DOI Heft:
Nr. 159 (May 1910)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure: on the responsiblilites of the craftsman
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19866#0327
The Lay Figure
THE LAY FIGURE : ON THE "But where is he to find these possible openings
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE in this country?" asked the Man with the Red
CRAFTSMAN. Tie-
" Well, there is one before him at this very
" It occurs to me that in our discussions about moment," answered the Critic. " The greatest
the claims which the craftsman has to attention, nation of artist-craftsmen in the world — the
and the chances which should be open to him Japanese, I mean—are about to prove to us what
professionally, we have not sufficiently taken into they are capable of achieving. Will our craftsmen
account the responsibilities which lie upon him as refuse to pit themselves against such competitors ?
a worker in art," said the Art Critic. " He has Surely not, if they have any proper sense of their
responsibilities, has he not ? " responsibilities."
" Of course he has," replied the Craftsman, "and "But suppose they suffer by comparison with
the greatest of them all is the obligation to make the picked artists 'of Japan, how will that help
the most of his artistic capacities, and to prove them ?" inquired the Man with the Red Tie.
that, being a craftsman, he is worthy to be counted " It will teach them, at all events, that they have
as an artist." still much to learn before they can hope to take
"Quite so ! I am glad you recognise that," their right position," said the Critic, "and if they
returned the Critic, " because it seems to me im- have the right artistic sense it will show them why
portant. The craftsman has to prove his right to they have failed."
be counted as an artist. He is not necessarily one " And it will show them, too, how to make
because he is a clever executant, or because he failure impossible on another occasion," corn-
can turn out things neatly and daintily: he must mented the Craftsman. '" Yes, the risk is worth
have more than mere skill of hand to justify his taking."
position in the art world." ■ "Of course it is," agreed the Critic ; " we must
" I thought the argument was that the public never be afraid to measure ourselves against others,
did not allow him to have any position at all," And, mind you, I believe that we can learn from
broke in the Man with the Red Tie. " Have we the Japanese one of the greatest lessons of all—the
not come to the conclusion that he is neglected impossibility of separating design from craftsman-
by the public and snubbed by the art societies ? ship. The craftsman must be a designer if he is
What position does he hold?" ever to hold fully the artist's rank."
"Not the one that he has a right to expect, I "You mean that the designer must be able to
am afraid," sighed the Craftsman ; "but still one execute what he designs?" asked the Craftsman,
that has possibilities, and that carries obligations." " Certainly I do," replied the Critic. " So long
" Yes, indeed ! " cried the Critic; " and it is as our craftsmen are divided into two classes—
only by the full acceptance of his obligations that designers and workmen—we can never hope to
he can hope to realise these possibilities. The excel in artistic craftsmanship. Invention and
craftsman in this country does not have his fair production must be united in the same individual
share of chances, I am quite prepared to admit; but if the highest result is to be attained. Here is, I
that makes it doubly necessary for him to take the feel, the greatest responsibility for the craftsman;
utmost advantage of every possible opportunity." he must know by actual experience, by the per-
" But you cannot take advantage of what does sonal exercise of his own executive skill, whether
not exist," objected the Man with the Red Tie. the things he imagines can be realised, and he can
" You cannot make chances." only test the aesthetic value and artistic fitness of
" I am not so sure about that," returned the his design by seeing how he himself can carry it
Critic ; " but, anyhow, you can often convert an out. If he trusts the expression of his ideas to
unlikely opportunity into one that is productive of another man he enters upon a conflict between two
important results." types of temperament or between two types of
" You mean that the man who wants to get on ignorance; he, ignorant of craftsmanship, has to
must always be prepared to risk the discovery that depend upon someone who is ignorant of design,
what he took to be an opening is, after all, only How can the product of such an unhappy partner-
a blind alley," said the Craftsman, " and that he ship be anything but a lifeless and unmeaning
must never be disheartened when he runs his head compromise ? How can it ever be, in the best
against a blank wall. There I agree with you ; sense of the term, a work of art ? Has it even a
he must go on fighting, no matter what happens," right to exist?" The Lay Figure,
252
THE LAY FIGURE : ON THE "But where is he to find these possible openings
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE in this country?" asked the Man with the Red
CRAFTSMAN. Tie-
" Well, there is one before him at this very
" It occurs to me that in our discussions about moment," answered the Critic. " The greatest
the claims which the craftsman has to attention, nation of artist-craftsmen in the world — the
and the chances which should be open to him Japanese, I mean—are about to prove to us what
professionally, we have not sufficiently taken into they are capable of achieving. Will our craftsmen
account the responsibilities which lie upon him as refuse to pit themselves against such competitors ?
a worker in art," said the Art Critic. " He has Surely not, if they have any proper sense of their
responsibilities, has he not ? " responsibilities."
" Of course he has," replied the Craftsman, "and "But suppose they suffer by comparison with
the greatest of them all is the obligation to make the picked artists 'of Japan, how will that help
the most of his artistic capacities, and to prove them ?" inquired the Man with the Red Tie.
that, being a craftsman, he is worthy to be counted " It will teach them, at all events, that they have
as an artist." still much to learn before they can hope to take
"Quite so ! I am glad you recognise that," their right position," said the Critic, "and if they
returned the Critic, " because it seems to me im- have the right artistic sense it will show them why
portant. The craftsman has to prove his right to they have failed."
be counted as an artist. He is not necessarily one " And it will show them, too, how to make
because he is a clever executant, or because he failure impossible on another occasion," corn-
can turn out things neatly and daintily: he must mented the Craftsman. '" Yes, the risk is worth
have more than mere skill of hand to justify his taking."
position in the art world." ■ "Of course it is," agreed the Critic ; " we must
" I thought the argument was that the public never be afraid to measure ourselves against others,
did not allow him to have any position at all," And, mind you, I believe that we can learn from
broke in the Man with the Red Tie. " Have we the Japanese one of the greatest lessons of all—the
not come to the conclusion that he is neglected impossibility of separating design from craftsman-
by the public and snubbed by the art societies ? ship. The craftsman must be a designer if he is
What position does he hold?" ever to hold fully the artist's rank."
"Not the one that he has a right to expect, I "You mean that the designer must be able to
am afraid," sighed the Craftsman ; "but still one execute what he designs?" asked the Craftsman,
that has possibilities, and that carries obligations." " Certainly I do," replied the Critic. " So long
" Yes, indeed ! " cried the Critic; " and it is as our craftsmen are divided into two classes—
only by the full acceptance of his obligations that designers and workmen—we can never hope to
he can hope to realise these possibilities. The excel in artistic craftsmanship. Invention and
craftsman in this country does not have his fair production must be united in the same individual
share of chances, I am quite prepared to admit; but if the highest result is to be attained. Here is, I
that makes it doubly necessary for him to take the feel, the greatest responsibility for the craftsman;
utmost advantage of every possible opportunity." he must know by actual experience, by the per-
" But you cannot take advantage of what does sonal exercise of his own executive skill, whether
not exist," objected the Man with the Red Tie. the things he imagines can be realised, and he can
" You cannot make chances." only test the aesthetic value and artistic fitness of
" I am not so sure about that," returned the his design by seeing how he himself can carry it
Critic ; " but, anyhow, you can often convert an out. If he trusts the expression of his ideas to
unlikely opportunity into one that is productive of another man he enters upon a conflict between two
important results." types of temperament or between two types of
" You mean that the man who wants to get on ignorance; he, ignorant of craftsmanship, has to
must always be prepared to risk the discovery that depend upon someone who is ignorant of design,
what he took to be an opening is, after all, only How can the product of such an unhappy partner-
a blind alley," said the Craftsman, " and that he ship be anything but a lifeless and unmeaning
must never be disheartened when he runs his head compromise ? How can it ever be, in the best
against a blank wall. There I agree with you ; sense of the term, a work of art ? Has it even a
he must go on fighting, no matter what happens," right to exist?" The Lay Figure,
252