Studio: international art (48.1910)

The Lay Figure

THE LAY FIGURE: ON USING for centuries must be beautiful—therefore it is by

A FALSE STANDARD. its beauty that he is attracted."
"Then if his emotion is simply a love of

" I have been getting a good deal of beauty, why does he limit his desire only to things

amusement lately out of the controversy over the that are old ? " enquired the Critic. " What has

Da Vinci bust," laughed the Man with the Red the date of a work of art got to do with its power

Tie. " What a stir it has made ! " of appeal to a beauty lover? Why must he have

" No wonder/' returned the Collector. " The the verdict of many generations before he can

discussion is one in which every buyer of works of make up his mind?"

art cannot fail to be interested, for it opens up all " Because, good prudent man, he does not like

sorts of serious questions and involves what can to go to the expense of gratifying his emotions

be called the vital principles of collecting." unless he is sure his affections are set upon a

"Ah ! you take it seriously," cried the Man valuable object," interrupted the Man with the

with the Red Tie; " now I see the humorous Red Tie. " He wants to make a profitable invest-

side. I do not care in the least who may be right, ment of his money even when he is satisfying his

it seems to me sufficiently comic that such a desires."

conflict of opinion should be possible." " I fear that is so," returned the Critic. " His

" That is not quite the right way to look at it," love of beauty is not the pure, unselfish passion

broke in the Art Critic. " The matter must be which it professes to be. There is a taint in it,

taken seriously, and it does involve principles that the taint of self-interest. The collector pretends

are vital beyond all question. There may be that he is swayed by aesthetic emotions when all

humour in it, but it is too grim to appeal to me." the time he is only thinking of the best way in

"Then do you agree with me," asked the which he can bring off a successful piece of

Collector, " that this controversy is likely to cause speculation."

a feeling of insecurity among collectors, and there- " No, no ! " protested the Collector. " That is

fore to diminish the demand for fine things ? " not true ! Look at the prices which men will pay

" No, say you are on my side," pleaded the Man for the works of art which appeal to them. Only

with the Red Tie, " and that a silly fuss is being an enthusiast would be so generous."
made about a matter of little importance." " Oh, that question of price ! " sighed the

" I agree with neither of you," replied the Critic. Man with the Red Tie; " must that always be

" For one thing, I do not care whether or not this dragged in ? "

discussion alarms collectors, and for another I do " Unfortunately, yes," replied the Critic; " and

not think that the matter is of small importance, in this instance it has some bearing upon the

But it is not with the facts of this particular case question. The contention, I think, is that the

that I am concerned; it is the moral of the affair greater the beauty of a work of art the higher the

that is exercising my mind." price that the enthusiastic collector will pay for it.

" Some mixed emotions, and a moral," laughed Yet in this matter that we have been discussing

the Man with the Red Tie. " Is that the text on we have a curious illustration of the insincerity of

which you propose to preach your sermon ? " this contention and of the falsity of the standard

" Mixed emotions, indeed !" said the Critic, which most buyers of works of art are accustomed

" What are the emotions by which the average to set up. This bust as the work of a famous

buyer of works of art is ordinarily swayed ? Or old master is valued at thousands of pounds ; as a

has he no emotion at all beyond a desire to get modern production what would it be worth ?

the better of a competitor ? " Perhaps a hundredth part of its present price.

" I can answer that," cried the Collector. " He But it has beauty so great and so distinguished

has a real emotion, the desire to own things which that it is worthy to be counted among the notable

are beautiful in themselves and sanctified by the achievements of the master to whom it is credited,

worship of many generations." Why should its date or its authorship come into the

"Which is to him of greater importance, that the discussion at all? It is beautiful—that should be

things he buys should be beautiful, or that they sufficient to make collectors compete for it and

should have been held in some sort of estimation even to enhance its price. Why should they ask

for several centuries ? " asked the Critic. who did it, or when it was done, as it has such a

" Surely the answer to that is obvious," argued power of appealing to their emotions ? Does not

the Collector; " a thing which has been admired that suffice ?" The Lay Figure,

34°