DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1311#0059
OF THE WORLD'S INDUSTRY. 39
CHAPTER VI.
JIB. WOENTTM 8 LECTURE—VABIOTTS STYLES OE AET—BEMABK3 ON OENAHENTAL DESIGN—ON
CHINA, GLASS, AND SILVEB—ENGLISH "WOOD-CABVING—OETENTAL DESIGN—ENGLISH AND
TOBEIGN AET C05IPAEED—CAUTION TO THE STUDENT—TEACHINGS OF THE EXHIBITION.
In the year of the Great Exhibition, it was curious to observe how the thoughts and
conversation of all people turned upon the prevailing topic of interest, "the world's
great show." Not only was the fruitful theme discussed in every private party, can-
vassed at every domestic hearth, but public lecturers and scientific writers also indulged
in frequent allusion to, and serious investigation of, the actual state and future results
of the mighty phenomenon. The following is the substance of a very interesting lecture
delivered by Mr. Wornum at the Central School of Design, which we lay before our
readers, not only to illustrate our remark, but as a very instructive piece of " gossip,"
if we may be allowed the term.
"My object," says the talented lecturer, "is not to explain the Exhibition, even
generally, but rather to make use of the Exhibition, or more correctly, some prominent
works of art-manufacture contained in it, as one huge illustration of the general prin-
ciples I have advocated throughout in my lectures. There is not one point that I have
urged that is not there practically demonstrated to be of essential importance; and I
think I shall be able now to clearly show you that the very first business of every
designer is to make himself master of the elements of all established styles, not only
for the sake of knowing these styles, but to enable him to effect any intelligible orna-
mental expression whatever. You must know all: to study one style only will, perhaps,
prove more fatal to your success than to study none at all; for, in the latter case, you
are open to improvement and new impressions, while in the former your mind is, as
it were, a stereotype of a few fixed ideas with which you stamp your uniform mark on
everything you touch, as the ignorant knights of old made their sign-manual with their
sword-hilts, or their thumb-nails. We have seen 'nature1 very often sententiously held
up as in antagonism to the so-called historic styles, or absolutely in antagonism to art;
this is only the outrageous presumption of ignorance. I need not demonstrate to you,
that true art can never be the antagonist of nature. The treasures of art are derived
as legitimately from nature's stores for the recreation of our minds, as the grains and
fruits of the earth are provided by the husbandman's skill for the nourishment of our
bodies. If pure fnaturalism' is true for the mind, I maintain it is true also for the
body; yet if so, there is nothing left for us but all to go out to grass. However, what
is nature ? We hear of three kingdoms of nature—the vegetable, the mineral, and the
animal: one cannot be more natural than the other; therefore, on the score of nature
herself, we cannot give the preference to any one in particular.
" The naturalists generally have not gone to nature, but only to one small class of
individuals in one of its kingdoms. Let us by all means go to nature, but with a strict
impartiality, selecting our forms simply with a view to the most appropriate contrasts or
combinations in accordance with the sentiment of the design we nave in hand, at once
repudiating, in toto, the notion that mere imitation can in any way compensate for an
incomplete or imperfect arrangement of the parts, as prescribed already by the very
sentiment or principles of the contemplated design. This brings us to another point—
how far using the elements of past times may be deprecated as a slavish repetition of
ancient or mediaeval art, and ignoring the wants and sentiments of the present age ?
CHAPTER VI.
JIB. WOENTTM 8 LECTURE—VABIOTTS STYLES OE AET—BEMABK3 ON OENAHENTAL DESIGN—ON
CHINA, GLASS, AND SILVEB—ENGLISH "WOOD-CABVING—OETENTAL DESIGN—ENGLISH AND
TOBEIGN AET C05IPAEED—CAUTION TO THE STUDENT—TEACHINGS OF THE EXHIBITION.
In the year of the Great Exhibition, it was curious to observe how the thoughts and
conversation of all people turned upon the prevailing topic of interest, "the world's
great show." Not only was the fruitful theme discussed in every private party, can-
vassed at every domestic hearth, but public lecturers and scientific writers also indulged
in frequent allusion to, and serious investigation of, the actual state and future results
of the mighty phenomenon. The following is the substance of a very interesting lecture
delivered by Mr. Wornum at the Central School of Design, which we lay before our
readers, not only to illustrate our remark, but as a very instructive piece of " gossip,"
if we may be allowed the term.
"My object," says the talented lecturer, "is not to explain the Exhibition, even
generally, but rather to make use of the Exhibition, or more correctly, some prominent
works of art-manufacture contained in it, as one huge illustration of the general prin-
ciples I have advocated throughout in my lectures. There is not one point that I have
urged that is not there practically demonstrated to be of essential importance; and I
think I shall be able now to clearly show you that the very first business of every
designer is to make himself master of the elements of all established styles, not only
for the sake of knowing these styles, but to enable him to effect any intelligible orna-
mental expression whatever. You must know all: to study one style only will, perhaps,
prove more fatal to your success than to study none at all; for, in the latter case, you
are open to improvement and new impressions, while in the former your mind is, as
it were, a stereotype of a few fixed ideas with which you stamp your uniform mark on
everything you touch, as the ignorant knights of old made their sign-manual with their
sword-hilts, or their thumb-nails. We have seen 'nature1 very often sententiously held
up as in antagonism to the so-called historic styles, or absolutely in antagonism to art;
this is only the outrageous presumption of ignorance. I need not demonstrate to you,
that true art can never be the antagonist of nature. The treasures of art are derived
as legitimately from nature's stores for the recreation of our minds, as the grains and
fruits of the earth are provided by the husbandman's skill for the nourishment of our
bodies. If pure fnaturalism' is true for the mind, I maintain it is true also for the
body; yet if so, there is nothing left for us but all to go out to grass. However, what
is nature ? We hear of three kingdoms of nature—the vegetable, the mineral, and the
animal: one cannot be more natural than the other; therefore, on the score of nature
herself, we cannot give the preference to any one in particular.
" The naturalists generally have not gone to nature, but only to one small class of
individuals in one of its kingdoms. Let us by all means go to nature, but with a strict
impartiality, selecting our forms simply with a view to the most appropriate contrasts or
combinations in accordance with the sentiment of the design we nave in hand, at once
repudiating, in toto, the notion that mere imitation can in any way compensate for an
incomplete or imperfect arrangement of the parts, as prescribed already by the very
sentiment or principles of the contemplated design. This brings us to another point—
how far using the elements of past times may be deprecated as a slavish repetition of
ancient or mediaeval art, and ignoring the wants and sentiments of the present age ?