DOI Heft:
Nr. 192 (March 1909)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20966#0194
The Lay Figure
THE LAY FIGURE: ON GREAT
EXPECTATIONS.
“ I think there is some justification for
the assertion which we have heard so often, that
artists generally are lacking in real business capa-
city,” said the Art Critic. “ At all events, I question
whether many of them are good business men.”
“ Why should they be ? ” cried the Man with the
Red Tie. “ They are producers, not retailers, and
there is no necessity for them to learn the tricks of
trade.”
“ But the producer must know how to dispose of
his productions if he is going to make a living out
of them,” objected the Critic. “ If he has not this
knowledge what is the use of his going on produc-
ing ? In a very short time he will be over-stocked,
and then he will become disheartened and lose his
efficiency for want of encouragement.”
“ But if his work is good its merit will always
ensure its receiving attention,” returned the Man
with the Red Tie. “ There is no need to push or
advertise it; people will seek it out because they
want it.”
“That is the commonest of all fallacies,” broke
in the Dealer, “ and one which does more than
anything else to keep the bulk of artists in poverty.
I can speak here from my own experience, and I
say emphatically that nothing will sell unless it is
properly advertised.”
“ And as advertisement is the soul of business,”
laughed the Critic, “ the man who refuses to adver-
tise is lacking in business capacity. That is part
of my contention. I feel that the artist is too
much inclined to spend his life in expectations
without doing anything to realise these expecta-
tions practically.”
“ Would you turn him into a mere tradesman?”
asked the Man with the Red Tie. “ Would you
have him adopt the wicked ways of commerce and
sink to the level of the shopkeeper ? ”
“Well, what is he but a tradesman?” retorted
the Dealer. “ He offers things for sale and he
must sell them if he is to live. His wares are
subject to the same laws of supply and demand
that affect other commodities; why should he
claim to occupy a position which allows him to
disregard these laws ? ”
“ Because he is an artist,” replied the Man with
the Red Tie; “and, being an artist, he cannot be
expected always to keep his eye on the state of the
market. Still less can he be expected to turn out
things to suit some momentary fashion.”
“ I grant you so much,” said the Critic, “ but it
172
does not follow that because a man should not be
constantly studying the market he should never
give any attention to the common-sense details of
his profession. For want of this attention he is
apt to land himself in difficulties which with a little
discretion he might have avoided.”
“ But discretion and business capacity are not
the same thing,” cried the Man with the Red Tie.
“ Oh yes, they are,” replied the Critic, “ the
discreet business man does not frighten away
custom by over-pricing his goods, by refusing to
show to possible buyers the sort of things they are
likely to want, or by insisting that they are mere
idiots who do not know their own minds. He
does not make the mistake of trying to palm off on
them shoddy stuff, but he takes care to display
attractively the good things that he has for
disposal ”
“In fact,” broke in the Dealer, “he does every-
thing that the average artist does not do. My
complaint against the whole profession is that the
artist is an entirely unpractical person to deal with.
For instance, I have a client, not too well off, who
wants to buy a small picture by a man he fancies;
when I go to that man and ask him for something
suitable he tells me he hates painting small pictures
and that I must have a large one at a large price
or go without. My client, of course, goes away
and buys something else, a piece of furniture, per-
haps, or a bit of old china, but usually not a picture.
You see, he wanted that particular man’s work, and a
thing by another painter would not appeal to him.”
“That painter might sell his large picture to
someone else,” objected the Man with the Red Tie;
“your client is not the only buyer in the world.”
“Ah! there you prove my contention,” cried
the Critic. “ Artists are always expecting the right
buyer to turn up, and they will do nothing to turn
expectations into certainties. That is where they
prove themselves to be bad business men. When
small pictures are in demand they have only large
ones in stock; when low-priced things are wanted
they have only costly ones to offer. They do not
watch the trend of the public taste and try to pro-
vide what is likely to be appreciated. Why, the
veriest beginner expects to get his hundreds for
the large canvases which he, a man with his
reputation unmade, puts before the public, and
complains that he is misunderstood because other
people will not take him at his own valuation. He
does not see that the best advertisement he can
have is to get his pictures about, even if at first he
has to sell them at a sacrifice. Surely this implies
a want of business insight.” The Lay Figure.
THE LAY FIGURE: ON GREAT
EXPECTATIONS.
“ I think there is some justification for
the assertion which we have heard so often, that
artists generally are lacking in real business capa-
city,” said the Art Critic. “ At all events, I question
whether many of them are good business men.”
“ Why should they be ? ” cried the Man with the
Red Tie. “ They are producers, not retailers, and
there is no necessity for them to learn the tricks of
trade.”
“ But the producer must know how to dispose of
his productions if he is going to make a living out
of them,” objected the Critic. “ If he has not this
knowledge what is the use of his going on produc-
ing ? In a very short time he will be over-stocked,
and then he will become disheartened and lose his
efficiency for want of encouragement.”
“ But if his work is good its merit will always
ensure its receiving attention,” returned the Man
with the Red Tie. “ There is no need to push or
advertise it; people will seek it out because they
want it.”
“That is the commonest of all fallacies,” broke
in the Dealer, “ and one which does more than
anything else to keep the bulk of artists in poverty.
I can speak here from my own experience, and I
say emphatically that nothing will sell unless it is
properly advertised.”
“ And as advertisement is the soul of business,”
laughed the Critic, “ the man who refuses to adver-
tise is lacking in business capacity. That is part
of my contention. I feel that the artist is too
much inclined to spend his life in expectations
without doing anything to realise these expecta-
tions practically.”
“ Would you turn him into a mere tradesman?”
asked the Man with the Red Tie. “ Would you
have him adopt the wicked ways of commerce and
sink to the level of the shopkeeper ? ”
“Well, what is he but a tradesman?” retorted
the Dealer. “ He offers things for sale and he
must sell them if he is to live. His wares are
subject to the same laws of supply and demand
that affect other commodities; why should he
claim to occupy a position which allows him to
disregard these laws ? ”
“ Because he is an artist,” replied the Man with
the Red Tie; “and, being an artist, he cannot be
expected always to keep his eye on the state of the
market. Still less can he be expected to turn out
things to suit some momentary fashion.”
“ I grant you so much,” said the Critic, “ but it
172
does not follow that because a man should not be
constantly studying the market he should never
give any attention to the common-sense details of
his profession. For want of this attention he is
apt to land himself in difficulties which with a little
discretion he might have avoided.”
“ But discretion and business capacity are not
the same thing,” cried the Man with the Red Tie.
“ Oh yes, they are,” replied the Critic, “ the
discreet business man does not frighten away
custom by over-pricing his goods, by refusing to
show to possible buyers the sort of things they are
likely to want, or by insisting that they are mere
idiots who do not know their own minds. He
does not make the mistake of trying to palm off on
them shoddy stuff, but he takes care to display
attractively the good things that he has for
disposal ”
“In fact,” broke in the Dealer, “he does every-
thing that the average artist does not do. My
complaint against the whole profession is that the
artist is an entirely unpractical person to deal with.
For instance, I have a client, not too well off, who
wants to buy a small picture by a man he fancies;
when I go to that man and ask him for something
suitable he tells me he hates painting small pictures
and that I must have a large one at a large price
or go without. My client, of course, goes away
and buys something else, a piece of furniture, per-
haps, or a bit of old china, but usually not a picture.
You see, he wanted that particular man’s work, and a
thing by another painter would not appeal to him.”
“That painter might sell his large picture to
someone else,” objected the Man with the Red Tie;
“your client is not the only buyer in the world.”
“Ah! there you prove my contention,” cried
the Critic. “ Artists are always expecting the right
buyer to turn up, and they will do nothing to turn
expectations into certainties. That is where they
prove themselves to be bad business men. When
small pictures are in demand they have only large
ones in stock; when low-priced things are wanted
they have only costly ones to offer. They do not
watch the trend of the public taste and try to pro-
vide what is likely to be appreciated. Why, the
veriest beginner expects to get his hundreds for
the large canvases which he, a man with his
reputation unmade, puts before the public, and
complains that he is misunderstood because other
people will not take him at his own valuation. He
does not see that the best advertisement he can
have is to get his pictures about, even if at first he
has to sell them at a sacrifice. Surely this implies
a want of business insight.” The Lay Figure.