DOI Heft:
No. 374 (May 1924)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure: on comparative values
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21399#0319
THE LAY FIGURE: ON COM-
PARATIVE VALUES.
“ I have often heard it argued that the
artist is a sort of superior being who has a
place apart from all the rest of mankind,”
remarked the Plain Man. “ Do you
think there is any justification for such a
■claim i” 0 a 0 0 0
“ I certainly believe that the artist’s
brain is of a higher order than that of
■ordinary men,” replied the Popular Painter.
41 He has the faculty of imagination and
the power of abstract thought. That surely
puts him in a position of mental superior-
ity.” 0 0 0 0 0 0
“ But we live in a practical world,”
objected the Plain Man;“ and we have to
do things in a practical way. If the artist’s
mental superiority makes him unpractical
what is the use of him i ” o a 0
“ Ah ! There you are voicing the sordid
materialism of the age,” returned the
Popular Painter. “ We artists are not con-
cerned with the dull commercialism that
■occupies your mind ; we have our ideals
and we try to realise them. If you do not
understand us that is your fault.” 0 0
“ But it is our dull commercialism, as
you call it, that enables you to exist,”
cried the Plain Man. “ Where would you
be without the business men to supply you
with the necessaries of life i ” 0 0
“ Oh, you have your uses,” sighed the
Popular Painter. “ But think how we repay
you. We give you the fruits of our imagina-
tion in return for material things. We sup-
ply what you lack.” 000
“ Do you contend that the business man
is wanting in imagination i ” asked the
Critic. “ Don’t you think that in business
affairs an imaginative outlook is neces-
sary i ” 0 0 0 0 0
11 Of course not,” answered the Popular
Painter. “ All that the business man needs
to make a success in life is a sort of low
■cunning. His mind cannot grasp anything
beyond the expediency of buying cheap
and selling dear. In other words, he is
merely an opportunist with a limited vision
.and no inventive capacity.” 0 0
“ Surely you would not say that of the
man who builds up a vast business concern
from a small beginning;"' argued the
Critic. “ That implies more than ordinary
300
powers of organisation and behind succes-
ful organisation there must be a definite
quality of imagination.” 000
“ I agree with you entirely,” exclaimed
the Plain Man. “ The great organiser is
equal in brain power to the finest artist
that ever lived.” 0000
“ And I differ from you entirely,”
asserted the Popular Painter. " The
commercial organiser only uses more
cleverly than the ordinary man the oppor-
tunities that come in his way. The artist
creates his own opportunities.” 0 0
“ Yes, and if you can judge by results,
he more often than not does not know
what to do with them when he has created
them,” sneered the Plain Man. “ Look at
the stuff which so many artists turn out.”
“ Well, look at the number of business
men who make a mess of their affairs,”
retorted the Popular Painter. “ The artist
aims high and may be forgiven for failing
sometimes ; to fail in commerce a man
must be extraordinarily wanting in in-
telligence.” 00000
“ I really do not think there is much to
choose between the two,” said the Critic.
“ They both fail because they have
attempted something that is beyond their
powers and they both show a lack of in-
telligence in not realising their own
limitations. But if you compare the suc-
cessful men instead of the small fry it is,
I think, a little difficult to decide which
type of mind is superior.” 000
“ I say that the artist's mind un-
doubtedly comes first,” cried the Popular
Painter. 00000
“ I say that the business man’s is quite
as good, or better,” declared the Plain
Man. 000000
“ All right, suppose we bracket them as
equal,” laughed the Critic. “ After all, the
qualities which make the two types of men
great in either direction—imagination,
responsiveness to inspiration, a sense of
construction and a craving for efficiency—
are common to them both and it can fairly
be said that each one is by instinct an artist
because each has an ideal he wishes to
realise. It is not much use discussing
which of the two ideals is the worthier be-
cause in our complicated modern civilisa-
tion both are necessary.” 000
The Lay Figure.
PARATIVE VALUES.
“ I have often heard it argued that the
artist is a sort of superior being who has a
place apart from all the rest of mankind,”
remarked the Plain Man. “ Do you
think there is any justification for such a
■claim i” 0 a 0 0 0
“ I certainly believe that the artist’s
brain is of a higher order than that of
■ordinary men,” replied the Popular Painter.
41 He has the faculty of imagination and
the power of abstract thought. That surely
puts him in a position of mental superior-
ity.” 0 0 0 0 0 0
“ But we live in a practical world,”
objected the Plain Man;“ and we have to
do things in a practical way. If the artist’s
mental superiority makes him unpractical
what is the use of him i ” o a 0
“ Ah ! There you are voicing the sordid
materialism of the age,” returned the
Popular Painter. “ We artists are not con-
cerned with the dull commercialism that
■occupies your mind ; we have our ideals
and we try to realise them. If you do not
understand us that is your fault.” 0 0
“ But it is our dull commercialism, as
you call it, that enables you to exist,”
cried the Plain Man. “ Where would you
be without the business men to supply you
with the necessaries of life i ” 0 0
“ Oh, you have your uses,” sighed the
Popular Painter. “ But think how we repay
you. We give you the fruits of our imagina-
tion in return for material things. We sup-
ply what you lack.” 000
“ Do you contend that the business man
is wanting in imagination i ” asked the
Critic. “ Don’t you think that in business
affairs an imaginative outlook is neces-
sary i ” 0 0 0 0 0
11 Of course not,” answered the Popular
Painter. “ All that the business man needs
to make a success in life is a sort of low
■cunning. His mind cannot grasp anything
beyond the expediency of buying cheap
and selling dear. In other words, he is
merely an opportunist with a limited vision
.and no inventive capacity.” 0 0
“ Surely you would not say that of the
man who builds up a vast business concern
from a small beginning;"' argued the
Critic. “ That implies more than ordinary
300
powers of organisation and behind succes-
ful organisation there must be a definite
quality of imagination.” 000
“ I agree with you entirely,” exclaimed
the Plain Man. “ The great organiser is
equal in brain power to the finest artist
that ever lived.” 0000
“ And I differ from you entirely,”
asserted the Popular Painter. " The
commercial organiser only uses more
cleverly than the ordinary man the oppor-
tunities that come in his way. The artist
creates his own opportunities.” 0 0
“ Yes, and if you can judge by results,
he more often than not does not know
what to do with them when he has created
them,” sneered the Plain Man. “ Look at
the stuff which so many artists turn out.”
“ Well, look at the number of business
men who make a mess of their affairs,”
retorted the Popular Painter. “ The artist
aims high and may be forgiven for failing
sometimes ; to fail in commerce a man
must be extraordinarily wanting in in-
telligence.” 00000
“ I really do not think there is much to
choose between the two,” said the Critic.
“ They both fail because they have
attempted something that is beyond their
powers and they both show a lack of in-
telligence in not realising their own
limitations. But if you compare the suc-
cessful men instead of the small fry it is,
I think, a little difficult to decide which
type of mind is superior.” 000
“ I say that the artist's mind un-
doubtedly comes first,” cried the Popular
Painter. 00000
“ I say that the business man’s is quite
as good, or better,” declared the Plain
Man. 000000
“ All right, suppose we bracket them as
equal,” laughed the Critic. “ After all, the
qualities which make the two types of men
great in either direction—imagination,
responsiveness to inspiration, a sense of
construction and a craving for efficiency—
are common to them both and it can fairly
be said that each one is by instinct an artist
because each has an ideal he wishes to
realise. It is not much use discussing
which of the two ideals is the worthier be-
cause in our complicated modern civilisa-
tion both are necessary.” 000
The Lay Figure.