DOI Heft:
No. 161 (August, 1906)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure: on the proper study of nature
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20715#0299
The Lay Figure
T
HE LAY FIGURE: ON THE
PROPER STUDY OF NATURE.
‘I always feel inclined to wonder how
many of the painters who rush into the country at
this time of year really derive any benefit from
what they call going to nature,” said the Art
Critic. “ Do they really learn anything new from
working out of doors ? ”
“ That depends upon the way they work,”
replied the Man with the Red Tie; “ some men
will not learn anything anywhere. They make up
their minds directly they leave school that they
know all about art and nature and everything else,
and this delusion remains for the rest of their
lives.”
“ And such men, of course, might just as
well stay at home,” returned the Critic. “ That
I think is evident enough. But surely this
extreme form of narrow-mindedness is not often
found among really sincere artists; the ma-
jority have more sincerity and intelligence than
that.”
“ No ! not the majority,” cried the Man with the
Red Tie, “ I am quite certain that only a very
small proportion of the painters who rush off to
the country during the summer months go to
study. Most of them want a holiday, or an excuse
for idling, or they think a little fresh air would do
them good. They do not want to worry them-
selves with anything so troublesome as serious
work.”
“You are very unfair to a large number of
sincere workers,” broke in the Popular Painter;
“ you never will give anyone credit for good
intentions. I have the strongest belief myself in
the advantage of open-air study, and I always
make a point of painting out-of-doors for some
weeks in every year. It is no holiday for me; it is
real hard work.”
“ Ah ! you can answer my query,” said the
Critic; “do you learn anything fresh from going
to nature? Is your spell of real hard work
helpful to you, and do you come back after it
with new ideas and with a new view of your res-
ponsibilities ? ”
“ Of course I do,” replied the Popular Painter;
“ I can assure you I make the most of my
opportunities. During my stay in the country I
collect subjects enough to keep me going for the
rest of the year.”
“ Subjects ! ” exclaimed the Man with the Red
Tie, “ is that all you get ? Fancy spending
• several weeks looking for subjects! Why, you
278
could do more in that way in a Saturday to Monday
with a camera.”
“You could, I daresay,” sneered the Popular
Painter; “ I have not sunk quite as low as that.
When I say that I collect subjects, I mean that I
rub in several important pictures from nature, and
when I have carried them as far as I think
necessary out-of-doors I take them home and
finish them in my studio. In this way I get all
the benefit of open-air study and yet I do not
waste my time in mere sketching.”
“What a memory you must have!” laughed
the Critic. “Just imagine being able to carry
home in your mind all the subtleties and
all the delicate beauties of nature and having
the power to keep your impression fresh through
many months of studio work. I admire your—
courage, shall I call it ?—in attempting such an
undertaking.”
“ It is all very well for you to jeer,” said the
Popular Painter; “ if you do not like my way of
using nature would you kindly suggest something
better ? ”
“Here is humility indeed!” cried the Man with
the Red Tie ; “ the darling of the public is actually
asking for advice. Now, my friend, pray expound
to him the mysteries of his craft. It would be a
pity to disappoint him.”
“ It is not the mysteries of his craft that I want
to discuss with him,” replied the Critic; “he is too
well versed in studio tricks to want any hints from
me. But is going to nature in this way nature-
study at all? How can a man acquire new ideas
when he goes out simply to look for something
which fits in with his preconception of what a pic-
ture should be? He takes his studio vision and his
studio mind out-of-doors, and sees and thinks just
as he does within the four walls of his workroom.
All he wants is a subject, a fresh arrangement of
stock properties. How he intends to treat it he
knows beforehand ; he is open to receive no direct
impressions, he would be worried and upset if what
remains of his receptivity began to awake. I do
not call this using nature at all; it is simply
refusing to pay any attention to her. The real
nature student has no preconceptions; he is
always on the look-out for something that will
take him utterly out of any track that he has
trodden before. He cultivates his sensitiveness
as the most important part of his equipment,
and in consequence he is always learning, always
progressing. But the other men are doing no
earthly good to themselves or anyone else.”
The Lay Figure.
T
HE LAY FIGURE: ON THE
PROPER STUDY OF NATURE.
‘I always feel inclined to wonder how
many of the painters who rush into the country at
this time of year really derive any benefit from
what they call going to nature,” said the Art
Critic. “ Do they really learn anything new from
working out of doors ? ”
“ That depends upon the way they work,”
replied the Man with the Red Tie; “ some men
will not learn anything anywhere. They make up
their minds directly they leave school that they
know all about art and nature and everything else,
and this delusion remains for the rest of their
lives.”
“ And such men, of course, might just as
well stay at home,” returned the Critic. “ That
I think is evident enough. But surely this
extreme form of narrow-mindedness is not often
found among really sincere artists; the ma-
jority have more sincerity and intelligence than
that.”
“ No ! not the majority,” cried the Man with the
Red Tie, “ I am quite certain that only a very
small proportion of the painters who rush off to
the country during the summer months go to
study. Most of them want a holiday, or an excuse
for idling, or they think a little fresh air would do
them good. They do not want to worry them-
selves with anything so troublesome as serious
work.”
“You are very unfair to a large number of
sincere workers,” broke in the Popular Painter;
“ you never will give anyone credit for good
intentions. I have the strongest belief myself in
the advantage of open-air study, and I always
make a point of painting out-of-doors for some
weeks in every year. It is no holiday for me; it is
real hard work.”
“ Ah ! you can answer my query,” said the
Critic; “do you learn anything fresh from going
to nature? Is your spell of real hard work
helpful to you, and do you come back after it
with new ideas and with a new view of your res-
ponsibilities ? ”
“ Of course I do,” replied the Popular Painter;
“ I can assure you I make the most of my
opportunities. During my stay in the country I
collect subjects enough to keep me going for the
rest of the year.”
“ Subjects ! ” exclaimed the Man with the Red
Tie, “ is that all you get ? Fancy spending
• several weeks looking for subjects! Why, you
278
could do more in that way in a Saturday to Monday
with a camera.”
“You could, I daresay,” sneered the Popular
Painter; “ I have not sunk quite as low as that.
When I say that I collect subjects, I mean that I
rub in several important pictures from nature, and
when I have carried them as far as I think
necessary out-of-doors I take them home and
finish them in my studio. In this way I get all
the benefit of open-air study and yet I do not
waste my time in mere sketching.”
“What a memory you must have!” laughed
the Critic. “Just imagine being able to carry
home in your mind all the subtleties and
all the delicate beauties of nature and having
the power to keep your impression fresh through
many months of studio work. I admire your—
courage, shall I call it ?—in attempting such an
undertaking.”
“ It is all very well for you to jeer,” said the
Popular Painter; “ if you do not like my way of
using nature would you kindly suggest something
better ? ”
“Here is humility indeed!” cried the Man with
the Red Tie ; “ the darling of the public is actually
asking for advice. Now, my friend, pray expound
to him the mysteries of his craft. It would be a
pity to disappoint him.”
“ It is not the mysteries of his craft that I want
to discuss with him,” replied the Critic; “he is too
well versed in studio tricks to want any hints from
me. But is going to nature in this way nature-
study at all? How can a man acquire new ideas
when he goes out simply to look for something
which fits in with his preconception of what a pic-
ture should be? He takes his studio vision and his
studio mind out-of-doors, and sees and thinks just
as he does within the four walls of his workroom.
All he wants is a subject, a fresh arrangement of
stock properties. How he intends to treat it he
knows beforehand ; he is open to receive no direct
impressions, he would be worried and upset if what
remains of his receptivity began to awake. I do
not call this using nature at all; it is simply
refusing to pay any attention to her. The real
nature student has no preconceptions; he is
always on the look-out for something that will
take him utterly out of any track that he has
trodden before. He cultivates his sensitiveness
as the most important part of his equipment,
and in consequence he is always learning, always
progressing. But the other men are doing no
earthly good to themselves or anyone else.”
The Lay Figure.