DOI Heft:
No. 196 (July, 1909)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure: on the collector's hobby
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20967#0190
The Lay Figure
THE LAY FIGURE: ON THE
COLLECTOR’S HOBBY.
“ I want very much to arrive at the
right distinction between the art lover and the
collector,” said the Man with the Red Tie. “ If it
is true that few art lovers are to be found among
collectors, what is the motive that induces the
collector to spend his money so frequently on art
objects ? ”
“You must not talk as if all collectors had the
same motive, or as if all collectors were of the same
type,” laughed the Art Critic. “ There are many
varieties of the acquisitive instinct; nearly everyone
gives way to it in one form or another, and goes to
some expense to satisfy it. But the particular
direction in which it is manifested depends upon
individual preferences, and these are largely a
matter of temperament.”
“ I do not quite understand you,” returned the
Man with the Red Tie. “If the manifestation of
the acquisitive instinct is the reflection of a
temperament, then the collector of works of art
must be a man with artistic instincts and inclina-
tions—an art lover, in fact.”
“ By no means,” replied the Critic ; “ a man
may collect works of art because he sees a chance
of selling them again at a profit, or because he
thinks that a gallery will add to his social distinc-
tion, or because he likes to pose as a patron of the
arts and as a person of taste. He may be absolutely
indifferent to art of all kinds and yet be a persistent
collector.”
“ Surely that is absurd,” broke in the Plain Man ;
“ it is not conceivable that anyone would buy art
work if he cared nothing at all about it, unless, of
course, he were a dealer and meant to sell it
again.”
“Not so absurd as you think,” said the Critic.
“ There are scores of collectors who have no
artistic tastes or inclinations whatever, and you
may know them by their habit of competing among
themselves merely for the things which happen to
be in fashion, and by their total disregard of all
art that has not become popular. They care
nothing, and what is more, in many cases know
nothing about the merit of what they buy, all
they ask is that the stuff they pay for should
be fashionable.”
“ Does the art lover never follow the fashion ? ”
asked the Plain Man.
“ Only by accident; never of set purpose,”
answered the Critic. “ The art lover is a wor-
shipper of beauty and of fine achievement. It is
164
a matter of indifference to him whether the things
he admires are popular or not, and he is always
ready and willing to recognise merit wherever he
may find it.”
“ But can he free himself from the influence of
the moment?” inquired the Plain Man. “I
mean, can he preserve his independence of mind
and keep his taste from being affected by the
general trend of public opinion ? ”
“ Of course he can,” interrupted the Man with
the Red Tie. “ He would not be a lover of art if
he was not indifferent to popular clamour and if
he did not set the promptings of his own tem-
perament far above the silly suggestions of
fashion.”
“ Quite so ; and it is in this that he shows how
markedly he differs from the typical collector,”
said the critic. “ The collector whom I call
typical—the man who, as I say, buys art work
though he cares nothing about art—is possessed
by a hobby. The idea that dominates him is
that he must acquire rarities, things with a
history, or curiosities that are accidentally interest-
ing. If he satisfies his hobby by collecting
pictures, he wants canvases that have gone
through strange adventures or that have gained a
fictitious importance by having been at some time
in the possession of a famous personage. If he
buys china it must be of a particular period or
stamped with a special mark ; and if he collects
prints they must be unusual states or imperfect
impressions which can be proved to be unique.
The pictures may poorly represent the painters
responsible for them, the china may be inartistic
or in the worst possible taste, the imperfect print
may be not nearly so good as the more numerous
later impressions from the plate, but the collector
does not trouble himself about such unnecessary
artistic considerations—he has satisfied his hobby
and he has triumphed in a struggle with some
other collector as deluded as himself, so he feels
he has not lived in vain. But I do not think he
has proved himself to be the possessor of a properly
balanced mind or of anything but a foolish spirit of
acquisitiveness.”
“ I see what you mean,” commented the Plain
Man. “ The collector’s hobby is a mild form of
insanity to which he cannot help giving way. The
fact that he collects works of art is either accidental
or a mere concession to fashion.”
“Just so,” replied the Critic. “The collecting
of the ends of cigars smoked by famous men
would give him quite as much pleasure.”
The Lay Figure,
THE LAY FIGURE: ON THE
COLLECTOR’S HOBBY.
“ I want very much to arrive at the
right distinction between the art lover and the
collector,” said the Man with the Red Tie. “ If it
is true that few art lovers are to be found among
collectors, what is the motive that induces the
collector to spend his money so frequently on art
objects ? ”
“You must not talk as if all collectors had the
same motive, or as if all collectors were of the same
type,” laughed the Art Critic. “ There are many
varieties of the acquisitive instinct; nearly everyone
gives way to it in one form or another, and goes to
some expense to satisfy it. But the particular
direction in which it is manifested depends upon
individual preferences, and these are largely a
matter of temperament.”
“ I do not quite understand you,” returned the
Man with the Red Tie. “If the manifestation of
the acquisitive instinct is the reflection of a
temperament, then the collector of works of art
must be a man with artistic instincts and inclina-
tions—an art lover, in fact.”
“ By no means,” replied the Critic ; “ a man
may collect works of art because he sees a chance
of selling them again at a profit, or because he
thinks that a gallery will add to his social distinc-
tion, or because he likes to pose as a patron of the
arts and as a person of taste. He may be absolutely
indifferent to art of all kinds and yet be a persistent
collector.”
“ Surely that is absurd,” broke in the Plain Man ;
“ it is not conceivable that anyone would buy art
work if he cared nothing at all about it, unless, of
course, he were a dealer and meant to sell it
again.”
“Not so absurd as you think,” said the Critic.
“ There are scores of collectors who have no
artistic tastes or inclinations whatever, and you
may know them by their habit of competing among
themselves merely for the things which happen to
be in fashion, and by their total disregard of all
art that has not become popular. They care
nothing, and what is more, in many cases know
nothing about the merit of what they buy, all
they ask is that the stuff they pay for should
be fashionable.”
“ Does the art lover never follow the fashion ? ”
asked the Plain Man.
“ Only by accident; never of set purpose,”
answered the Critic. “ The art lover is a wor-
shipper of beauty and of fine achievement. It is
164
a matter of indifference to him whether the things
he admires are popular or not, and he is always
ready and willing to recognise merit wherever he
may find it.”
“ But can he free himself from the influence of
the moment?” inquired the Plain Man. “I
mean, can he preserve his independence of mind
and keep his taste from being affected by the
general trend of public opinion ? ”
“ Of course he can,” interrupted the Man with
the Red Tie. “ He would not be a lover of art if
he was not indifferent to popular clamour and if
he did not set the promptings of his own tem-
perament far above the silly suggestions of
fashion.”
“ Quite so ; and it is in this that he shows how
markedly he differs from the typical collector,”
said the critic. “ The collector whom I call
typical—the man who, as I say, buys art work
though he cares nothing about art—is possessed
by a hobby. The idea that dominates him is
that he must acquire rarities, things with a
history, or curiosities that are accidentally interest-
ing. If he satisfies his hobby by collecting
pictures, he wants canvases that have gone
through strange adventures or that have gained a
fictitious importance by having been at some time
in the possession of a famous personage. If he
buys china it must be of a particular period or
stamped with a special mark ; and if he collects
prints they must be unusual states or imperfect
impressions which can be proved to be unique.
The pictures may poorly represent the painters
responsible for them, the china may be inartistic
or in the worst possible taste, the imperfect print
may be not nearly so good as the more numerous
later impressions from the plate, but the collector
does not trouble himself about such unnecessary
artistic considerations—he has satisfied his hobby
and he has triumphed in a struggle with some
other collector as deluded as himself, so he feels
he has not lived in vain. But I do not think he
has proved himself to be the possessor of a properly
balanced mind or of anything but a foolish spirit of
acquisitiveness.”
“ I see what you mean,” commented the Plain
Man. “ The collector’s hobby is a mild form of
insanity to which he cannot help giving way. The
fact that he collects works of art is either accidental
or a mere concession to fashion.”
“Just so,” replied the Critic. “The collecting
of the ends of cigars smoked by famous men
would give him quite as much pleasure.”
The Lay Figure,