DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41192#0029
dependent pattermwork; and I believe that this
was one of those things which, once invented, can-'
not be dropped, but must always remain a part of
architecture, like the arch, like the pointed arch*
Properly subordinated to architecture on the one
hand, & to historic art on the other, it ought yet, I
think,to play a great part in the making our houses
at once beautiful and restful; an end which is one
of the chief reasons for existence of all art.
As to its subordination to the greater arts, all we
can say about that is that we should not have too
much of it. I don't think there is any dan ger of its
thrusting the more intellectual and historic arts
out of their due place; rather, perhaps, it is like to
be neglected in comparison with them. But if it
makes any advance, as it may do, I can see that
counsels of despair may sometimes drive us into
excess in the use of surface ornament. I mean that
our houses are so base and ugly, and it is so hard
to alter this bad conditionof life, that people may
be driven out of all hope of gettinggood architect
ture, and try to forgettheir troubles in that respect
by overdoing their internal decoration. Well, you
must not suppose that I object to people making
the best of their ugly houses; indeed, you probably
know that I personally should be finely landed if
they did not. Nevertheless, noble building is the
first and best and least selfish of the arts, and urn
less we can manage to get it somehow, we shall
soon have no decoration, or, indeed,artofanykind,
21
Lecture III.
Some Hints
on Patterns
Designing.
was one of those things which, once invented, can-'
not be dropped, but must always remain a part of
architecture, like the arch, like the pointed arch*
Properly subordinated to architecture on the one
hand, & to historic art on the other, it ought yet, I
think,to play a great part in the making our houses
at once beautiful and restful; an end which is one
of the chief reasons for existence of all art.
As to its subordination to the greater arts, all we
can say about that is that we should not have too
much of it. I don't think there is any dan ger of its
thrusting the more intellectual and historic arts
out of their due place; rather, perhaps, it is like to
be neglected in comparison with them. But if it
makes any advance, as it may do, I can see that
counsels of despair may sometimes drive us into
excess in the use of surface ornament. I mean that
our houses are so base and ugly, and it is so hard
to alter this bad conditionof life, that people may
be driven out of all hope of gettinggood architect
ture, and try to forgettheir troubles in that respect
by overdoing their internal decoration. Well, you
must not suppose that I object to people making
the best of their ugly houses; indeed, you probably
know that I personally should be finely landed if
they did not. Nevertheless, noble building is the
first and best and least selfish of the arts, and urn
less we can manage to get it somehow, we shall
soon have no decoration, or, indeed,artofanykind,
21
Lecture III.
Some Hints
on Patterns
Designing.