Studio: international art (55.1912)

The Lay Figure

The lay figure : on the

VALUE OF OBSERVATION.

“ What is the reason why so many artists
lapse into mannerism,” asked the Man with the
Red Tie. “ One so often sees a man who in
his youth has given unmistakable evidence of
originality, settle down a few years later into
mechanical repetition of a few stock ideas. Why
should this be ? ”

“ Want of artistic conscience—that is the cause
of it,” cried the Young Painter. “ He finds that a
particular line of production pays him best, so he
drops all his youthful ambitions and devotes him-
self simply to the manufacture of the article that
happens to be most in demand.”

“ Oh, you think he does it deliberately,” said the
Man with the Red Tie; “you do not consider that
the tendency to become mannered may be a sort
of troublesome disease that a man might catch
involuntarily ? ”

“ No, I believe that the really conscientious
artist would never become mannered,” replied the
Young Painter, “ because,he would be always alive
to the danger of getting into a groove, and he
would never allow himself to be seduced by the
temptations of popularity into disregard of the
great principles of art.”

“ I do not think that either of you have hit on
the right reason,” broke in the Art Critic; “and
yet in a way both of you are right. Not many
artists, I am sure, lapse into a mannerism delibe-
rately ; it would be much more correct to say that
they drift into it, but the actual cause of this
drifting is, I quite agree, a lack of real conscien-
tiousness.”

“ But surely the man without a conscience would
not drift unknowingly into conventional tricks,”
protested the Young Painter. “ He would choose
his way intentionally because he thought it would
lead him to popularity.”

“Yes, there are some men, no doubt, who
would do that,” agreed the Critic ; “ but what I am
suggesting is that there are artists who have con-
science enough to desire to go the right way and
yet are so unconscientious that they drift inevitably
into mannerism.”

“ Paradoxes again ! ” sighed the Man with the
Red Tie. “ Do come down to the level of our
meaner intelligences and put your sayings into
plain English.”

“ All right,” laughed the Critic. “ I will suit
myself to my company. What I want to suggest is
that a good many men acquire a conventional and
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stereotyped way or working because with the very
best intentions they do not succeed in keeping
themselves as efficient mentally as they were when
in the first flush of youthful enthusiasm they entered
upon the artistic profession. They make a good
start with a certain stock of excellent ideas but
they do not realise that this stock must be con-
stantly replenished and brought up to date. When
it is exhausted the artist has no alternative but to
use his old ideas over again—and that way lies
mannerism.”

“ Of course, the artist who has exhausted his
material must either stop working or fake up old
stuff,” said the Man with the Red Tie. “ I can
quite see that. But what is he to do to keep his
mind up to date ? That seems to me the point
most worth discussing.”

“ His one chance is never to cease his observa-
tion of nature,” returned the Critic. “ It is only by
constant observation that he can amend and
amplify his earlier impressions and that he can
acquire the further knowledge of his subject that will
be of service to him when he wishes to launch out
in new directions. If his observation does not
keep step with his practice he can never hope to
produce anything really good; and certainly he
can never hope to maintain the freshness and
interest of his work. To gain in technical facility
without acquiring a corresponding increase of
mental illumination would be a serious disadvan-
tage to him, for nothing would be more likely to
tempt him to substitute a showy convention for
serious effort.”

“And you really believe that this constant
observation and study of nature will make him
proof against this temptation?” asked the Young
Painter.

“ Most assuredly I do,” replied the Critic. “ By
that alone can he escape mannerism. Nature is
infinite in her variety and the artist who observes
her continuously and conscientiously runs no risk
of degenerating into mechanical repetition. He
would never drift into that condition of mental
somnolence which leads to the stereotyping of ideas,
and he would never delude himself into the belief
that conscientiousness in technical practice only
will satisfy all the obligations which he owes
to art. But, of course, his observation must be
that of the earnest student who believes that he
can never leave off learning : it must be as close
as it is continuous and it must not be relaxed for
a moment. Carelessness would put him off the
right track, and want of sincerity would spoil
everything.” The Lay Figure.