the newer mode1 and under the ,glasgow influence1 showed a new treatment of a ceiling in glass and metal1 together with a completely decorated and fitted interior at the recent ,glasgow ,exhibition4 ,a plaster ceiling demands a frieze1 and both may be effective either plain or coloured4 ,this would depend upon whether a light1 dark1 or rich effect were required in the room4 ,there is much charm in the coloured treatment of plaster1 especially of figure designs in low relief as in the work of ,mr4 ,anning ,bell1 ,mr4 ,pomeroy1 and ,mr4 ,gerald ,moira1 though these require large rooms1 public halls1 or churches4 ,illustration3 ,combe ,bank1 ,sevenoaks1 the ,saloon ,the ,stamped ,leather1 ,plaster ,ceiling1 ,chimney ,breast1 smaller ,frieze ,panels1 and ,door ,panels ,designed1 ,modelled1 and ,painted by ,walter ,crane ,illustration3 ,printed ,cretonne ,hanging1 8,defend the ,right0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,illustration3 ,printed ,cretonne ,hanging1 8,bon ,voyage0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,i have designed decorations 7ceilings and friezes7 in plaster and in stucco1 and gesso worked in situ4 ,these1 in several instances1 were gilded or silvered and lacquered so as to produce a low-toned metallic effect4 ,this ornament harmonizes with richly coloured and rather dark-toned walls hung with silk or ,spanish leather2 but these were by no means cottage interiors4 ,for a cottage or small country house1 printed cretonne1 used as hangings for the lower walls of a room1 has an attractive effect if suitable in pattern and colour1 having a fresh1 clean1 and even gay effect with white woodwork and furniture4 ,the most comfortable1 and at the same time the most romantic1 also1 ,i fear it must be added1 the most expensive1 way of decorating walls is by hanging them with arras tapestry such as that produced by ,william ,morris4 ,the dining-room of the ,english ,house at the last ,paris ,universal ,exhibition was panelled in oak up to about six or eight feet1 and the space above to the cornice was hung with ,morris arras tapestry1 designed by ,burne-,jones and himself1 showing the legend of ,king ,arthur's knights and the ,holy ,grail4 ,the simplicity1 yet richness and dignity of effect has a striking contrast to the more clamorous decorations of some of its neighbours1 among which1 however1 the ,spanish ,pavilion was an exception4 ,complete schemes for wall decorations 7including field1 frieze1 dado1 and ceiling71 can1 however1 be had in wall-paper1 which1 with plain painting for the modest citizen1 remains the chief method of interior mural decoration4 ,a frieze usually heightens and lightens the effect of a room1 and its junction with the field can be utilized for a picture-rail1 the wall space from the picture-rail to the skirting being covered with rich or quiet pattern1 as the particular scheme may demand4 ,sometimes a patterned frieze does well above a plain tinted wall4 ,illustration3 ,wall-paper1 8,lily0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,illustration3 ,wall-paper1 8,dawn0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,i venture here to give some illustrations of some of my recent wall-paper designs1 by permission of the makers1 ,messrs4 ,jeffery and ,co4 ,illustration3 ,wall-paper1 ,lion ,frieze and ,rose ,bush ,filling ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,the blue and white lily pattern 7single prints7 would be suitable where a bold effect was desired for a dado or field of lower wall with plain white1 or a quiet frieze above4 ,it might be useful in halls and passages4 ,the rather ornate design called 8,dawn10 with the figure medallion1 might be used for a drawing-room in quiet tones4 ,the blue and the brown being re-echoed in the hangings and furniture with white wood-work4 ,the 8,rose ,bush0 would be appropriate to a dining or living-room where a rather dark and rich effect was aimed at4 ,it would harmonize with oak framing and furniture4 ,the 8,olive ,spray0 might be generally useful1 and would answer as a background for pictures4 ,when wall-paper is used for ceilings the walls should be comparatively quiet4 ,i have found the 8,vine ,trellis0 pattern has a good effect with a plain tint on the walls1 and is especially useful in covering the rather blank and ugly plastered soffit of the staircase which so often meets the eye in a town-house of the older type4 8,the ,cockatoo0 would answer in a large room where an ornate effect was desired1 or it could be used as a frieze above panelling1 or a plain tint4 ,the 8,oak ,tree0 is on simpler lines and rectangular in feeling1 combining a bordered field with a frieze4 ,in choosing wall papers to suit particular rooms1 regard should be had to the character of the lines of the pattern as well as the colour1 bearing in mind that a pattern which runs into marked vertical lines would tend to increase the apparent height of a room1 whereas a pattern of marked horizontal feeling would tend to make a room look lower and longer4 ,illustration3 ,wall-paper1 8,olive ,spray0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,illustration3 ,wall-paper1 8,the ,cockatoo and ,pomegranate0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,illustration3 ,wall-paper ,decoration 8,the ,oak ,tree0 ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,in designing complete schemes for wall-paper one's aim has been to balance the different quantities of pattern in the different parts1 and to re-echo the leading lines1 masses1 and colours by different expedients1 so as to keep an essential relationship between each part4 ,relationship is1 of course1 the essential in all decoration1 otherwise it becomes a patchwork of conflicting pattern and colour4 ,it matters not what our materials may be1 or by what means1 costly or simple1 we seek to obtain our effect1 whether by painting1 carving1 gilding and rich textiles1 metal or plaster work1 stamped leather or wall-paper1 stencilling1 tiles and plain painting or stained wood and whitewash4 ,all must be in keeping1 and seem fit and in its right place and proportion1 and suitable to its conditions and surroundings2 rich and splendid if the aim is to be rich and splendid1 simple and quiet if the aim is to be simple and quiet2 but without the pretence of richness or obtrusive display on the one hand1 or the extreme rudeness1 baldness1 and ugliness which sometimes accompany what looks like the affectation of simplicity on the other4 ,,of ,,the ,,progress ,,of ,,taste ,,in ,,dress ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,art ,,education4 ,if taste in dress could be traced to1 or its cultivation and exercise were solely due to1 the influence of the constant study of beautiful forms and fine historical models in design1 as well as of the living human figure1 we might be justified in looking to our schools of art to give us the best types and standards in costume4 ,there are1 however1 too many missing links between the ordinary art student and the practical designer1 between the tasteful person and the leader of fashion1 to enable us to prove a close connection of cause and effect in the matter4 ,no doubt the general and extended cultivation of a knowledge of art even on the ordinary art-school lines has contributed not a little to the general interest in artistic questions1 and quickened the average eye to some extent2 but it must be said that we have not yet succeeded in making our schools of art remarkable as sources of invention1 of initiative1 or1 on the whole1 distinguished for capacity of artistic selection4 ,we should be expecting too much1 perhaps1 to look for these things from training grounds4 ,we ought to be satisfied if they ultimately turn out a fair average of capable artists1 or1 rather1 enable students to become capable artists4 ,even if all schools were equally well equipped in respect of models and teaching staff1 under the present system there is practically but little margin left by the regime of the ,board of ,education for individual experiment and inquiry off the main lines of the prescribed courses of study in which passes or honours are obtainable4 ,the courses and classes of study are arranged in certain stereotyped ways1 so that it becomes an object to attain a certain mechanical proficiency in certain methods of drawing1 and the representation of a certain range of forms1 in order to obtain certificates1 rather than to cultivate the sense of beauty in individuals with a view to the public benefit and the raising of the standard of taste4 ,these defects are1 it seems to me1 inseparable from any attempt to teach art and taste in schools 7that is to say by precept and principle rather than by practice71 and upon a uniform system directed from a central department4 ,such an organization must necessarily tend to become rigid and work according to routine1 and its administrators' best faculties are apt to be too much absorbed in mastering the details and rules of the system itself1 and in the working of it1 to be able to think out1 much less to adopt1 vivifying changes from time to time4 ,illustration3 ,greek ,drapery1 ,temple of ,nik ,apteros1 ,athens ,at certain stages1 no doubt1 by its command of expert opinion1 such a ,department may be of service to the schools of the country collectively in setting up a standard of taste1 and advancing it from time to time by means of the national competitions1 which are the means of instituting instructive comparisons between the work of different schools4 ,but the real educating after influences2 the inspiring and refining sources of artistic invention in design must be found in the splendid array of examples of ancient art of all kinds in our museums and galleries--which are mines of artistic wealth to the student and the designer4 ,yet the most ordinary art-school training cannot be without its effect1 even if only negative4 ,the mere practice of cultivating the observation and uniting it with a certain power of depicting form is an education in itself1 and gives people fresh eyes for nature and life4 ,the mere effect upon the eye and feeling of following the pure lines and forms of antique ,greek sculpture1 and the severe and expressive lines of drapery can hardly be without a practical influence to some degree even upon the least impressionable4 ,at all events1 we have living artists1 many of whom have survived the usual art-school or ,academic training1 and who through their works have certainly influenced contemporary taste in dress1 at least as far as the costume of women is concerned4 ,i think there can be no doubt1 for instance1 of the influence in our time of what is commonly known as the pre-,raphaelite school1 and its later representatives in this direction2 from the influence of ,rossetti 7which lately1 indeed1 seems to have revived and renewed itself in various ways7 to the influence of ,william ,morris and ,edward ,burne-,jones4 ,but it is an influence which never owed anything to ,academic teaching4 ,under the new impulse--the new inspiration of the mid-century from the purer and simpler lines1 forms1 and colours of early mediaeval art1 the dress of women in our own time may be said to have been quite transformed for a while1 and though the pendulum of fashion swings to and fro1 it does not much affect1 except in some small details1 a distinct type of dress which has become associated with artistic people--those who seriously study and consider of the highest value and importance beautiful and harmonious surroundings in daily life4 ,beginning in the households of the artists themselves1 the type of dress to which ,i allude1 by imitation 7which is the sincerest form of flattery--or insult1 as some will have it7 it soon became spread abroad until1 in the seventies and early eighties1 we saw the fashionable world and the stage aping1 with more or less grotesque vulgarity1 what it was fain to think were the fashions of the inner and most refined artistic cult4 ,commerce1 ever ready to dot the i's and cross the t's of anything that spells increased profits1 was not slow to flood the market with what were labelled 8art-colours0 and 8aesthetic0 fabrics of all kinds2 but whatever vulgarity1 absurdity1 and insincerity might have been mixed up by its enemies with what was known as the aesthetic movement1 it undoubtedly did indicate a general desire for greater beauty in ordinary life and gave us many charming materials and colours which1 in combination with genuine taste1 produced some very beautiful as well as simple dresses3 while its main effect is seen1 and continues to be seen upon the domestic background of interior fittings1 furniture1 furniture-fabrics and wall-paper4 ,the giddy1 aimless masquerade of fashion continues1 however1 perhaps not without a sort of secret alliance with the exigencies of the factory and the market1 and it has lately revived1 in part1 the modes of the grandmothers of the present generation1 but1 as is often the fate of revivals1 has somewhat vulgarized them in the process4 ,modern dress seems to be much in the same position as modern architecture4 ,in both it looks as if the period of organic style and spontaneous growth has been passed1 and that we can only attempt1 pending important and drastic social changes1 to revive certain types1 and endeavour as best we can to adapt them to modern requirements4 ,yet architects are bolder than dressmakers4 ,they think nothing of going back to classic or mediaeval times for models1 while the modiste generally does not venture much further than fifty or a hundred years back1 and somewhat timidly at that4 ,small modifications1 small changes and adaptations are always taking place1 but it generally takes a decade to change the type of dress4 ,illustration3 ,,types ,,of ,,artistic ,,dress ,regarding dress as a department of design1 like design1 we may consciously bring to bear upon it the results of artistic experience and knowledge of form4 ,now1 a study of the human figure teaches one to respect it4 ,it does not induce a wish to ignore its lines in clothing it1 to contradict its proportions1 or to misrepresent its character4 ,it seems curious1 then1 that the courses of study from the antique and the life usual at our art schools do not have a greater effect upon taste and choice in costume than they appear to have4 ,we must remember1 however1 the many crossing influences that come in1 the many motives and hidden causes that bear1 in the complexity of modern existence1 upon the question1 and the stronger social motive powers which determine the forms of modern dress4 ,fundamentally1 we may say dress is more or less a question of climate4 ,pure utility would be satisfied if the warmth is fairly distributed1 and the action of the body and limbs is free4 ,the child with a loose tunic1 leaving arms and legs bare and free1 still represents primitive and classic man2 and he also often satisfies the artist4 ,but the child is free to grow1 to get as much joy out of life as it can4 ,it does not feel under the necessity of pleasing ,mrs4 ,grundy1 except perhaps when mud-pies are 8off40 ,illustration3 ,,types ,,of ,,children',s ,,dress ,,utility ,,simplicity ,,picturesqueness ,primitive1 again1 and picturesque is the dress of the labourer1 ploughman1 fisherman1 navvy2 though purely adapted to use and service4 ,concessions to aestheticism1 if any1 only come in by way of a coloured neckerchief1 the broidery of a smock frock1 or the pattern of knitted jersey4 ,yet each and all are constant and favourite subjects of the modern painter4 ,why8 ,fundamentally1 ,i think1 because their dress is expressive of their occupation and character1 as may be said of the dress of all working people4 ,the peasantry in all ,european countries alone have preserved anywhere national and local picturesqueness and character in their dress2 often1 too1 where it still lingers unspoiled1 as in ,greece1 and in ,hungary and ,bohemia1 adorned with beautiful embroidery worked by the women themselves4 ,the last relics of historic and traditional costume must be sought therefore among the people1 and for picturesqueness we must still seek the labourer4 ,this seems a strange commentary upon all modern painstaking1 conscious efforts to attain the natural1 simple1 beautiful1 and suitable in dress1 to be at once healthy and artistic4 ,there really ought not to be so much difficulty about it4 ,if we lived simple1 useful1 and beautiful lives1 we could not help being picturesque in the highest sense4 ,there is the modern difficulty4 ,we are driven back from every point to the ever-present social question4 ,illustration3 ,,types ,,of ,,working ,,dress ,,utility ,,picturesqueness ,illustration3 ,hungarian ,peasant ,costume3 a ,transylvanian ,bride ,sketched at ,banffy ,hunyad1 ,transylvania ,illustration3 ,hungarian ,peasant ,farmer ,sketched at ,banffy ,hunyad1 ,transylvania ,therefore1 it seems to me that1 though highly valuable and educational1 we must not rely entirely upon conscious cultivation and conscious effort to lift the question of dress above vulgarity and affectation4 ,modern society encourages the ideal of do-nothingness1 so that it becomes an object to get rid of the outward signs of your particular occupation as soon as you cease work1 if you are a worker1 and to look as if you never did any if you are not4 ,this notion1 combined perhaps with the gradual degradation of all manual labour under the modern system1 has combined with business habits and ,english love of neatness1 and perhaps prosaic and ,puritan plainness1 to produce the conventional costume of the modern 8gentleman0--really the business man or bourgeois citizen4 ,the ruling type always prevails1 and stamps its image and superscription upon life everywhere4 ,thus the outward and visible signs of the prosperous and respectable1 the powerful and important1 have come to be the frock-coat and tall hat--gradually evolved from the broad-brim and square cut jerkin of the ,puritan of the seventeenth century4 ,even the modern gentleman1 when he takes to actually doing something1 or playing at something1 becomes at once more or less picturesque4 ,the flannels of the cricketer1 and the boating man1 the parti-coloured jerseys of our football teams--the modern equivalent1 ,i suppose1 of the knightly coat heraldry of the lists--all have a certain character and expressiveness4 ,the costume of the cyclist again is another instance of adaptation to pursuit allied to picturesqueness1 since it acknowledges at least the form of figure1 and especially the legs1 lost in ordinary civilian costume4 ,in the various forms of riding-dress1 again1 we get a certain freedom and variety in costume through adaptation1 both in men and women's dress4 ,what modern costume really lacks is not so much character and picturesqueness1 as beauty and romance--a general indictment which might be brought against modern life4 ,we are really ruled by the dead weight of the prosaic1 the prudent1 the timid1 the respectable1 over and above the specializing adaptive necessities of utility before mentioned4 ,when we turn from the prosaic picturesqueness of such specialized dresses to the region of pure ornament1 as in the modern full or evening dress of men and women1 what do we find8 ,as far as men are concerned pure convention1 the severest simplicity1 without beauty1 and almost without ornament1 and1 except in the case of those entitled to wear orders1 confined to studs1 watch-chain1 etc4 ,the clothes1 the negation of colour--black1 enlivened only by white linen and white waistcoat1 and patent leather4 ,i have here drawn a contrast between a gentleman's dress of the present time and one of the fourteenth century4 ,both are extremely simple in design2 but the mediaeval one alone can claim beauty of design1 as it is true to the lines of the figure1 and does not cut it up by sharp divisions and contrasts4 ,in the repression of ornament we may detect another influence1 that of monarchical and aristocratic institutions4 ,since if ornaments were freely worn by ordinary citizens1 what would become of the doubtful distinction of ribbons and stars4 ,the ordinary citizen1 in the exercise of his individual taste1 might have finer jewellery and better design upon him than the courtier and the diplomatist4 ,that would never do1 of course4 ,the same rock ahead will be found1 ,i think1 in the case of trousers4 ,knee breeches1 silk stockings1 and buckled shoes are obviously more elegant and becoming than tubes of black cloth2 but if the ordinary citizen takes to them what becomes of the official dignity of the golden footman1 or of the cabinet minister at court1 my ,lord ,mayor1 ,mr4 ,speaker1 and other notabilities8 ,men's dress having been reduced to the extreme of plainness in ordinary life1 any relics of antiquity are used to denote official position1 and the very plainness of evening dress is made use of to set off the decorations of courtly persons4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,contrast ,,modern ,,mediaeval ,,simplicity #aith ,,century #adth ,,century ,these are a few of the complexities which attend any serious attempt to reform men's dress4 ,they serve to convince one that costume is really controlled by the forms of social life1 condition1 occupation1 rank1 general tradition1 sentiment1 and sense of fitness1 so that we can only reasonably expect great changes in the outsides of life when corresponding changes are affecting the inside--the economic foundations1 constitution1 and moral tone of society4 ,but let us look at the ladies4 ,here at all events appears to be a field for the cultivation and display of taste and beauty for the sake of beauty and taste alone4 ,mere convenience and utility in a lady's evening dress does not appear to be consulted at all4 ,it often loses much of its primal covering capacity1 and takes the form of a floral dressing to set off the head and bust and arms of the fair wearer4 ,most delicate materials and colours are used--white samite1 mystic1 wonderful2 trailing clouds of glory in tulle and gauze2 ,eastern embroidery1 and ,chinese and ,indian silks1 gold1 coral1 pearl1 diamonds and precious stones1 and flowers both real and 7alas67 artificial1 are some of the materials which contribute to the modern lady's evening toilette4 ,in the choice and use of these beautiful materials there is evidently abundant room for the exercise of the nicest judgement and the most refined and delicate individual taste4 ,there can be no doubt1 too1 that these qualities are often met with1 and that they are invariably found with a love and considerable knowledge of art4 ,i do not say that a knowledge of art alone will enable people to dress tastefully4 ,that is not always the case4 ,the power of expression of taste or individuality in dress is no doubt like other gifts of expression1 innate4 ,but a study of art1 the training of the eye to appreciate the delicacies of beautiful line and quality of colour1 and beauty of design in pattern1 even without much executive power1 must act upon the selective capacity generally4 ,i think there is no doubt that we do see the signs of artistic culture1 over and above natural distinction of choice1 more frequently in the dress of refined and cultured women in our days than at any former period1 perhaps1 since the first half of the sixteenth century4 ,there is more variety1 more individuality1 signs of that increasing independence of thought and action which distinguish our countrywomen4 ,the immense range of choice1 both in simple and costly materials in women's dress1 may be put down to increased commercial activity and the modern command of the markets of the world1 no doubt4 ,the taste and discrimination which selects and combines them in an artistic dress1 is1 to begin with1 instinctive1 but is largely aided and guided by conscious cultivation and the study of art and the works of artists1 ,i think4 ,we may1 indeed1 detect certain distinct influences in certain leading types of women's dress1 even in that comparatively narrow region left to individual choice by the dictates of fashion or the milliner1 dressmaker1 and draper1 and comparatively few feel themselves at liberty to move much beyond this4 ,if then our dictators1 for the mass1 must at present be sought principally in these professional or trade directions we are thrown back again upon the quality and effectiveness of our artistic and technical education4 ,the great municipalities are busy spending large sums upon technical institutes1 where the artistic lamb is expected to lie down with the manufacturing and commercial lion1 where science and art are to become inseparable1 if not undistinguishable1 and inventive design is expected to keep pace with the labour or wage-saving ingenuities1 and mechanical economics forced upon the manufacturer by competition4 ,among other things millinery and dressmaking will be taught1 so that one may suppose the technical school will have a direct bearing upon taste in dress4 ,the same difficulty arises here as in the case of art-school teaching4 ,you may lead a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink4 ,rather1 perhaps1 we are providing patent buckets before securing a water supply4 ,what ,i mean is that1 ultimately1 in all the arts1 in all matters of taste and beauty we must go back to life and nature4 ,beauty is inseparably associated with love1 and cannot be produced without it3 and unless the conditions of ordinary life admit of beauty we must not expect the reproduction of beautiful things4 ,we cannot expect that science1 or mechanical principles1 or commercial demand will enable us to produce it in any direction to order4 ,we cannot expect to get beauty at any price1 if while arranging an elaborate system of art education on the one hand we allow ourselves to destroy its sources in nature1 in the beauty of our own land1 by ruthless destruction or vulgarization now too common4 ,beauty and taste can only spring out of the conditions or the materials which go to the making of a harmonious life4 ,they must have opportunities of germinating and growing up in minds with leisure to think1 with capacity to feel1 with freedom and opportunity to select1 with materials and margin for experiment1 and above all with a centralizing social ideal--a keynote of love hope or faith4 ,let us ask ourselves how far we are1 individually or collectively1 from the attainment of such conditions4 ,,of ,,temporary ,,street-,,decorations ,the decoration of streets at times of public rejoicing seems to afford abundant opportunities for the exercise of artistic taste and fancy1 and since in our time such occasions are apparently on the increase1 it might be worth while for artists to give more serious attention to design of this kind4 ,it cannot be said that hitherto public efforts at street decoration in this country have been very distinguished4 ,english individualistic habits1 and ,english commercial instincts are both unfavourable to artistic success in this direction2 we are not good at collective expression in any art1 and the new imperialism has not so far helped us to be articulate in street decoration4 ,the adornment of our streets and public places usually falls into the hands of trade contractors1 and anything like freshness of idea1 taste1 or pleasing fancy is distinguished rather by its absence4 ,our fiery patriotism seems quite content to let our decorative crowns and gilded emblems and wreaths be 8made in ,germany10 and the popular imagination is sufficiently lifted by union jacks1 supplied in 8all sizes0 down to the pocket-handkerchief by the dauntless commercial instinct aforesaid4 ,nothing1 of course1 gives colour and movement so readily as bunting1 and the very sight of a flag is exciting4 ,but flags are dangerous things1 and private zeal in the display of flags often outruns heraldic discretion4 ,one sees strange treatment of the national emblem sometimes4 ,a people so fond of waving them ought to know its own flags and how to hoist them one would think4 ,i noted the other day a remarkable treatment of the red ensign1 the usual arrangement of the union jack in dexter quarter being varied by cutting it into quarters and placing one quarter in the usual place and the other at the extreme lower corner of the fourth quarter of the red field1 dropping the other two out altogether4 ,this may have been from motives of economy4 ,i have seen1 too1 the white ensign hoisted upside down6 ,the old way of hanging gay rugs and tapestries from the window-sills would produce a very picturesque effect in a street1 and would at all events avoid such a 8nice derangement of epitaphs0 as those above mentioned4 ,some streets lend themselves to decorative effects better1 of course1 than others1 and narrow streets are easier to decorate than wide ones4 ,scale in regard to the buildings and the position of the decorations are of the greatest importance4 ,in our ,london streets very frequently the houses differ in height and width of frontage as much as they differ in architectural taste and period1 and this increases the difficulty of effective decoration4 ,a ,venetian mast may be in decent scale in relation to the height of buildings at one part of the street1 or even on one side of a street1 and quite ridiculous in regard to other buildings on the same or other side of the same street4 ,yet the street decorator clings to the ,venetian mast as a chief means of street decoration1 even if only a spar1 with the tenacity of a shipwrecked sailor4 ,the result1 too1 in such a climate as ours often is a wreck4 ,those poles recently placed in ,piccadilly--one of the prettiest of our streets opposite the ,park 7perhaps because one side is left out67--look too small1 and are rather fussily garlanded1 while the shields--bearing the portcullis and the rose alternately--are miserably undersized1 and not of a fine shape4 ,the best thing is the connecting garland with its lamps1 but these ought to be thicker in the middle4 ,then again1 the poles face only one way--outwards to the road1 so that they do not tell much in perspective4 ,something on the principle of the cross-tree or yard-arm and hanging sign is more effective4 ,at least in one piece of artistic decoration attempted for the coronation--,i mean the scheme of decoration for ,westminster ,bridge by the ,royal ,college of ,art under the direction of ,prof4 ,lanteri and ,prof4 ,moira--this principle was adopted4 ,boldly designed banners painted by the students hung from cross-trees over the pavement1 balanced by lanterns at the other end1 while between them busts of heroic size of our kings and queens under canopies1 and backed by stencilled hangings faced the roadway1 these groups being connected with the masts which bore the banners by hanging garlands4 ,illustration3 ,decoration of ,westminster ,bridge4 ,by the ,students of the ,royal ,college of ,art ,from a ,coloured ,drawing by ,g4 ,e4 ,kruger ,the tapering rectangular column of the new art mode with the flat trencher at the top might come in quite usefully as a substitute for the ,venetian masts in places1 and the flat top could be used for plants in pots1 vases1 gilt globes with victories on them1 or other emblems1 or heraldic beasts1 or electric lamps4 ,a continuous light arcade of such columns1 connected by a light entablature bearing suitable inscriptions1 with hanging garlands1 or bay trees in tubs between1 would be a pretty scheme for a straight1 and not very wide street4 ,one generally feels the want of some connecting link across the roadway1 overhead1 in any parallel scheme of street decoration4 ,a string of flags is the simplest way of doing this1 and is done often enough1 but if the street is sufficiently narrow a succession of cloths or banners hung horizontally across the street1 forming a kind of irregular valarium1 would have a good effect--say alternating in two or three colours1 with bold heraldic devices1 either national or appropriate to the locality1 upon their fields4 ,streets hung in this way in red and white1 in green and white1 or blue and white would have a pleasant effect4 ,striped cloths could also be used in this way4 ,illustration3 ,suggestion for a ,temporary ,gatehouse at ,temple ,bar ,by ,walter ,crane ,one consistent colour scheme1 say the heraldic colours of the township 7with ,chinese lanterns strung across for night effect7 for each street or section of the town1 with an arch or gateway to mark the entrance to each ward or district1 would be a means of obtaining unity1 as well as striking and harmonious decorative effect4 ,something of this kind was in the mind of a deputation which waited on the ,lord ,mayor at the time of the coronation to offer a suggestion to the ,city1 which would have lent itself well to such a treatment4 ,starting from ,temple ,bar1 the existing ,griffin--or ,city dragon 7which we whispered might be temporarily removed67--might have made way for a fanciful ,gothic gatehouse with gilded portcullis and gates1 built of timber and plaster of course1 but substantial enough to support warders and trumpeters1 and a gallery of fair ladies who might shower roses or gilded oak leaves upon the ,king when he passed1 as our ,richard ,,ii was greeted at his coronation from the tower in ,cheapside1 which bore a golden angel upon its top4 ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,george should occupy niches on such a gateway1 which should also display the banners and badges of the ,city and the ,temple1 and the arms of the ,city guilds1 while ,gog and ,magog personified should stand at the gates4 ,illustration3 ,,temporary,,street,,decoration ,,rough,,sketch,,to,,show,,arcaded,,stre et ,,use,,of,,hanging,,draperies,,heraldry ,fleet ,street should be arcaded by a series of simple timber supports upholding a balcony1 or tier of seats1 at the height of the first-floor windows4 ,the timbers might be whitewashed and decorated with chevrons or other simple patterns in black or red1 but the construction not concealed4 ,and at regular intervals1 upon piers1 a bold heraldic beast 7say the dragon of ,st4 ,george7 might support the ,city banner2 ,pegasus and the ,lamb those of the ,inner and ,outer ,temple to mark their boundaries1 with the ,red and the ,white ,rose4 ,at ,clifford's ,inn the ,art ,workers' ,guild could hang out their badge1 an' it liked them2 while ,st4 ,dunstan1 and the ,white and ,blackfriars might appear further on4 ,i would drape the fronts of the houses in white and red1 the ,st4 ,george's ,cross might run from end to end of ,fleet ,street1 and on the parapets of the houses there should be a hedge or cresting of green boughs connected across the street at intervals by light1 arching trellises surmounted by crowns1 to be illuminated at night1 and covered with green leaves and hung with the shields and badges beforenamed 7which in the able hands of ,mr4 ,barron1 of the ,society of ,antiquaries1 would not be the tame things to which we are too much accustomed74 ,such a scheme could be a type for each ward1 or1 on the other hand1 each ward could be different in scheme as well as colour1 but each should have its gatehouse and its guild represented thereat4 ,well1 the ,city considered itself sufficient to itself--is it not always self-sufficient8 ,the ,lord ,mayor preferred to rely1 possibly1 upon the mute inglorious ,alma-,tademas and ,st4 ,john ,hopes and ,barrons concealed in the ,guildhall ,library--or shall we say1 the contractors of ,houndsditch4 ,i fancy there was a suspicion that we were only early birds trying to get the contract1 and that ,lord ,windsor 7who headed the deputation7 was perhaps the head of a decorating company1 limited6 ,illustration3 ,,banner ,,of ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,london ,,arms ,,of ,,westminster ,,heraldic ,,dragon ,,supporter ,,temporary,,street,,decoration ,,details,,in,,previous,,sketch,,in,,ele vation4 ,,enlarged,,to,,scale #a_/b ,,to #a ,,foot4 ,it is said the world knows nothing of its greatest men--perchance1 also1 it never sees its best street decorations4 ,but how can one reasonably expect ,london to glow with enthusiasm over grand schemes of street decoration which principally consist of shining decorative lights carefully concealed under municipal or other bushels8 ,,of ,,the ,,treatment ,,of ,,animal ,,forms ,,in ,,decoration ,,and ,,heraldry ,the forms of animals furnish the designer in all kinds of decorative work1 whether flat or in relief1 with pleasant means of enriching and enlivening his pattern4 ,ornament may indeed reach great refinement and delicacy without the use of living forms1 as it has done in the case of ,arabian and ,moorish types1 and in such ,persian work under ,mohammedan influence as the superb carpet from the ,mosque of ,ardebil2 yet a lover of incident and romance1 of movement and variety--perhaps one might say a western imagination--welcomes the forms of animals1 birds1 and even humans1 as delightful elements of pattern4 ,originally1 no doubt1 like the recurring types of floral form in ,oriental1 ,chinese and ,indian and ,persian work1 animal forms were introduced with definite meaning1 with symbolical and heraldic purpose1 and 7despite ,mr4 ,lewis ,day7 ,i still think that ornament gains in dignity and character if it contains some kernel of thought or intention or poetic fancy in its meshes1 in its lines and curves1 and the forms with which its inventor plays4 ,technically1 by the use of animal forms contrasting masses can be obtained in design of a kind not possible in any other way4 ,a mass of stems and leaves and flowers in a tapestry is pleasantly broken by the varied shapes of figures and animals which give relief and breadth by their larger contours and masses of colour1 and this power of contrast and mass are elements of great value4 ,even in a mechanically repeated surface pattern1 woven or printed1 interest1 dignity1 and distinction can be given by recurring elements of this kind1 especially if we are careful about their choice and1 above all1 their treatment4 ,the treatment of animal forms in design of course depends greatly upon the conditions of the work1 the material of its execution1 and its use and position4 ,the rich colour and texture of ,arras tapestry1 for instance1 it is obvious would lend themselves to a much greater degree of realism than the more abstract treatment suitable to the limitations of inlaid work1 or cloisonn enamel4 ,in embroidery1 again1 the needle has considerable freedom as regards texture and the expression of surface1 and in the case of the plumage of birds1 may1 as we see is done in ,chinese and ,japanese silk embroidery1 approach nature in the construction and set of the feathers1 and the sheen and gloss of their colour effect4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,mantle from the ,treasury of ,bamberg1 ,twelfth ,century 7from ,de ,farcy7 ,illustration3 ,chasuble from the ,cathedral of ,anagni1 ,thirteenth ,century 7from ,de ,farcy7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,even in the extremely abstract treatment necessitated by the exigencies of incised hieroglyphics we can hardly find finer examples of treatment1 so direct and unerring is the characterization1 than the birds and animals of the ancient ,egyptians4 ,the same power of characterization1 though with a freer hand1 is also seen in their mural paintings4 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,sicilian ,silk ,pattern4 ,fourteenth ,century 7,fischbach7 ,illustration3 ,embroidered ,tabard1 ,sixteenth ,century1 in the ,archaeological ,museum at ,ghent 7from ,de ,farcy7 ,the early ,greek potters ran them close in designing the black silhouettes of animals forming borders around their vessels and vases2 but we find here at work a conscious ornamental feeling in the treatment of their forms--an apparently intentional arrangement of the lines of the animal into more or less formal curves4 ,a running antelope1 for instance1 will take a sort of volute curve1 and in one case the volute itself is drawn beneath4 ,the forms of these animals and birds of the vase paintings were no doubt influenced by the brush1 and many of them might be described as brush forms4 ,the bodies of the birds and fish are oval or ovoid masses1 and in their repetition1 by means of such ornamental generalization1 a certain balance and rhythm is obtained4 ,illustration3 ,detail from ,embroidered ,tabard1 ,sixteenth ,century ,indeed1 there is no better method of insuring ornamental effect when introducing animal forms than the practice of designing them within certain definite boundaries1 which may be geometric1 such as squares1 circles1 and ovals1 according to the contours of the masses required in the particular design4 ,the ,japanese give in one of their drawing-books some clear adaptations of birds and animals enclosed in circles1 and they are very ingenious pieces of packing4 ,illustration3 ,detail from ,embroidered ,tabard1 ,sixteenth ,century ,illustration3 ,detail from ,embroidered ,tabard1 ,sixteenth ,century ,the early weavers of the ,egypto-,roman textiles of ,alexandria and of ,byzantium1 and of the renowned ,sicilian silks from the twelfth to the fourteenth centuries1 and those of ,lucca of the fourteenth1 all revelled in animal forms1 and were adepts in their treatment4 ,in the latter cases they were used symbolically and heraldically1 and1 indeed1 with the development of heraldry in the middle ages under feudalism1 such elements became the principal elements in decoration of all kinds1 so much so that it might be almost said that heraldry was the ornament and decoration of the mediaeval times4 ,illustration3 ,,animal ,,forms ,,in ,,decoration ,,heraldry4 ,the ,robe of ,,richard ,i,ind1 from the picture at ,wilton ,house ,our ,richard ,,ii1 it will be remembered1 in the famous ,wilton picture1 is kneeling in a robe of golden tissue woven with the badges of his house--the hart couchant and the phnix--repeated all over as in a sort of diaper1 and there are abundant instances among our brasses1 stall plates1 and effigies1 of the splendid treatment of heraldry in the arms1 as well as the dresses of knights and ladies bearing their family totems thick upon them4 ,illustration3 ,exercise in ,heraldic treatment spacing4 ,the ,lions of ,england designed by ,walter ,crane4 ,boldness1 spirit1 distinctness of colour and form1 and characterization governed by ornamental colour and effect1 seem to be the chief principles in designing heraldic animals4 ,illustration3 ,heraldic ,lion designed by ,walter ,crane ,they not only have to be depicted1 but displayed4 ,therefore every distinctive and important attribute or characteristic is emphasized4 ,the lion's mane and tail become foliated1 and his legs are fringed and tasselled4 ,his claws are spread wide--cleared for action2 his mouth is well open1 and his long red1 curly tongue rollicks out between his emphatic teeth4 ,a lion out of a cage in the ,zoological ,gardens would be no manner of use on a coat1 or as a crest or a supporter4 ,the endeavour of later times to make the heraldic lion a more reasonable being has only tamed and degraded him4 ,he looks round-headed1 muzzy1 and spiritless4 ,illustration3 ,the ,lions 7or ,leopards7 of ,england1 from the ,tomb of ,william de ,valence1 ,earl of ,pembroke1 ,westminster ,abbey4 #abif4 ,illustration3 ,from the ,tomb of ,edmund ,crouchback1 ,earl of ,lancaster4 #abif4 ,westminster ,abbey4 ,much the same principles apply to the treatment of the other 8fearful wild fowl0 of heraldry1 as well as the necessity for very careful decorative spacing4 ,i will only recall1 in this connection1 the spacing of the ,english leopards in the fourth quarter of the royal arms on a shield of thirteenth century shape as offering good field to a designer from the exercise of ingenuity in space filling4 ,,of ,,the ,,designing ,,of ,,book-,,covers ,the book-cover1 as a field for surface design1 appears at first sight to offer in its many varieties a less restricted field for invention than perhaps any portable object of common use which demands the attention of a decorator4 ,yet in no field of design are certain qualities more essential to success--qualities1 too1 outside the particular conditions of the various methods1 and processes used in the production of book-covers4 ,these are1 in chief1 tastefulness and sense of scale and proportion1 important enough it will be said in all design1 but narrowed down to the limited field of the book-cover1 and in full view of its object and purpose1 they become all-important4 ,limited1 for instance1 to the narrowest demands of utility--an inscription or title on side or back needful to distinguish the outside of one book from another1 questions of choice of scale1 of lettering in relation to the size and proportion of the cover1 of the choice of the form of the lettering and the spacing of the letters upon the cover immediately arise4 ,now the side of a book-cover presents a flat surface within rectangular limits1 varying in size according to the folding of the sheet of paper which determines the size of the book to be covered--folio1 quarto1 octavo1 and so on4 ,the book itself is a rectangular object as it lies on the table4 ,it is a casket of thought at its best1 at its worst it contains records or human remains of some kind4 ,the rectangularity1 however1 is what will influence the designer1 from the spacing of his block or tablet of lettering1 to the intricate arabesque of the most elaborate gold tooling4 ,the best cover designs are those1 to my mind1 wherein the feeling of the angularity of the enclosure is expressed or acknowledged in this way1 but of course it may be felt and expressed in a variety of ways4 ,in the old stamped leather and pigskin bindings of the early days of printing of the books from ,venice and ,basle1 for instance1 a frequent and very satisfactory plan was to form a series of borders1 one within the other1 from the edge of the book1 enclosing a central panel1 left plain except for the title1 stamped or inscribed upon the upper part of this plain panel4 ,the borders were formed of stamps of different patterns1 heraldic devices1 scroll-work1 emblems enclosed in straight lines4 ,these designs are often models of scale in book ornament1 and being carefully spaced and composed of repeating elements1 have a delicate and at the same time rich effect4 ,illustration3 ,binding in ,black ,morocco1 with ,medallions and ,coat-of-arms1 by ,thomas ,berthelet 7,sixteenth ,century7 ,i need not dwell upon the splendid jewelled and silver mounted manuscripts of the scriptures of ,byzantine times1 which called in the work of other craftsmen1 since ,i presume one is dealing rather with the design of surface ornament as a matter of mass and line adapted to the ordinary conditions of the book-cover4 ,the method of stamping the coat-of-arms of the owner boldly upon the centre of the sides in gold upon leather covers1 used from the sixteenth century and onwards1 has a dignified effect1 and these stamps1 whether heraldic or of abstract ornamental elements1 are often beautiful examples of rich and effective spacing within narrow limits1 the enclosing shape or boundary indicated only by the edges of the device1 which fits into its invisible shell1 as it were1 without effort and without any sense of cramping4 ,the designers of the stamps either blind or in gold must have been in close touch with the designer of printers' ornaments--initial letters1 headings1 borders1 and the like--if not in some cases identical with them1 and to this no doubt we owe that sense of scale and proportion in the ornamentation of the earlier bindings4 ,in gold-tooled designs the necessity of their having to be composed or built up of certain restricted elements1 or separate tools1 the ingenious combination of which produces the delicate arabesques of line and leaf and floral forms we admire as the crown and glory of the binder's craft1 has also contributed to the preservation of scale1 since the tools must necessarily be limited in size4 ,illustration3 ,binding in ,black ,morocco1 with ,arms of ,edward ,,vi1 by ,thomas ,berthelet 7,sixteenth ,century7 ,before the recent revival in this craft1 in which so much is due to the taste and skill of ,mr4 ,cobden-,sanderson1 there was a tendency towards over-small1 frittered and meaningless detail in gold tooling1 and binders were given to mechanical repeats of stock tools and stamps4 ,yet repetition of forms or lines may be used tastefully as well as in a commonplace way4 ,few methods in tooling a book-cover are more appropriate and satisfactory than the diaper1 which is sometimes used all over the cover1 and sometimes covers the inner panel only4 ,the decoration of the back of the book-cover requires particular care4 ,in gold-tooled bindings the ornament may effectively be concentrated upon the back1 which of course must include the title1 leaving the sides plain4 ,when the sides are decorated the back must be the link to connect the obverse of the book with the reverse--unless we like to say front side and back side4 ,illustration3 ,binding in ,stamped ,calf1 with ,panels representing the ,emblems of the ,passion1 with ,unicorns as ,supporters1 and the ,arms of ,france and ,england1 with ,tudor ,rose1 etc4 7,sixteenth ,century7 ,but ,i am trespassing upon the binder's province4 ,the cloth cover seems to be a sort of compromise1 though often agreeable enough4 ,our continental neighbours issue their books in limp paper wrappers1 expecting them to be bound as a matter of course4 ,this may account for the high state of the binder's craft1 as a craft1 in ,france4 ,here1 our publishers vie with each other in issuing their books in attractive cloth gilt covers which at one time were intended to rival the gold-tooled binding4 ,of late we have seen every kind of eccentricity upon book-covers both in design and execution1 gold1 silver1 black and white1 and various colours being used in cloth printed covers1 and designers often going far in the pictorial direction4 ,we may see the influence of the poster1 but still more so when we come to the printed paper cover which imposes still fewer restrictions upon the designer1 in fact1 none at all1 except that of space--unless his sense of fitness imposes limits upon himself2 yet cloth covers have perhaps shown more licence than the printed paper cover of late4 ,the cover printed in few and frank colours and varnished for protection from wear has had a considerable vogue for ,christmas books of the lighter sort and for those principally intended for children4 ,these were1 when first introduced1 rather shocking to the bookselling mind1 which went by weight and the amount of gold on a cloth cover1 in appraising literary and artistic worth in the market4 ,when a certain thin square volume for which ,i was responsible was modestly offered at #es41 the usual test being applied1 the answer was1 8,this will never do60--the public1 however1 was of a different opinion4 ,it may be said for the cover printed in colours1 when it encloses a book printed in colours1 that it has a certain fitness1 and for the rest must depend largely upon the designer4 ,illustration3 ,binding of ,oak ,boards covered with ,stamped ,calf1 with ,panels ,representing the ,baptism of ,christ and ,st4 ,george and the ,dragon1 by ,john ,reynes 7,sixteenth ,century7 ,the illustrated magazine cover has exercised a good deal of artistic ingenuity1 and always presents the problem of the treatment of lettering as an essential part of the design1 as indeed it always should be4 ,there is something attractive about the angular and abstract forms of letters used in contrast with the free lines of the human figure and drapery1 or floral ornament1 or heraldry1 and in a cover design to be printed from a line block the designer may indulge his feeling for these contrasting elements4 ,here again the influence of the poster has come in1 the conditions of the magazine cover in its struggle for existence on the bookstall being similar to the struggle for pre-eminence upon the hoarding among its larger commercial cousins4 ,in the covers of the magazine1 the illustrated weekly journal1 and the railway novel we see the popular side of cover design and decoration1 largely intended in the first place to attract attention1 with a view of immediate sale4 ,like all competitive processes with a commercial object1 while certain qualities such as a kind of force or eccentricity may be evolved1 it generally leads to deterioration on the artistic side4 ,the final test of all design1 and especially design of book-covers--the apparel of our companions and friendly counsellors--seems to be wrapped up in the question3 8,can you live with it80 ,one may admire the skill and celerity of a juggler and conjurer1 but it would be uncomfortable to sit frequently at table with a professor of the craft who was given to whisk away one's dinner napkin1 swallow the knives and forks1 or discover the roast mutton in his neighbour's pocket4 ,illustration3 ,binding in ,brown ,calf1 inlaid by the ,wotton ,binder 7,sixteenth ,century7 ,so a sensational book-cover may startle us by its audacity1 but it is apt to stare at us horribly upon the drawing-room table--and we can hardly be expected to re-furnish entirely to suit its complexion4 ,a painter ,i know tells me that there are two classes of pictures--8pictures to live with and pictures to live by40 ,books or book-covers might be divided as books to be taken care of and books to use4 ,the aristocracy1 in their morocco and gilded coats1 seem too costly and precious to handle every day and be dimmed by ,london smoke and dust4 ,few could duplicate their favourite books1 so in the end the quiet cloth cover with its plain lettering is welcome for work-a-day1 while1 do as we may1 the motley crowd in paper will press in and flaunt their little hour1 8yellow and black and pale and hectic red10 driven like leaves before the breath of passing interest1 some1 perhaps1 at last finding rest1 and resurrection1 in the portfolios of the careful collector4 ,,of ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,gilding ,,in ,,decoration ,the use of gilding in decoration of all kinds seems to be as fascinating to the artist as its pursuit in the solid form appears to be to a large proportion of the human race4 ,in both instances1 too1 there are risks to be run2 in both there is use or abuse of the material involved4 ,the uses of gilding in art are manifold4 ,we may regard it as the most precious and beautiful means of emphasis in design4 ,a method of heightening certain important parts1 such as the initial letters of an illuminated manuscript1 where1 by raising the letter in gesso1 or gold size and burnishing1 an additional richness and lustre is obtained1 especially with the use of full colours1 such as ultramarine1 the deep blue and vermilion which warm the heart in looking at the manuscripts of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries4 ,the jewel-like sparkle1 too1 of the burnished gold used for raised leaves and fruits here and there among the delicate arabesque page-borders as in ,french manuscripts of the early fourteenth century has a most charming effect1 and contains suggestions for the use of gold in larger kinds of decorative work4 ,illustration3 ,appartamenti ,borgia1 ,vatican1 ,rome1 showing ,pinturicchio's fresco3 8,the ,salutation0 and a ,portion of the ,decoration of the ,vault ,from a ,photograph by ,anderson ,illustration3 ,appartamenti ,borgia1 ,vatican1 ,rome1 showing ,portion of 8,the ,salutation0 fresco1 with ,enrichments raised in ,gesso ,from a ,photograph by ,anderson ,gold1 too1 may be used as light in drawing1 as a heightening to take the place of white on a dark-toned paper4 ,burne-,jones revived this method with fine results4 ,gold is a most valuable means of harmonizing different colours used in the same design or decoration1 and is often useful as an outline in flat decoration1 and while it can be effectively used with the full range of colour where very rich effects are sought1 it also combines well with any single colour in decoration4 ,the late ,g4 ,f4 ,watts told me he considered blue and gold to be the typical colours of the universe4 ,certainly they form one of the most--if not the most--beautiful of harmonies4 ,in the ,appartamenti ,borgia in the ,vatican at ,rome--a series of vaulted rooms decorated by ,pinturicchio--the prevailing harmony is blue and gold1 the field of the vaulting being blue with raised arabesques in gold emphasizing the ribs1 while the arched spaces formed by the vaulting on the side walls are filled with figure subjects in fresco1 in which the gold note is re-echoed by certain parts such as armour1 weapons and caskets being raised in gesso and gilded4 ,the whole has a very rich and splendid but quiet effect4 ,there is a reproduction to scale of a portion in ,south ,kensington ,museum--and also one of the room of ,isabella d',este at ,mantua1 which has a rich ceiling in gold and colour4 ,illustration3 ,palermo3 ,cappella ,reale1 ,interior ,from a ,water-colour ,sketch by ,walter ,crane ,the lining of a certain dining-room in ,prince's ,gate lately sold and removed might be quoted as a modern instance of blue and gold decoration4 ,it is supposed to have cost an architect his reason1 and both the painter and the patron more than either bargained for1 as well as their friendship1 but the result was most artistic1 original and beautiful4 ,need ,i say the motive was the peacock1 and the artist ,mr4 ,whistler8 8,there is safety in a swallow-tail10 says ,carlyle in 8,sartor ,resartus40 ,that there is safety in white and gold appears to be the creed of the modern decorator4 ,i heard a lady say she liked white and gold2 it 8always reminded her of champagne10 possibly it may remind others of a balance at their bankers4 ,there is a well-known firm of architects in ,new ,york by the name of ,mackim1 ,meade and ,white1 who have been re-christened in the profession as 8,mackim1 ,white and ,gold10 owing to their fondness for that blend in interior decoration1 in association with what is called 8old colonial0 architecture4 ,one can obtain every variety of metallic tint related to gold by lacquering over silver leaf4 ,i adopted this method in a room1 using a coffered ceiling with the design of a vine in relief1 and a frieze panelled with figure subjects 7sop's 8,fables074 ,the light came from a large bay window at one end of the room1 and so the edges of the reliefs caught the light4 ,the general effect being subdued silver and bronze tones1 relieved by touches of ruddy gold4 7,see illustration1 p4 #bfa47 ,illustration3 ,the ,double ,cube ,room1 ,wilton ,house4 ,showing the ,inigo ,jones ,decoration of the ,walls1 with the ,vandyke ,portraits in the ,panels ,from a ,photograph by ,brooks and ,son1 ,salisbury ,the use of gold as an isolator has long been established in the form of picture frames--the gilded 8flat0 or moulding clearing a picture from its surroundings more effectually and easily than any other known method2 but the picture frame1 as ,i think ,i have before said1 is only a relic of the architectural relation of the picture to the wall1 where it originally formed a panel1 as may be seen1 for instance1 in the ,vandyke room at ,wilton ,house4 ,gold also forms a most valuable field or ground for colours1 as in decorative painting and mosaic work1 or may be used in painting with charming effect as a colour1 as the early painters used it1 for rich brocades and patterned stuffs1 rays of light1 the emblazoning of heraldic devices1 inscriptions1 and small fine details of all kinds4 ,gold in ,byzantine art always seems to have been used with a sense of dignity and of solemnity4 ,the gold tesser which form the field of the mosaic decoration in the subdued light in ,st4 ,mark's at ,venice impress one with an effect of quiet splendour4 ,there is nothing gaudy or flaming4 ,the light falls through the narrow windows of the dome1 and moves softly over the concave gilded surface1 reflected backwards and forwards in every variety of tone as the sunlight travels1 and the great figures and emblems loom majestically and mysteriously upon the gold field4 ,another splendid example1 and again chiefly a harmony of blue and gold1 is seen in that exquisite gem of architecture and mosaic decoration1 the ,cappella ,palatina in the ,royal ,palace at ,palermo4 ,illustration3 ,the ,double ,cube ,room1 ,wilton ,house ,from a ,photograph by ,brooks and ,son1 ,salisbury ,the opposite principle in the use of gilding is illustrated in ,st4 ,peter's at ,rome1 and in many renascence interiors when the mouldings1 capitals1 cornices1 and architectural enrichments of all kinds in relief are picked out in gold4 ,the splendour may be there--if only in the impression of costliness--but it seems of a more obvious kind1 more conscious and self-assertive1 and when the principle is carried thoroughly out of gilding every prominence1 the effect may easily become ostentatious and vulgar4 ,i think it is important not to lose the sense of preciousness in the use of gilding1 and1 as with costly marbles and beautiful materials of all kinds1 one should be careful not to put them to base uses1 or lose their artistic value by excess4 ,it is comparatively easy to offer up pious opinions on the use of gold2 but the real problems only begin in front of the particular work in hand1 and the conditions under which the decorative artist works continually vary4 ,one may be guided by certain principles1 but much more by feeling and judgement1 which go to form what is called taste4 ,every work must be finer in proportion to the thought and feeling put into it1 but no amount of gold-leaf will cover the absence of taste and sense of proportion4 ,,of ,,raised ,,work ,,in ,,gesso ,decorative design in gesso stands1 it may be said1 midway between painting and sculpture1 partaking in its variations of the characters of each in turn--the child or younger sister of both1 holding1 as it were1 the hands of each1 playful1 light-hearted1 familiar1 associated in its time with all kinds of domestic furniture and adornment4 ,with an origin perhaps as ancient as the other arts1 its true home is in ,italy4 ,we find it at ,pompeii1 with its relatives1 stucco and plaster-work1 in association with architecture1 which also are seen in such choice forms in the decoration of the ceilings and walls of ,roman tombs1 such as the famous examples of the ,via ,latina4 ,we find gesso work also in direct association with painting in the devotional pictures of the early ,italian schools1 used for the diapered backgrounds and nimbi of saints1 and raised emblems and ornaments4 ,it reappears in our own country in the painted rood-screens of ,norfolk and ,suffolk4 ,at ,southwold1 for instance1 there is a notable screen with panels1 painted with figures of the apostles1 the backgrounds consisting of diapers in raised gesso4 ,the revival of classical taste and love of classical lore and ornamental detail at the time of the renascence in ,italy led to later and highly ornate development of gesso and stucco1 of which we may see elaborate examples in the ceilings of the ,doria palace at ,genoa1 for instance2 and in the fine decorative scheme of ,pinturicchio in the ,appartamenti ,borgia in the ,vatican1 gilded gesso is used for caskets1 weapons1 and other details in the frescoes painted on the walls1 gilded relief work and blue grounds being carried out on the vaulted ceilings above1 in arabesques and medallions4 ,a beautiful model of part of the ,appartamenti1 by ,signor ,mariani1 may be seen in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 where also choice examples of gesso work may be found in picture and mirror frames1 and gilded coffers or cassones4 ,there are several of these from ,florence with figures in relief on flat backgrounds1 punctured or stamped with patterns on the paste1 and afterwards gilded with rich ornamental effect4 ,then again we find gesso used underneath the burnished gold letters and leaf work of the mediaeval illuminators4 ,the ,italian craftsman's skill in gesso seems to survive in the ,italian confectioner with his freehand decorations squeezed out in the form of raised ornaments of plaster and sugar on birthday cakes and such like2 and ,italian workmen are still the masters of the craft and mystery of all manner of plaster-work1 including moulding and casting4 ,now there are various kinds of gesso and recipes for making it1 and it can be worked in different ways1 and on different scales1 and in different degrees of relief4 ,for fine work on a small scale1 such as might be used for caskets or small panels in cabinets1 and the decoration of furniture generally1 ,gesso ,duro is the best4 ,illustration3 ,method of ,working with the ,brush in ,gesso ,it is a mixture of whitening soaked in cold water till quite soft1 glue or gelatine1 boiled linseed oil1 and a little resin1 mixed well together to the consistency of cream4 ,there is also a gesso used by frame-makers composed of whitening and parchment size4 ,supposing it is desired to work a design on a panel of wood1 the wood had best have a coat of shellac or varnish first4 ,then having determined your design lay on the paste with the point of a long-pointed sable brush--the kind known as a 8rigger10 or small water-colour brush will answer--lightly dropping the gesso from the point of the brush or slowly dragging it1 so that the gesso may flow from its point1 as the design may require1 and adding more of the paste where greater relief is required4 ,illustration3 ,filling for ,picture-frame1 in ,gesso ,duro ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,gesso ,duro takes some days to dry1 but dries1 as its name implies1 very hard4 ,it can then be scraped down if necessary1 and worked on again or touched on to any extent2 and the peculiar quality of the relief given by brush work is1 perhaps1 best left untouched1 or at least only added to1 and not taken away from by scraping down1 although a very fine finish could be obtained in this way1 giving the work almost the look of ivory1 though1 ,i think1 in that case1 departing from its true character4 ,the frame margin given was worked in ,gesso ,duro1 from a design of mine1 by ,harold ,weeks4 ,the design for a bell-pull was modelled in gesso by ,osmund ,weeks1 for reproduction in electro silver1 the sea-horse being in copper4 ,i have also used for work of about this scale simply a mixture of plaster of paris or thin glue1 which answered fairly well if done with directness1 as the mixture dries very quickly1 and is apt to crack off the ground when dry4 ,illustration3 ,design for a ,bell-pull1 ,modelled in ,gesso ,by ,walter ,crane ,the device for the ,art ,workers' ,guild is an example of this method1 also worked with a brush1 and afterwards tinted with lacquers reduced to pale tints by methylated spirit4 ,the lacquer1 of course1 hardens the surface4 ,for bolder work and higher relief ,i have used plaster of paris with thin glue or gelatine4 ,in this1 in proceeding to model the design1 you dip small pieces of cotton-wool pulled out finely1 and having saturated them in the mixture1 you build up your design on the panel1 which may be of fibrous plaster1 and suited for insertion in wall1 frieze1 or ceiling1 or fireplace4 ,it is important to wet the ground or shellac it to stop the suction1 before laying on the gesso4 ,it will dry slowly enough to be modelled with the fingers or tools1 and added to when dry1 or finished with brush work4 ,it dries very fast1 and the fibre of the cotton-wool makes it cling to the panel4 ,i have worked figures on a frieze with a brush on a fibrous plaster panel1 and had them cast afterwards1 since plaster and glue on large surfaces without fibre is apt to crack off4 8,the ,dance0 was a frieze panel worked in this way4 ,there are various patents and materials in the market for working in gesso4 ,one of the best ,i have met with is called 8,denoline40 ,it consists of a fine powder1 sold in tins1 which only requires to be mixed with cold water to convert it into a paste of any consistency required4 ,flour appears to be an ingredient1 and wheat flour1 ,i believe1 was used by the old ,italian gesso workers4 ,illustration3 ,gesso ,panel ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,illustration3 ,the ,dance3 ,frieze ,panel in ,gesso ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,the frame border was worked in this material1 the gesso mixed as stiffly as possible1 laid on and modelled with an ordinary modelling tool4 ,it dries slowly and can be retouched4 ,it is a little too sticky1 and no doubt requires1 like all the different varieties of gesso1 its own peculiar treatment4 ,illustration3 ,picture-frame in ,oak with ,gesso 78,denoline07 ,filling ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,it might seem at first sight that such a material had no particular limitations or natural laws which in all art are so serviceable in evolving what we call style4 ,yet elastic as it appears to be1 and possessing such considerable range of effect1 experience soon teaches us that it has its own most fitting characteristics and tendencies in ornament4 ,the artist1 so far from desiring to disguise the real conditions of the work1 would rather emphasize their peculiar characteristics4 ,for instance1 in laying on and modelling any design in gesso with a brush1 he will find the brush and the paste conspire together to favour the production of certain forms of ornament1 delicate branch and leaf and scroll work1 for instance1 and dotted borderings4 ,illustration3 ,treatment of ,form in ,gesso ,decoration ,by ,walter ,crane ,such forms as these the brush1 charged with gesso1 almost naturally takes1 and the leaf shapes may be considered almost as the reflection of the form of the brush itself4 ,the modelling of the more raised smooth parts is produced by gradually and lightly adding--superimposing while moist fresh gesso1 on the system of pte sur pte1 which amalgamates with that underneath4 ,the artist1 in modelling the limbs of figures1 would emphasize the main muscular masses1 allowing for the natural tendency of the paste to soften its own edges in running together3 so that a limb would be built up somewhat in the way indicated in the drawing by successive layers of the material floated over each other while moist4 ,of course1 the success of the result depends upon not only the nicety of touch but also on the proper consistency of the gesso1 which1 if mixed too thin1 would be likely to lose form and run out of bounds4 ,gesso1 therefore1 for brush work should be mixed like the valetudinarian's gruel in one of ,miss ,austen's novels--8,thin1 but not too thin40 ,illustration3 ,system of ,modelling with the ,brush in ,gesso ,illustration3 ,gesso ,decoration3 the ,dining-,room1 #a;a1 ,holland ,park ,designed by ,walter ,crane4 ,the ,side-board ,designed by ,philip ,webb4 ,from a ,photograph by ,w4 ,e4 ,gray ,it is of little use giving exact quantities1 since satisfactory working depends upon all sorts of variable conditions1 almost in the nature of accidents1 such as temperature1 quality of the materials1 and nature of tools1 none of which behaves exactly in the same way on all occasions1 and this variability must necessarily lead to different results in different hands4 ,illustration3 ,gesso ,decoration3 the ,dining-,room1 #a;a1 ,holland ,park ,frieze and ,panel over ,fireplace and subsidiary work on the ,woodwork of the ,fireplace1 ,designed by ,walter ,crane4 ,the ,fireplace ,designed by ,philip ,webb ,from a ,photograph by ,w4 ,e4 ,gray ,illustration3 ,gesso ,decoration3 ,detail of ,coffered ,ceiling1 #a;a1 ,holland ,park ,designed by ,walter ,crane4 ,from a ,photograph by ,w4 ,e4 ,gray ,it is only personal experience of the subtle mechanical and material conditions which are inseparable parts of the production of all work of the nature of art1 which can really determine their fitness to each individual worker1 who must sooner or later1 if his work is alive1 make certain variations to suit his own particular idiosyncrasies4 ,illustration3 ,gesso ,panel ,silvered and ,tinted with ,coloured ,lacquers 7part of ,frieze in ,dining-,room at #a;a1 ,holland ,park7 ,designed by ,walter ,crane4 ,from a ,photograph by ,w4 ,e4 ,gray ,illustration3 ,panel in ,gesso1 ,tinted with ,lacquers and ,lustre ,paint ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,it is perfectly hopeless to attempt to pursue any form of art on purely mechanical precepts and principles4 ,a few plain and practical directions1 as to a traveller seeking his road in an unknown land1 may be given1 and the rest must be learnt step by step in experience1 and as much as can be gathered from opportunities of seeing the work done by skilled hands1 from which1 indeed1 everything learnable can be learnt4 ,illustration3 ,panel in ,gesso1 ,tinted with ,lacquer ,designed by ,walter ,crane ,even complete mastery over materials is1 after all1 not everything4 ,in fact1 from the artistic 7or inventive7 point of view1 work only begins there1 as expression comes after or with speech4 ,design has much analogy to poetry4 ,unless the motive is real and organic1 unless the thought and form have something individual in them1 unless the feeling is true1 it fails to interest us4 ,herein lies the whole question of artistic production4 ,yet is it worth while to learn what can be learnt about any form of art1 if only it enables one to realize its true nature and something of the laws of its expression1 which knowledge1 at least1 if it does not confer creative power1 greatly increases the intelligent pleasure of its appreciation4 ,,the ,,relation ,,of ,,the ,,easel ,,picture ,,to ,,decorative ,,art ,despite the invention of oil painting 7which ,cennino considered only fit for lazy painters7 and the fact that many easel pictures now produced appear to have a very remote relation to decorative art as generally understood1 ,i am still of the opinion that the easel picture1 properly considered and placed in its right relationship to its surroundings1 by judicious treatment and hanging1 and above all by a certain mural feeling1 may be the acme of decoration4 ,its relation to a scheme of decoration may be like that of a jewel in a dress4 ,of course1 everything depends upon the point of view of the painter1 in the first place1 and in the present age the easel picture has been a favourite medium not only for the display1 strange to say1 of that individualism and experimentalism which are supposed to be special modern characteristics1 but also for the merging of individuality in schools1 types1 and modes of painting1 or frank imitation of fashionable masters4 ,the easel picture differs from any conscious piece of decoration by not being necessarily associated with1 or consciously related to1 any other piece or scheme of design4 ,yet1 practically1 it must be related to something4 ,it is related1 in the first place1 if a sincere work1 to something in the painter's mind4 ,most painters are impressionable and sensitive to the effect of their surroundings4 ,it is a common saying how much better a picture looks in the studio in the light in which it was painted1 but probably it is not only the lighting but the surroundings also1 and the picture has been perhaps unconsciously painted in harmony with its surroundings1 its colour scheme affected by the colour of the studio walls1 draperies1 and furniture4 ,certain it is that1 as a rule1 painters are known by a favourite scheme and key of colour1 quite apart from the fact that commercial considerations often encourage them to repeat themselves4 ,the modern picture-exhibitions--,i mean big shows like that of the ,royal ,academy--have perhaps done more to destroy the decorative relationship of the easel pictures than anything4 ,an analogous effect is produced on the mind by the sight of so many pictures of so many different sorts1 subjects1 and scales1 and treatments crowded together1 to that produced by a surfeit of ornament1 and pattern on pattern1 in internal decoration4 ,this seems to point to the fact that true decoration lies rather in the sense of proportion and arrangement or distribution than in the use of particular units of ornament1 styles1 colours1 or materials1 and that one may destroy decorative effect by the very means of decoration--but we have only to remember the meaning of the word4 ,i have spoken of mural feeling in a picture being important to its decorative quality or relationship1 and it is the most obvious and necessary relationship1 since it establishes a relationship with the destined place of the picture--the wall4 ,its frame1 which separates a picture from its surroundings1 also helps to unite it again to its original home1 where it becomes a movable instead of a fixed panel enclosed by a moulding4 ,no word is perhaps oftener on the pen of the prattler about pictures 7or art critic7 than the word 8decorative10 which seems very variously understood and applied to all sorts and conditions of painting4 ,what is really comprehended by the phrase is appropriate treatment1 or mural feeling4 ,a satisfactory definition of mural feeling would be difficult1 since it is a quality composed of many elements1 but ,i think most artists know what they mean by it4 ,to my mind it includes a certain flatness of treatment with choice of simple planes1 and pure and low-toned colours1 together with a certain ornamental dignity or architectural feeling in the structure of forms and lines of composition1 and is generally antithetic to accidental or superficial characteristics or what might be called landscape effects4 ,does this then exclude landscapes from the decorative relation1 it might be asked8 ,vast distances1 large sky spaces1 wind-tossed trees1 turbulent seas and flying shadows certainly do not tend to the repose of a wall--but it is precisely to 8give interest0 7to people not interested in 8mere patterns07 that pictures are hung upon it1 and to some tastes there cannot be too much drama going on4 ,others would rather keep it bound up in another form in their libraries and only let it loose occasionally4 ,but ,i am far from saying that even the sky-landscape has no decorative place4 ,but you must not mix it or have too much of it4 ,a window may be an important decorative element in the scheme of an interior1 and a landscape three parts sky may have something of the value of a window in a room4 ,but it might be possible to decorate with landscapes alone1 though one would prefer tapestry landscapes without sky1 or with very high horizons1 at least for the lower walls2 certainly there never ought to be sky below the eye level on a wall4 ,the ,turner room has a certain unity and splendour of its own1 regarded simply from a particular decorative point of view1 and ,turner would be pronounced ,i suppose the least decorative in feeling of modern artists--rather the epic poet in paint4 ,every age1 too1 has its own notions of decoration--indeed one might say even every decade now1 or even a less period1 we live so fast6 ,no rules or canons of taste in art are of universal application or acceptable to all periods4 ,as decoration is primarily fitness and harmony1 with this central idea one may produce decorative effects with very different materials1 and we have only to glance back to our historic periods to see how it was accomplished4 ,the standard of the ,beautiful undoubtedly shifts1 or perhaps changes hands in the unceasing struggle to win it1 and what is worshipped at one epoch or in one century is cast out and trodden under foot in the next4 ,perhaps we have 7during the past century7 gained a little historic balance or toleration1 and all of us are not prepared to make a clean sweep of the work of the other centuries in favour of the favoured one4 ,but a harmonious effect is always more difficult with mixed materials 7which may account in some degree for the marked success of 8the tulip and the bird0 in modern decorative patterns74 ,certain material conditions1 too1 favour the growth of a higher type of art at one period than another4 ,we can never elude the economic basis which necessarily affects our forms of art as of other things4 8,pictures1 furniture1 and effects0 is the auctioneer's favourite phrase in describing the property of a gentleman4 ,he might be describing pictures alone4 ,we have heard of 8furniture pictures0--but remove the reproach1 is it not in the fitness of things that pictures should be furniture1 and their highest destiny to decorate a room8 ,but when pictures become counters in the game of speculation1 your decorative relations along with your social relations may take care of themselves4 ,they become1 in fact1 very poor relations4 ,the portability of the easel picture may have something to do with its unrelatable character in some cases4 ,destined for nowhere in particular as a rule1 it goes on tour--a member of a performing and often very diverse company1 to all the provincial towns1 and even on the continent4 ,yet there were portable and even folding pictures in classical and mediaeval times1 and certainly there was no want of decorative relationship in the latter period when1 as we know1 they were often most beautiful pieces of furniture and wall decorations1 as well as pictures4 ,even the gold-framed oil picture was frankly treated by the ,venetians as a decoration--and a ceiling decoration--as witness the ,tintorettos in the ,ducal palace4 ,it would not be difficult to select pictures from the ,national ,gallery from the ,italian1 ,flemish1 and even the ,dutch and ,spanish schools1 which would not only be admirable pieces of decoration but also furnish the decorator with beautiful decorative schemes of colour4 ,an easel picture might be made the central point of its own scheme of colour and tone1 and led up to1 as it were1 by everything in the room4 ,there may be1 as ,i have said already1 room for the open sky in decoration1 too1 if you 8sky0 it enough1 or put it in a frieze1 and this touches a rather important point of decorative relationship1 too often ignored by the hanger of easel pictures1 that is the placing of the picture so that its horizon or vanishing point shall be on a level with the eye of the spectator4 ,checked by such considerations1 and due selection of scale and tone in placing pictures1 ,i would not say that decorative effects are not possible with the most easel of easel pictures--only you must add the decorator to the painter to bring them off4 ,illustration3 ,pictorial ,decoration1 ,ducal ,palace1 ,venice ,from a ,photograph by ,alinari ,some facetious friends of ,william ,morris once proposed to send him a circular asking subscriptions to an association for the protection of the poor easel-picture painter1 since he was being frozen out by designers of wall-papers and hangings of such mere ornamental interest that people did not want anything else on their walls4 ,it was a joke1 but there was meaning in it1 and1 thrown as we are on the world-market1 the floating of one man or one kind of art is too often at the expense of the sinking of another4 ,pictures1 like other things1 should1 in an ideal state1 be produced for use and pleasure not for profit1 and there would then be less doubt of their decorative relationship2 and1 although1 if this method were adopted generally1 it would greatly reduce the output1 ,i cannot help feeling the ,japanese show a true instinct for the decorative relation of pictures when they only show one kakimono at a time2 but1 after1 all that would only mean that we could keep the rest of our collection--as so many masterpieces have been kept--rolled up or with their faces to the wall4 ,a ,,great ,,artist ,,in ,a ,,literary ,,searchlight#b ,our late veteran idealist-sculptor-painter so often sat in the chair of the literary operator1 whether journalistic critic1 interviewer1 or more serious biographical appraiser1 that one imagines that in his life-time he must long have ceased to wonder what manner of man--or artist--he might be1 and1 like enough1 vexed not himself when vivisected to make a ,british holiday4 #b 8,g4 ,f4 ,watts10 by ,g4 ,k4 ,chesterton4 ,london1 ,duckworth and ,co4 ,the necessity for a more or less complete 8sizing up0 of a famous artist1 of classifying him and affixing a descriptive label1 or brand1 seems to answer to some requirement of the age1 despite the chance of the label becoming out of date1 owing1 perchance1 to the unexpected versatility or longevity of the labelled4 ,it accords with the habits of a commercial people to have 8all goods marked in plain figures20 curiosity1 too1 must be satisfied1 and art1 not always at once clearly speaking out for itself in the vernacular1 the literary interpreter and critical labeller find their opportunity4 ,it is1 however1 difficult enough to attempt to sum up the quality and range of an artist in his lifetime1 and in the short perspective of the present assign to him his proper relative position for all time2 but1 as it may be still more difficult after he has gone1 there may be some excuse for the attempt--which has at least the excitement of daring--to make a true estimate of his powers and position while he yet liveth1 and while his works change their character under different impulses and influences under our very eyes4 ,not that such a brilliant and sympathetic little study as this by ,mr4 ,chesterton needs any excuse4 ,he is always such good reading1 and has such a bright epigrammatic way of putting things1 that even if he were less penetrating he could not fail to be amusing and stimulating4 ,the rapid flash of his searchlight1 as it were1 touches so airily on so many interesting objects in its sweep that1 as one might say of a painter1 his background1 with its wealth of subsidiary and illustrative detail1 is often more fascinating than the treatment of his main subject or principal figure4 ,the book for one thing is remarkable for the attitude the author takes up in regard to the nineteenth century--in endeavouring to account for ,mr4 ,watts--and1 as it appears to be a not altogether uncommon view with men of the present generation--although mostly born in that mythical century--one may take his view as more or less typical4 ,but1 really1 from the way in which the century just closed is regarded one might suppose it was as distant almost as the thirteenth4 ,illustration3 8,love and ,death0 ,by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a4 ,have we then changed so much1 or is it only the figure-heads or brain-heads and their ideals which have changed8 ,that 8there is a tide in the affairs of men0 we all know--a flood and an ebb tide1 indeed1 and it may be the tide of aspiration is now rather low1 and some of us may sigh as we look seaward at the stately departing ships with their brave ensigns glowing in the fading light of sunset which has left the foreshore1 encumbered with the drift and wreckage of disappointed hopes and disillusion4 ,we may have to wait some time for the flood and we know not what argosies of new hopes and thoughts it will bring us4 ,in the meantime we must make shift with our one hope1 or our hope with one string as best we may4 ,but if our young men have ceased to dream dreams1 our old men have not ceased to see visions1 and the great idealist-painter we have so lately lost must be counted as the foremost of such4 ,it will always be to his honour that through good report and evil report he steadfastly upheld the banner which proudly asserts the intellectual character of painting1 and claims its right and its power1 as a language of peculiar vividness1 richness1 and resource1 to express certain typical and profound thoughts and emotions1 and to embody by definite but delicate symbolism ideas and ideals not possible to be conveyed so succinctly1 so suggestively1 and above all1 so beautifully by any other means4 ,matter and manner cannot really be separated in any vital art4 ,form and spirit become fused in all its highest1 even in all its genuine shapes4 ,illustration3 8,sir ,galahad0 ,by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a4 ,mr4 ,chesterton rather steps aside in one place to poke fun at ,allegory 7as ,i note literary men are1 curiously enough1 prone to do71 although elsewhere he appears to admit that it has its due place and value in art1 and he grows enthusiastic over ,mr4 ,watts's use of it4 ,but that is just the crux4 ,everything is in the artist's use and treatment4 ,there is allegory and allegory4 ,in its highest form it is a species of poetry1 in its lowest it becomes a catalogue4 ,we may go to ,cesare ,ripa and get a recipe for the correct make-up of any virtue we wish to symbolize4 ,fedelta 7,fidelity71 for instance1 is given1 8,donna vestita di bianco1 colla destra mane tiene una chiave1 ed ha alii piedi un cane40 ,well1 there you are--but it all depends upon the artist whether the emblem represents each item in the crudest form1 or becomes a really fine design1 full of refinement and inner meaning4 ,to appreciate the allegory of a past age one must be able to read oneself into its spirit4 ,the ,allegories of ,botticelli seem to belong to a different world from those of ,rubens1 and appeal to a different mood and even order of mind4 ,i quite agree with ,mr4 ,chesterton that a lady in classical drapery and a cornucopia1 or caduceus1 would quite inadequately represent modern commerce4 7,a bull and a bear playing see-saw across the globe would be nearer the mark1 perhaps67 ,but the lady might have a place in a decorative composition1 symbolizing things in the abstract1 when beauty of treatment is again all-important4 ,the spirit of ,spenser's 8,faerie ,queene0 is more painter-like in allegory 7which is always in ,spenser perfectly definite7 than that of any other writer1 and it is perfectly blended with poetic and imaginative feeling1 just as in a painted allegory the matter of it should be inseparable from its form4 ,illustration3 8,hope0 ,by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a4 ,we feel this to be so in the finest works of ,watts1 such as the 8,love and ,death40 ,it is strange1 however1 to find ,mr4 ,chesterton writing of allegorical pictures as if they were as plentiful as blackberries4 8,millions10 he mentions--,i wonder how many he could count in any ,royal ,academy exhibition8 ,i had supposed that allegorical design was almost a lost art1 as well as a dead language1 in the estimation of our people--except perhaps the species which goes to the making of political cartoons4 ,mr4 ,chesterton's discriminating appreciation of ,mr4 ,watts's portraits is excellent1 and his remarks upon the affinity between ,watts and ,tennyson very true4 ,in the comprehensiveness1 but indefiniteness1 of their intellectual view they are akin2 but vastness involves vagueness1 and vagueness is a characteristic in the painter's work4 ,in ,mr4 ,watts's cosmic and elemental designs great half defined shapes loom up out of vaporous space4 ,his heroes belong to no definite historic time1 though in his wide catholicity and sympathy his work embraces all human types4 ,his eye is fastened on the type and slights the circumstance4 ,the accident1 the realization of the moment is nothing to him2 but one never saw a drawing in pure outline by the artist1 and the charm of clear silhouette does not appear to appeal to him1 neither is essential to his art4 ,and ,mr4 ,watts himself cannot be outlined1 and therefore it seems curious to find him set down as a ,puritan in one place1 and a democrat767 in another4 ,although ,mr4 ,chesterton speaks of clear outline or 8hard black line10 as a quality not ,celtic1 and bases his argument that ,mr4 ,watts is not ,celtic upon the character of his line1 his phrase1 8sculptor of draughtsmanship10 is incisive1 as it is certainly a grasp of structure rather than outline which distinguishes ,mr4 ,watts's work2 and in this quality it may be said lies the true reason of the difference between his portraits and much modern portraiture which seeks rather the expression of the moment and the accidental lighting1 as in a landscape1 rather than the type and the underlying structure1 the expression of which establishes a certain relation1 and that fundamental family likeness between very different individuals which ,mr4 ,chesterton has noted4 ,for1 indeed1 men and women are moulded in types far more than is commonly supposed4 ,after all1 the great merit of ,mr4 ,chesterton's critical remarks consists in their not quarrelling with an oak tree because it does not happen to be a pine2 and in that he does not think it necessary in order that his subject may be properly appreciated to make a pavement of all other reputations1 or1 like the irrelevant ,walrus and ,carpenter on the sand--with much virtue in that 8if0--8if this10--certain essential characteristics1 say1 of an artist's style--8were only cleared away it would be grand40 ,for the rest1 ,mr4 ,chesterton's sparkling style and wealth of whimsical illustration make the book uncommonly readable1 which cannot always be said with regard to monographs on artists4 ,,index ,abydos1 ,temple of ,seti1 #hi4 ,academic method of art teaching1 the1 #eh-fe4 ,action1 representation of1 #eb1 #ed4 ,advertisements1 the curse of modern1 #gg1 #gh1 #hd4 ,allegory in art1 #bgh4 ,anagni1 chasuble from the ,cathedral of1 #bjf4 ,animal forms in decoration1 #bjc-bbd4 ,architecture1 importance of1 in art training1 #dd1 #ej4 ,art1 influence of economic questions in1 #bc2 value of sound traditions in1 #bi2 social function of1 #cb2 the teaching of1 #ce-ef2 sympathetic atmosphere a necessity for1 #cf-dj2 connection between architecture and1 #dd2 essential unity of1 #dd1 #dh2 the imitative and imaginative sides of1 #dh2 advantage of architectural over pictorial training in1 #ej2 methods of art teaching1 #eh-fh2 academic methods of teaching1 #eh-fe2 dominated by the sculptor's art and aims1 #fd2 modern possibilities of teaching1 #ff-fh2 ,tolstoi's views on1 #fi-ge2 the social and ethical bearings of1 #hh-aja2 influence of1 in the church1 #ic2 not the monopoly of the rich1 #ie-ig2 refining influence of1 #ig1 #ih2 change in the conditions of the practice of1 #ii1 #ajj4 8,art ,nouveau1 ,l'10 #abh1 #abi4 ,art ,workers' ,guild1 the1 #ah1 #ca2 device for1 #bea1 #bec4 ,arts and ,crafts ,exhibition ,society1 the3 formation of1 #bj2 first exhibition of1 #ba2 objects and principles of1 #bb4 ,assyrian reliefs1 object and value of1 #ij4 ,bacchus1 visit of1 to ,icarius1 ,romano-,greek relief1 #ajf4 ,bamberg1 ,royal mantle from the ,treasury of1 #bje4 ,barron1 ,o41 #bjj4 ,bell1 ,r4 ,a41 #aei4 ,bellamy's 8,looking ,backward10 quoted1 #hc4 ,berthelet1 ,thomas1 bindings by1 #bbg1 #bbi4 ,birmingham1 scheme for frescoes illustrating local history at1 #abj4 ,blake1 ,william1 #e1 #f4 ,bland1 ,j4 ,p41 specimen of calligraphy by1 #fe4 ,blickling1 ceiling at1 #aeh4 ,book-covers1 designing of1 #bbe-bcf4 ,borgia apartments1 decoration of the1 #bch1 #bci1 #bdj1 #bdh2 model of1 at ,south ,kensington1 #bdj1 #bdh4 ,bournville1 #aba1 #adh2 views in1 #abc4 ,brown1 ,ford ,madox1 #ab2 frescoes in the ,manchester ,town ,hall by1 #aah1 #aai1 #abj4 ,building ,acts1 the1 #abf2 local bye-laws1 #aeb4 ,burges1 ,william1 #ag4 ,burne-,jones1 ,sir ,e41 #bj1 #afb1 #age1 #bdj4 ,butterfield1 ,william1 #ag4 ,calvert1 ,edward1 #g1 #h1 #i4 ,carpaccio's 8,dream of ,st4 ,ursula10 #add1 #adg4 ,crane1 ,lancelot1 figure composition by1 #cg4 ,crane1 ,lionel ,f41 design for a collective dwelling by1 #aaf2 cottage at ,letchworth designed by1 #adh-aea4 ,central ,school of ,arts and ,crafts1 the1 #bh1 #bi4 ,chesterton1 ,g4 ,k41 his 8,g4 ,f4 ,watts0 criticised1 #bgc-bha4 ,cleobury1 ,w4 ,t41 #acc-aci1 #ada1 #adc4 ,cobden-,sanderson1 ,t4 ,j41 #bcj4 ,collective dwellings1 #aae-aag4 ,commercialism1 evil effects of1 #hd1 #he1 #id4 ,cretonne1 printed1 #afj-afb4 ,crivelli's 8,annunciation10 #adb4 ,crouchback1 ,edmund1 ,earl of ,lancaster1 figure from the tomb of1 #bbc4 ,dalpeyrat1 ,m4 ,louis1 #bg4 ,day1 ,lewis ,f41 #ah1 #bjc4 8,decorative10 meaning of the word1 #bfg4 ,decorative art1 development of1 in the nineteenth century1 #b et seq42 modern revival of1 #ae et seq42 relation of the easel picture to1 #bfe4 8,denoline10 #beb4 ,dress1 absence of beauty in modern1 #ha-hc2 progress of taste in1 #aga-aia2 influence of the pre-,raphaelites on1 #age2 types of artistic1 #agg2 types of children's1 #agi2 types of working1 #aha2 modern and mediaeval1 #ahe1 #ahg4 ,dunkley1 ,miss ,l4 ,m41 designs for embroidery by1 #de1 #df4 ,eastlake1 ,c4 ,l41 his 8,hints on ,household ,taste10 #ag4 ,egyptian hieroglyphics1 #hi1 #ij1 #ajc2 decorative art1 #aab4 ,enamelling1 modern revival of1 #bf1 #bg4 ,exhibition of #ahea1 the1 #c4 8,fifteen1 the10 #ah4 ,fisher1 ,alexander1 #bg4 ,flats1 effects of living in1 #aad1 #aae4 ,flaxman1 ,john1 #i4 ,fylfot1 the1 #ajd4 ,garden ,city ,association1 the1 #aba1 #adh4 ,genoa1 ,doria ,palace1 gesso decorations in1 #bdh4 ,gesso1 origin of1 #bdg2 fine examples of1 #bdh2 methods of working in1 #bdi2 ,gesso ,duro1 #bdi2 8,denoline10 #beb2 system of modelling in1 #beg4 ,gilding1 use of1 in decoration1 #bcg-bdf4 ,gimson1 ,ernest ,w41 cottage designed by1 #aeb1 #aec1 #aee4 ,graining1 #acj4 ,greece1 the artistic sense of1 #ij1 #ia4 ,greek1 ornament1 #ajd-ajg1 #bae2 drapery1 #agc4 ,harvey1 ,alex4 ,w41 cottages designed by1 #abc1 #adh4 ,heraldic lions1 #bbj-bbb4 ,hill1 ,vincent1 panel by1 #fg4 ,holland ,park1 #a;a1 interior of1 #aca2 gesso decorations in1 #beh-bfa4 ,home ,arts and ,industries ,association1 the1 #ai4 ,house-decoration1 ,thoughts on1 #aaj-agj4 ,howard1 ,ebenezer1 #aba4 ,hungarian peasant costumes1 #ahb1 #ahc4 ,hunt1 ,holman1 #i1 #ab4 ,kidd1 ,a41 stained glass panel by1 #fb4 ,knole1 ceiling at1 #aeh4 ,kruger1 ,g4 ,e41 #aie4 ,lacey1 ,miss ,c4 ,m41 ,heraldic studies by1 #dg4 ,lanteri1 ,prof41 #aid4 ,letchworth1 ,garden ,city1 cottage at1 #adh-aea4 ,line1 meaning of1 in ornament1 #ajg1 #ajh4 ,london1 some aspects of1 #gf-hc4 ,lucas van ,leyden's 8,annunciation10 #add1 #ade4 ,mackim1 ,meade1 and ,white1 ,messrs41 #bdb4 ,manchester1 frescoes in the ,town ,hall in1 #abj4 ,mantua1 model of the room of ,isabella d',este at1 #bdj4 ,martin1 ,a4 ,e41 architectural design by1 #db4 ,millais1 ,sir ,j4 ,e41 #aa4 ,moira1 ,gerald1 #aei1 #aid4 ,moore1 ,sturge1 #i4 ,morris1 ,william1 #ae1 #bj1 #bd1 #aef1 #afb1 #age1 #bgb4 8,municipal ,journal10 the 7,new ,york71 #ha4 8,mural feeling10 #bfe1 #bfg4 ,muybridge1 ,mr41 #eb4 ,national ,association for the ,advancement of ,art in ,relation to ,industry1 the1 #ai4 ,new ,york1 movement in favour of public beauty in1 #ha4 ,ornament and its meaning1 #ajb-aji2 analogy of to music1 #ajb2 origins of1 #ajc2 two sources of meaning in1 #ajf4 ,palermo1 ,cappella ,reale1 decoration of1 #bda1 #bdb1 #bdc4 ,palmer1 ,samuel1 #i4 ,paris ,exhibition1 the ,english ,house at the1 #afb4 ,parr1 ,h41 studies by1 #ch1 #ci4 ,peleus and ,thetis1 ,greek cylix1 #aje4 ,pictures1 background for1 #adb1 #add2 relation of1 to decorative art1 #bfe-bgb4 ,pinturicchio's decoration of the ,appartamenti ,borgia1 #bch1 #bci1 #bdj1 #bdh4 ,plaster1 treatment of1 #aeh1 #aei4 ,pomeroy1 ,mr41 #aei4 ,pompeian decoration1 #aac4 ,pre-,raphaelite movement1 the1 #ab1 #ad1 #ae1 #age4 ,pugin1 ,a4 ,w4 ,n41 #ag4 ,ranworth rood-screen1 #acc-aci1 #ada1 #adc4 ,reynes1 ,john1 binding by1 #bcc4 ,richard ,,ii1 figure of1 in the ,wilton picture1 #bai4 ,rigby1 ,h4 ,a41 pen-drawings by1 #ee1 #eg4 ,rome1 ,st4 ,peter's1 use of gilding in1 #bdf4 ,rossetti1 ,d4 ,g41 #aj1 #ab1 #ae1 #age4 ,royal ,college of ,art1 specimens of students' work1 #cg-fg4 ,ruskin1 ,john1 #ad4 ,sandys1 ,frederick1 #ab1 #ac4 ,scott1 ,sir ,walter1 #aj4 ,sevenoaks1 ,combe ,bank1 decorations at1 #aei4 ,shaw1 ,henry1 #af4 ,shaw1 ,norman1 #ah4 ,shea1 ,j4 ,r41 cabinet designed by1 #ei2 wood carving by1 #fa4 ,sicilian ,silk ,patterns1 #bjg-bad1 #bah4 ,south ,kensington ,museum1 formation and influence of1 #af4 ,southwold1 rood-screen at1 #bdg4 ,spooner1 ,w4 ,g41 studies by1 #di1 #ea1 #ec4 ,stencilling1 development of1 #acf4 ,stevens1 ,alfred1 #d4 ,stevenson1 ,james ,a41 frieze by1 #fc4 ,stothard1 ,thomas1 #aj4 ,street decorations1 temporary1 #aib-bjb4 ,sykes1 ,godfrey1 #d4 ,temple ,bar1 suggestion for temporary gatehouse at1 #aig4 ,tennyson1 the ,moxon edition of1 #i-ab4 ,thoreau's 8,walden10 #aaa4 ,tintoretto1 #bgj4 ,tolstoi1 ,count1 his 8,what is ,art80 #fi-ge4 ,tristram1 ,e4 ,w41 design for ,tapestry by1 #dc4 ,van der ,meer1 #adb4 ,van ,dyck's 8,jan ,arnolfini and his wife10 #adb4 ,venice1 ,st4 ,mark's1 mosaics in1 #bdd2 ,ducal ,palace1 #bga4 ,voysey1 ,c4 ,f4 ,a41 #adg4 ,wall-paper designs1 #afc-afi4 ,walton1 ,george1 #aeh4 ,watts1 ,g4 ,f41 #bdj2 ,mr4 ,chesterton's book on1 #bgc-bha4 ,webb1 ,philip1 #ae1 #af1 #aca1 #beh1 #bei4 ,weeks1 ,harold1 #bej4 ,weeks1 ,osmund1 #bea4 ,westminster ,bridge1 decoration of1 by students of the ,r4,c4,a41 #aid1 #aie4 ,whistler1 ,j4 ,mc,neill1 #bdb4 ,whitechapel1 ,wentworth ,street1 #gi4 ,wilton ,house1 the ,vandyke room at1 #bdc1 #bdd1 #bde4 ,windsor1 ,lord1 #bjj4 ,wotton ,binder1 binding by the1 #bce4 ,illustration3 ,chiswick ,press ,transcriber's ,notes ,punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in this book2 otherwise they were not changed4 ,simple typographical errors were corrected2 occasional unbalanced quotation marks retained4 ,ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained2 occurrences of inconsistent hyphenation have not been changed4 ,the original book repeated chapter titles on most pages as though they were sidenotes4 ,this e,book does not repeat the chapter titles4 ,the original book placed captions to the left or right of illustrations4 ,this e,book generally places the captions above or below the illustrations4 ,scaling information in captions does not apply to diagrams in this e,book1 and the sizes of the illustrations1 relative to other illustrations1 are not necessarily the same as in the original book4 ,transcriber adjusted the brightness and contrast of many photographs in order to reveal more detail in shadowed areas1 and did not restore many photographs to grayscale1 although they originally were printed that way4 ,without access to a pristine copy of the physical book1 it was not possible to know how those photographs looked when the book was printed4 ,infrequent occurrences of #8' in #8sthetic' and #8medieval' have been replaced by the more commonly occurring #8ae'4 ,occurrences of the ligature in other words have not been changed4 ,transcriber corrected errors in the ,table of ,contents4 ,the ,index was not systematically checked for proper alphabetization or correct page references4 ,page #cc3 ,transcriber added missing closing quote after #8is our selection1'4 ,page #ga3 ,unmatched closing quote removed after #8with which he infects the spectator4' ,page #abi3 ,transcriber added missing closing quote after #8,as you like it'4