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wisdom of New England's Plato is not silenced nor the brilliancy of
that Attic genius dimmed： the lips of Longfellow are still musical
for us though his dust be turning into the flowers which he loved：
and as it is with the greater artists； poet and philosopher and
song…bird； so let it be with you。
LECTURE TO ART STUDENTS
IN the lecture which it is my privilege to deliver before you to…
night I do not desire to give you any abstract definition of beauty
at all。 For we who are working in art cannot accept any theory of
beauty in exchange for beauty itself； and； so far from desiring to
isolate it in a formula appealing to the intellect； we； on the
contrary； seek to materialise it in a form that gives joy to the
soul through the senses。 We want to create it； not to define it。
The definition should follow the work： the work should not adapt
itself to the definition。
Nothing； indeed； is more dangerous to the young artist than any
conception of ideal beauty： he is constantly led by it either into
weak prettiness or lifeless abstraction： whereas to touch the
ideal at all you must not strip it of vitality。 You must find it
in life and re…create it in art。
While； then； on the one hand I do not desire to give you any
philosophy of beauty … for； what I want to…night is to investigate
how we can create art； not how we can talk of it … on the other
hand； I do not wish to deal with anything like a history of English
art。
To begin with； such an expression as English art is a meaningless
expression。 One might just as well talk of English mathematics。
Art is the science of beauty； and Mathematics the science of truth：
there is no national school of either。 Indeed； a national school
is a provincial school； merely。 Nor is there any such thing as a
school of art even。 There are merely artists； that is all。
And as regards histories of art； they are quite valueless to you
unless you are seeking the ostentatious oblivion of an art
professorship。 It is of no use to you to know the date of Perugino
or the birthplace of Salvator Rosa： all that you should learn
about art is to know a good picture when you see it； and a bad
picture when you see it。 As regards the date of the artist； all
good work looks perfectly modern： a piece of Greek sculpture； a
portrait of Velasquez … they are always modern； always of our
time。 And as regards the nationality of the artist； art is not
national but universal。 As regards archaeology； then； avoid it
altogether： archaeology is merely the science of making excuses
for bad art； it is the rock on which many a young artist founders
and shipwrecks； it is the abyss from which no artist； old or young；
ever returns。 Or； if he does return； he is so covered with the
dust of ages and the mildew of time； that he is quite
unrecognisable as an artist； and has to conceal himself for the
rest of his days under the cap of a professor； or as a mere
illustrator of ancient history。 How worthless archaeology is in
art you can estimate by the fact of its being so popular。
Popularity is the crown of laurel which the world puts on bad art。
Whatever is popular is wrong。
As I am not going to talk to you； then； about the philosophy of the
beautiful； or the history of art； you will ask me what I am going
to talk about。 The subject of my lecture to…night is what makes an
artist and what does the artist make； what are the relations of the
artist to his surroundings； what is the education the artist should
get； and what is the quality of a good work of art。
Now； as regards the relations of the artist to his surroundings； by
which I mean the age and country in which he is born。 All good
art； as I said before； has nothing to do with any particular
century； but this universality is the quality of the work of art；
the conditions that produce that quality are different。 And what；
I think； you should do is to realise completely your age in order
completely to abstract yourself from it； remembering that if you
are an artist at all； you will be not the mouthpiece of a century；
but the master of eternity； that all art rests on a principle； and
that mere temporal considerations are no principle at all； and that
those who advise you to make your art representative of the
nineteenth century are advising you to produce an art which your
children； when you have them； will think old…fashioned。 But you
will tell me this is an inartistic age； and we are an inartistic
people； and the artist suffers much in this nineteenth century of
ours。
Of course he does。 I； of all men； am not going to deny that。 But
remember that there never has been an artistic age； or an artistic
people； since the beginning of the world。 The artist has always
been； and will always be； an exquisite exception。 There is no
golden age of art； only artists who have produced what is more
golden than gold。
WHAT； you will say to me； the Greeks？ were not they an artistic
people？
Well； the Greeks certainly not； but； perhaps； you mean the
Athenians； the citizens of one out of a thousand cities。
Do you think that they were an artistic people？ Take them even at
the time of their highest artistic development； the latter part of
the fifth century before Christ； when they had the greatest poets
and the greatest artists of the antique world； when the Parthenon
rose in loveliness at the bidding of a Phidias； and the philosopher
spake of wisdom in the shadow of the painted portico； and tragedy
swept in the perfection of pageant and pathos across the marble of
the stage。 Were they an artistic people then？ Not a bit of it。
What is an artistic people but a people who love their artists and
understand their art？ The Athenians could do neither。
How did they treat Phidias？ To Phidias we owe the great era； not
merely in Greek； but in all art … I mean of the introduction of the
use of the living model。
And what would you say if all the English bishops； backed by the
English people； came down from Exeter Hall to the Royal Academy one
day and took off Sir Frederick Leighton in a prison van to Newgate
on the charge of having allowed you to make use of the living model
in your designs for sacred pictures？
Would you not cry out against the barbarism and the Puritanism of
such an idea？ Would you not explain to them that the worst way to
honour God is to dishonour man who is made in His image； and is the
work of His hands； and； that if one wants to paint Christ one must
take the most Christlike person one can find； and if one wants to
paint the Madonna； the purest girl one knows？
Would you not rush off and burn down Newgate； if necessary； and say
that such a thing was without parallel in history？
Without parallel？ Well； that is exactly what the Athenians did。
In the room of the Parthenon marbles； in the British Museum； you
will see a marble shield on the wall。 On it there are two figures；
one of a man whose face is half hidden； the other of a man with the
godlike lineaments of Pericles。 For having done this； for having
introduced into a bas relief； taken from Greek sacred history； the
image of the great statesman who was ruling Athens at the time；
Phidias was flung into prison and there； in the common gaol of
Athens； died； the supreme artist of the old world。
And do you think that this was an exceptional case？ The sign of a
Philistine age is the cry of immorality against art； and this cry
was raised by the Athenian people against every great poet and
thinker of their day … AEschylus； Euripides； Socrates。 It was the
same with Florence in the thirteenth century。 Good handicrafts are
due to guilds； not to the people。 The moment the guilds lost their
power and the people rushed in； beauty and honesty of work died。
And so； never talk of an artistic people； there never has been such
a thing。
But； perhaps； you will tell me that the external beauty of the
world has almost entirely passed away from us； that the artist
dwells no longer in the midst of the lovely surroundings which； in
ages past； were the natural inheritance of every one； and that art
is very difficult in this unlovely town of ours； where； as you go
to your work in the morning； or return from it at eventide； you
have to pass through street after street of the most foolish and
stupid architecture that the world has ever seen； architecture；
where every lovely Greek form is desecrated and defiled； and every
lovely Gothic form defiled and desecrated； reducing three…fourths
of the London houses to being； merely； like square boxes of the
vilest proportions； as gaunt as they are grimy； and as poor as they
are pretentious … the hall door always of the wrong colour； and the
windows of the wrong size； and where； even when wearied of the
houses you turn to contemplate the street itself； you have nothing
to look at but chimney…p