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the arts will die。
Well； as regards the religious feeling of the close of the passage；
I do not think I need speak about that。 Religion springs from
religious feeling； art from artistic feeling： you never get one
from the other； unless you have the right root you will not get the
right flower； and； if a man sees in a cloud the chariot of an
angel； he will probably paint it very unlike a cloud。
But； as regards the general idea of the early part of that lovely
bit of prose； is it really true that beautiful surroundings are
necessary for the artist？ I think not； I am sure not。 Indeed； to
me the most inartistic thing in this age of ours is not the
indifference of the public to beautiful things； but the
indifference of the artist to the things that are called ugly。
For； to the real artist； nothing is beautiful or ugly in itself at
all。 With the facts of the object he has nothing to do； but with
its appearance only； and appearance is a matter of light and shade；
of masses； of position； and of value。
Appearance is； in fact； a matter of effect merely； and it is with
the effects of nature that you have to deal； not with the real
condition of the object。 What you； as painters； have to paint is
not things as they are but things as they seem to be； not things as
they are but things as they are not。
No object is so ugly that； under certain conditions of light and
shade； or proximity to other things； it will not look beautiful； no
object is so beautiful that； under certain conditions； it will not
look ugly。 I believe that in every twenty…four hours what is
beautiful looks ugly； and what is ugly looks beautiful； once。
And； the commonplace character of so much of our English painting
seems to me due to the fact that so many of our young artists look
merely at what we may call 'ready…made beauty；' whereas you exist
as artists not to copy beauty but to create it in your art； to wait
and watch for it in nature。
What would you say of a dramatist who would take nobody but
virtuous people as characters in his play？ Would you not say he
was missing half of life？ Well； of the young artist who paints
nothing but beautiful things； I say he misses one half of the
world。
Do not wait for life to be picturesque； but try and see life under
picturesque conditions。 These conditions you can create for
yourself in your studio； for they are merely conditions of light。
In nature； you must wait for them； watch for them； choose them；
and； if you wait and watch； come they will。
In Gower Street at night you may see a letter…box that is
picturesque： on the Thames Embankment you may see picturesque
policemen。 Even Venice is not always beautiful； nor France。
To paint what you see is a good rule in art； but to see what is
worth painting is better。 See life under pictorial conditions。 It
is better to live in a city of changeable weather than in a city of
lovely surroundings。
Now； having seen what makes the artist； and what the artist makes；
who is the artist？ There is a man living amongst us who unites in
himself all the qualities of the noblest art； whose work is a joy
for all time； who is； himself； a master of all time。 That man is
Mr。 Whistler。
* * * * * * * *
But； you will say； modern dress； that is bad。 If you cannot paint
black cloth you could not have painted silken doublet。 Ugly dress
is better for art … facts of vision； not of the object。
What is a picture？ Primarily； a picture is a beautifully coloured
surface； merely； with no more spiritual message or meaning for you
than an exquisite fragment of Venetian glass or a blue tile from
the wall of Damascus。 It is； primarily； a purely decorative thing；
a delight to look at。
All archaeological pictures that make you say 'How curious！' all
sentimental pictures that make you say； 'How sad！' all historical
pictures that make you say 'How interesting！' all pictures that do
not immediately give you such artistic joy as to make you say 'How
beautiful！' are bad pictures。
* * * * * * * *
We never know what an artist is going to do。 Of course not。 The
artist is not a specialist。 All such divisions as animal painters；
landscape painters； painters of Scotch cattle in an English mist；
painters of English cattle in a Scotch mist； racehorse painters；
bull…terrier painters； all are shallow。 If a man is an artist he
can paint everything。
The object of art is to stir the most divine and remote of the
chords which make music in our soul； and colour is indeed； of
itself a mystical presence on things； and tone a kind of sentinel。
Am I pleading； then； for mere technique？ No。 As long as there are
any signs of technique at all； the picture is unfinished。 What is
finish？ A picture is finished when all traces of work； and of the
means employed to bring about the result； have disappeared。
In the case of handicraftsmen … the weaver； the potter； the smith …
on their work are the traces of their hand。 But it is not so with
the painter； it is not so with the artist。
Art should have no sentiment about it but its beauty； no technique
except what you cannot observe。 One should be able to say of a
picture not that it is 'well painted；' but that it is 'not
painted。'
What is the difference between absolutely decorative art and a
painting？ Decorative art emphasises its material： imaginative art
annihilates it。 Tapestry shows its threads as part of its beauty：
a picture annihilates its canvas： it shows nothing of it。
Porcelain emphasises its glaze： water…colours reject the paper。
A picture has no meaning but its beauty； no message but its joy。
That is the first truth about art that you must never lose sight
of。 A picture is a purely decorative thing。
LONDON MODELS
PROFESSIONAL models are a purely modern invention。 To the Greeks；
for instance； they were quite unknown。 Mr。 Mahaffy； it is true；
tells us that Pericles used to present peacocks to the great ladies
of Athenian society in order to induce them to sit to his friend
Phidias； and we know that Polygnotus introduced into his picture of
the Trojan women the face of Elpinice； the celebrated sister of the
great Conservative leader of the day； but these GRANDES DAMES
clearly do not come under our category。 As for the old masters；
they undoubtedly made constant studies from their pupils and
apprentices； and even their religious pictures are full of the
portraits of their friends and relations； but they do not seem to
have had the inestimable advantage of the existence of a class of
people whose sole profession is to pose。 In fact the model； in our
sense of the word； is the direct creation of Academic Schools。
Every country now has its own models； except America。 In New York；
and even in Boston； a good model is so great a rarity that most of
the artists are reduced to painting Niagara and millionaires。 In
Europe； however； it is different。 Here we have plenty of models；
and of every nationality。 The Italian models are the best。 The
natural grace of their attitudes； as well as the wonderful
picturesqueness of their colouring； makes them facile … often too
facile … subjects for the painter's brush。 The French models；
though not so beautiful as the Italian； possess a quickness of
intellectual sympathy； a capacity； in fact； of understanding the
artist； which is quite remarkable。 They have also a great command
over the varieties of facial expression； are peculiarly dramatic；
and can chatter the ARGOT of the ATELIER as cleverly as the critic
of the GIL BLAS。 The English models form a class entirely by
themselves。 They are not so picturesque as the Italian； nor so
clever as the French； and they have absolutely no tradition； so to
speak； of their order。 Now and then some old veteran knocks at the
studio door； and proposes to sit as Ajax defying the lightning； or
as King L