DOI Heft:
No. 263 (February 1915)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21212#0082
The Lay Figure
THE LAY FIGURE: ON THE
TREATMENT OF MEMORIAL
SCULPTURE.
“ I have an idea that there is a very great
opportunity coming directly for sculptors,” said the
Art Critic. “ I am wondering, though, whether
they realise how great it will be and whether they
will be equal to it, when it does come.”
“You mean, as a result of the war, I suppose ? ”
returned the Man with the Red Tie. “You ex-
pect an unusual demand for statues, memorials,
and so on, when things begin to settle down
again ? ”
“Yes, there will be great deeds to be com-
memorated, great men to be honoured, great
national events to be recorded as reminders to
future generations,” agreed the Critic; “and most
of this work will, I expect, fall to the sculptors.
How will they deal with it ? ”
“ In the same way that they have dealt with the
same sort of work before, of course,” broke in the
Plain Man. “We shall have rather more statues
about our streets—that is all that is likely to
happen.”
“ Is that all ? ” asked the Critic. “ I am hoping
for something more than that. Great events should
have great results, and among these results should
be a definite development of the art of memorial
sculpture.”
“What development can there be ?” demanded
the Plain Man. “ A statue is a statue ; how can
you make anything else of it ? ”
“Well, you might make it a work of art, just by
way of a change,” suggested the Man with the Red
Tie. “ Has not that occurred to you ? ”
“ Is a statue not a work of art ? ” enquired the
Plain Man. “ Surely anything done by an artist
counts as a work of art, and I suppose you would
call a sculptor an artist, would you not ? ”
“ Oh yes, I would call the sculptor an artist,”
laughed the Critic, “ because if he were not I
should not count him as a sculptor. But how
many chances does he get of proving what sort of
artist he is ? ”
“ He has his chance whenever he does a piece
of work,” asserted the Plain Man. “When he
gets a commission for a statue people expect
him to do it just as well as he can. If he is
an artist he produces a work of art—that is
obvious.”
“ Not so obvious as you seem to think,” declared
the Critic. “ The conditions under which a work
of art is produced are bound to affect its quality.
76
If the artist does not have a free hand he cannot
be expected to make the best of his capacities.
The more he is hampered the less likely he is to
do himself justice.”
“ And of all artists the sculptor is the most
persistently hampered and the most constantly
denied a free hand,” commented the Man with the
Red Tie.
“Just so,” said the Critic. “ He has to work in
a vast number of cases under the dictation of a
local committee which surrounds him with restric-
tions and interferes in all the details of his pro-
duction. Does that give him a fair chance ?
Does it allow him to prove what sort of artist he
is?”
“But the local committee you are talking about
gives the sculptor the order for the work,” pro-
tested the Plain Man; ” so it has the right to
insist that the work shall be done in a suitable
manner. That is simple business.”
“ Simple business and great artistic achievement
are often quite incompatible, I am afraid ; and to
this incompatibility is due the failure of much
of our memorial sculpture,” replied the Critic.
“ If the members of the committee allowed the
sculptor to please himself a little more, and them
possibly a little less, I am confident that the result
would in the majority of cases be more accept-
able artistically.”
“But if we let the sculptor please himself, how
shall we ever know whether he is giving us good
work or not?” asked the Plain Man. “Who is
to be the judge ? ”
“ Trust the artist and believe that he will give
you the best of which he is capable ; choose a
sculptor of ability and give him a free hand. That
is the best advice I can offer you,” returned the
Critic.
“And you think we should get better results that
way ! ” sighed the Plain Man.
“I am certain of it,” cried the Critic; “and I
want to see that position established as soon as
possible because I am anxious to make the most
of the coming opportunities. I want the memorial
sculpture that must be produced as a commemora-
tion of the great events of the present day to be
fully worthy of the occasion. It must be the best
of which our artists are capable. It must have
the highest qualities of thought and accomplish-
ment. It must be free from the smallest taint of
the commonplace. It must be finer and nobler
than anything we have ever done before. In that
way alone will it do us justice and earn for us the
respect of posterity.” The Lay Figure.
THE LAY FIGURE: ON THE
TREATMENT OF MEMORIAL
SCULPTURE.
“ I have an idea that there is a very great
opportunity coming directly for sculptors,” said the
Art Critic. “ I am wondering, though, whether
they realise how great it will be and whether they
will be equal to it, when it does come.”
“You mean, as a result of the war, I suppose ? ”
returned the Man with the Red Tie. “You ex-
pect an unusual demand for statues, memorials,
and so on, when things begin to settle down
again ? ”
“Yes, there will be great deeds to be com-
memorated, great men to be honoured, great
national events to be recorded as reminders to
future generations,” agreed the Critic; “and most
of this work will, I expect, fall to the sculptors.
How will they deal with it ? ”
“ In the same way that they have dealt with the
same sort of work before, of course,” broke in the
Plain Man. “We shall have rather more statues
about our streets—that is all that is likely to
happen.”
“ Is that all ? ” asked the Critic. “ I am hoping
for something more than that. Great events should
have great results, and among these results should
be a definite development of the art of memorial
sculpture.”
“What development can there be ?” demanded
the Plain Man. “ A statue is a statue ; how can
you make anything else of it ? ”
“Well, you might make it a work of art, just by
way of a change,” suggested the Man with the Red
Tie. “ Has not that occurred to you ? ”
“ Is a statue not a work of art ? ” enquired the
Plain Man. “ Surely anything done by an artist
counts as a work of art, and I suppose you would
call a sculptor an artist, would you not ? ”
“ Oh yes, I would call the sculptor an artist,”
laughed the Critic, “ because if he were not I
should not count him as a sculptor. But how
many chances does he get of proving what sort of
artist he is ? ”
“ He has his chance whenever he does a piece
of work,” asserted the Plain Man. “When he
gets a commission for a statue people expect
him to do it just as well as he can. If he is
an artist he produces a work of art—that is
obvious.”
“ Not so obvious as you seem to think,” declared
the Critic. “ The conditions under which a work
of art is produced are bound to affect its quality.
76
If the artist does not have a free hand he cannot
be expected to make the best of his capacities.
The more he is hampered the less likely he is to
do himself justice.”
“ And of all artists the sculptor is the most
persistently hampered and the most constantly
denied a free hand,” commented the Man with the
Red Tie.
“Just so,” said the Critic. “ He has to work in
a vast number of cases under the dictation of a
local committee which surrounds him with restric-
tions and interferes in all the details of his pro-
duction. Does that give him a fair chance ?
Does it allow him to prove what sort of artist he
is?”
“But the local committee you are talking about
gives the sculptor the order for the work,” pro-
tested the Plain Man; ” so it has the right to
insist that the work shall be done in a suitable
manner. That is simple business.”
“ Simple business and great artistic achievement
are often quite incompatible, I am afraid ; and to
this incompatibility is due the failure of much
of our memorial sculpture,” replied the Critic.
“ If the members of the committee allowed the
sculptor to please himself a little more, and them
possibly a little less, I am confident that the result
would in the majority of cases be more accept-
able artistically.”
“But if we let the sculptor please himself, how
shall we ever know whether he is giving us good
work or not?” asked the Plain Man. “Who is
to be the judge ? ”
“ Trust the artist and believe that he will give
you the best of which he is capable ; choose a
sculptor of ability and give him a free hand. That
is the best advice I can offer you,” returned the
Critic.
“And you think we should get better results that
way ! ” sighed the Plain Man.
“I am certain of it,” cried the Critic; “and I
want to see that position established as soon as
possible because I am anxious to make the most
of the coming opportunities. I want the memorial
sculpture that must be produced as a commemora-
tion of the great events of the present day to be
fully worthy of the occasion. It must be the best
of which our artists are capable. It must have
the highest qualities of thought and accomplish-
ment. It must be free from the smallest taint of
the commonplace. It must be finer and nobler
than anything we have ever done before. In that
way alone will it do us justice and earn for us the
respect of posterity.” The Lay Figure.