DOI Heft:
No. 295 (October 1917)
DOI Artikel:The lay figure: on cementing an alliance
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21264#0060
The Lay Figure
THE LAY FIGURE: ON CEMENT-
ING AN ALLIANCE.
I FEEL that the moment is appropriate
for a brief sermon on our duty to our
neighbours,” said the Man with the Red
Tie. “ We have been thinking a good
deal about ourselves lately, and now for a
change we might as well give a little thought
to other people.”
“ A very proper sentiment ! ” laughed the
Business Man. “ But I am not sure that there
is any need just now for a sermon on such a
text, if by our neighbours you mean the coun-
tries with which we are in alliance in the present
troubles. I think we are doing our duty to
them pretty thoroughly.”
“ Oh, yes, in material matters we are no doubt
doing all that could reasonably be expected of
us,” agreed the Man with the Red Tie ; “ but
in matters of sentiment I believe we have not
gone quite far enough as yet—and matters of
sentiment, you must remember, affect in very
considerable measure the relations between
countries.”
“ What particular phase of sentiment have
you in mind ? ” asked the Business Man. “We
seem to have covered the ground as well as
any one could wish.”
“ Have we ? I am not so sure,” returned the
Man with the Red Tie. “ In the encouragement
of art we have not been as active as we should
be, and in considering the problems of our own
art world we have not kept sufficiently in mind
the difficulties which have to be faced by the
art workers of the other nations with which
we are in sympathy.”
“ You are right! ” broke in the Critic. “ We
could do a good deal more than we have at-
tempted yet to help art abroad, and we have
not remembered as we should that the art of
our Allies has the most serious claims upon
our consideration.”
“ But we have had many shows of foreign
work here since the war started,” argued the
Business Man. “ Is not that enough to prove
our sympathy ? ”
“No, it is not enough, because these shows
have been only casual and occasional,” declared
the Man with the Red Tie. “ We want a serious
and systematic recognition of the efforts of our
friends to keep their art alive, and we want to
second those efforts to the utmost of our ability.
44
The consciousness of our own difficulties ought
to make us doubly appreciative of the struggles
to which the artists in other countries are
committed, and we ought to see that our duty
to our neighbour obliges us to give some help
in these struggles.”
“ Yes, look at France,” said the Critic.
“ What opportunities have the artists there now
of making their influence felt ? Can we not
give them the chances here which are for the
moment denied to them at home and prove to
the world that French art is still full of vitality
and brilliant initiative ? ”
“ And Italy, too, and the other nations with
which we are associated in the war, why should
we not show our sympathy with them all in the
most effective way possible ? ” went on the
Man with the Red Tie. “ It seems to be so
obviously something that should be required
of us.”
“ I do not see it. Let each nation look after
its own art,” objected the Business Man.
“ Why bring the foreign artists over here to
compete with our own ? ”
“ Because art is not a matter of frontiers or
boundaries,” replied the Critic ; “ and because
community of artistic sentiment is one of the
strongest bonds by which nations can be linked
together. I believe it has a power immensely
valuable to cement the alliances between
civilized peoples, and I believe we have a chance
now to establish a permanent good feeling
which will be greatly helpful to us all in the
future. It would be lamentable to let the
opportunity slip.”
" How do you propose to set about the
encouragement of art abroad ? ” asked the
Business Man.
“ By making the display of it here a regular
and officially recognized thing," suggested the
Man with the Red Tie. “ By showing the most
catholic appreciation of the efforts of our friends,
and of expressing our sense of the importance
of these efforts in a practical and, if you like,
commercial manner. We are able to do it if we
choose.”
“ Of course we can do it,” cried the Critic;
“ and of course we ought to do it. But it is
just one of those obvious things that every one
agrees about and that comes to nothing for
want of proper organization. That is the
point we have to keep in mind.”
The Lay Figure.
THE LAY FIGURE: ON CEMENT-
ING AN ALLIANCE.
I FEEL that the moment is appropriate
for a brief sermon on our duty to our
neighbours,” said the Man with the Red
Tie. “ We have been thinking a good
deal about ourselves lately, and now for a
change we might as well give a little thought
to other people.”
“ A very proper sentiment ! ” laughed the
Business Man. “ But I am not sure that there
is any need just now for a sermon on such a
text, if by our neighbours you mean the coun-
tries with which we are in alliance in the present
troubles. I think we are doing our duty to
them pretty thoroughly.”
“ Oh, yes, in material matters we are no doubt
doing all that could reasonably be expected of
us,” agreed the Man with the Red Tie ; “ but
in matters of sentiment I believe we have not
gone quite far enough as yet—and matters of
sentiment, you must remember, affect in very
considerable measure the relations between
countries.”
“ What particular phase of sentiment have
you in mind ? ” asked the Business Man. “We
seem to have covered the ground as well as
any one could wish.”
“ Have we ? I am not so sure,” returned the
Man with the Red Tie. “ In the encouragement
of art we have not been as active as we should
be, and in considering the problems of our own
art world we have not kept sufficiently in mind
the difficulties which have to be faced by the
art workers of the other nations with which
we are in sympathy.”
“ You are right! ” broke in the Critic. “ We
could do a good deal more than we have at-
tempted yet to help art abroad, and we have
not remembered as we should that the art of
our Allies has the most serious claims upon
our consideration.”
“ But we have had many shows of foreign
work here since the war started,” argued the
Business Man. “ Is not that enough to prove
our sympathy ? ”
“No, it is not enough, because these shows
have been only casual and occasional,” declared
the Man with the Red Tie. “ We want a serious
and systematic recognition of the efforts of our
friends to keep their art alive, and we want to
second those efforts to the utmost of our ability.
44
The consciousness of our own difficulties ought
to make us doubly appreciative of the struggles
to which the artists in other countries are
committed, and we ought to see that our duty
to our neighbour obliges us to give some help
in these struggles.”
“ Yes, look at France,” said the Critic.
“ What opportunities have the artists there now
of making their influence felt ? Can we not
give them the chances here which are for the
moment denied to them at home and prove to
the world that French art is still full of vitality
and brilliant initiative ? ”
“ And Italy, too, and the other nations with
which we are associated in the war, why should
we not show our sympathy with them all in the
most effective way possible ? ” went on the
Man with the Red Tie. “ It seems to be so
obviously something that should be required
of us.”
“ I do not see it. Let each nation look after
its own art,” objected the Business Man.
“ Why bring the foreign artists over here to
compete with our own ? ”
“ Because art is not a matter of frontiers or
boundaries,” replied the Critic ; “ and because
community of artistic sentiment is one of the
strongest bonds by which nations can be linked
together. I believe it has a power immensely
valuable to cement the alliances between
civilized peoples, and I believe we have a chance
now to establish a permanent good feeling
which will be greatly helpful to us all in the
future. It would be lamentable to let the
opportunity slip.”
" How do you propose to set about the
encouragement of art abroad ? ” asked the
Business Man.
“ By making the display of it here a regular
and officially recognized thing," suggested the
Man with the Red Tie. “ By showing the most
catholic appreciation of the efforts of our friends,
and of expressing our sense of the importance
of these efforts in a practical and, if you like,
commercial manner. We are able to do it if we
choose.”
“ Of course we can do it,” cried the Critic;
“ and of course we ought to do it. But it is
just one of those obvious things that every one
agrees about and that comes to nothing for
want of proper organization. That is the
point we have to keep in mind.”
The Lay Figure.