DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41192#0010
Lecture IIL
Some Hints
on Pattern^
Designing,
I do not know a better way of getting at these
reasons than for each of us to suppose himself to
beintheroomin which he will havetopassa good
part of his life, the said room being quite bare of
ornament, & to be there thathe may consider what
he can do to make the bare walls pleasant& helpful
to him; I say the walls, because, after all, the widest
use ofpattermdesigningis the clothing ofthe walls
of a room, hall, church, or what building you will,
Doubtlesstherewillbe some, in these days at least,
who will say, “'Tis most helpful to me to let the
bare walls alone,” So also there would be some
who, when asked with what manner of books they
will furnish their room, would answer, “With
none,” But I think you will agree with me in thinks
ing that both these sets of people would be in an
unhealthy state of mind, and probably of body
also; in which case we need not trouble ourselves
about their whims, since it is with healthy & sane
people only that art has dealings*
Again, a healthy 8C sane person being asked with
what kind of art he would clothe his walls, might
well answer, “ Wrth the best art,” and so end the
question, Yet,outonit! socomplexis human life,
that even this seemingly most reasonable answer
may turn out to be little better than an evasion.
For I suppose the best art to be the pictured re^
presentation of men's imaginings; whatthey have
thought has happened to the world before their
time, or what they deem they have seen with the
2
Some Hints
on Pattern^
Designing,
I do not know a better way of getting at these
reasons than for each of us to suppose himself to
beintheroomin which he will havetopassa good
part of his life, the said room being quite bare of
ornament, & to be there thathe may consider what
he can do to make the bare walls pleasant& helpful
to him; I say the walls, because, after all, the widest
use ofpattermdesigningis the clothing ofthe walls
of a room, hall, church, or what building you will,
Doubtlesstherewillbe some, in these days at least,
who will say, “'Tis most helpful to me to let the
bare walls alone,” So also there would be some
who, when asked with what manner of books they
will furnish their room, would answer, “With
none,” But I think you will agree with me in thinks
ing that both these sets of people would be in an
unhealthy state of mind, and probably of body
also; in which case we need not trouble ourselves
about their whims, since it is with healthy & sane
people only that art has dealings*
Again, a healthy 8C sane person being asked with
what kind of art he would clothe his walls, might
well answer, “ Wrth the best art,” and so end the
question, Yet,outonit! socomplexis human life,
that even this seemingly most reasonable answer
may turn out to be little better than an evasion.
For I suppose the best art to be the pictured re^
presentation of men's imaginings; whatthey have
thought has happened to the world before their
time, or what they deem they have seen with the
2