DOI issue:
No. 131 (February, 1904)
DOI article:The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19881#0080
The International Exhibition
have so comprehensive a programme as the Every association which assumes a mission in the
International Society. The idea of creating art world has a tendency to settle down into a
a common meeting ground for artists of all groove, a tendency to believe in its own infalli-
nationalities is one which can be very heartily com- bility, and to reject as immoral every effort to prove
mended. It is good for art workers to be able that artistic achievement ought not to be hedged
to compare their accomplishment with that of men round with restrictions or confined within narrow
who live in other countries and labour under dif- boundaries.
ferent conditions ; and it is good for art lovers to The International Society itself, oddly enough
see gathered together from one direction and for a protesting organisation, began by being con-
another evidences of the most divergent points of ven'ional. It adopted at the outset the belief that
view. It is an advantage, too, that there should most of the well-established academic principles
be a place where the unconventional artist can were based upon obsolete fallacies, and so it
assert himself, and submit his protests against the decided to exclude from its exhibitions practically
more customary forms of practice to the test of everything which did not blatantly assert a
criticism and public discussion. Only when he supreme contempt for academic art. The con-
has such facilities given him can the man who has vention it chose was that of eccentricity. It was
something fresh to say hope to be properly heard. sufficient for its purposes that the artists it
The societies which are wedded to the regular recognised should do things which hardly any
traditions do not encourage the innovator ; they other art society would willingly exhibit. Whether
are really disposed, as a rule, to look at him these things were good art or bad was almost
askance, and to deny that his defiance of the creed immaterial; if they were extravagant enough
that they profess deserves to be taken seriously. they would serve to point the moral which the
"the old mill'1
64
by r. macaulay stevenson
have so comprehensive a programme as the Every association which assumes a mission in the
International Society. The idea of creating art world has a tendency to settle down into a
a common meeting ground for artists of all groove, a tendency to believe in its own infalli-
nationalities is one which can be very heartily com- bility, and to reject as immoral every effort to prove
mended. It is good for art workers to be able that artistic achievement ought not to be hedged
to compare their accomplishment with that of men round with restrictions or confined within narrow
who live in other countries and labour under dif- boundaries.
ferent conditions ; and it is good for art lovers to The International Society itself, oddly enough
see gathered together from one direction and for a protesting organisation, began by being con-
another evidences of the most divergent points of ven'ional. It adopted at the outset the belief that
view. It is an advantage, too, that there should most of the well-established academic principles
be a place where the unconventional artist can were based upon obsolete fallacies, and so it
assert himself, and submit his protests against the decided to exclude from its exhibitions practically
more customary forms of practice to the test of everything which did not blatantly assert a
criticism and public discussion. Only when he supreme contempt for academic art. The con-
has such facilities given him can the man who has vention it chose was that of eccentricity. It was
something fresh to say hope to be properly heard. sufficient for its purposes that the artists it
The societies which are wedded to the regular recognised should do things which hardly any
traditions do not encourage the innovator ; they other art society would willingly exhibit. Whether
are really disposed, as a rule, to look at him these things were good art or bad was almost
askance, and to deny that his defiance of the creed immaterial; if they were extravagant enough
that they profess deserves to be taken seriously. they would serve to point the moral which the
"the old mill'1
64
by r. macaulay stevenson