the craftsman - 1904 - 03 - march

7/27/2019 The Craftsman - 1904 - 03 - March

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THE CRAFTSMANPublished Monthly by THE UNITED CRAFTS, 207 South State Street, SYRACUSE, NEW YORK-Contents for March MMA

Auguste Rodin - Illustrated J EAN SCHOPFER AND CLAUDE ANETTranslated from the French by IRENESARGENT

Commercial Value of Design FREDERICK S. LAMBA Plea for the Decorative Book-plate - Ilixkated

FRANK CHOUTEAU BROWNThe I nsect in Decoration - Illustrated M. I.-VERNEUIL

Translated from the French by I I IENE:SARGENTBasketry of the Aleutian Islands - Illustrated C. GADSDEN PORCHERA Craftsman House, Series of 1904, Number 3 - I llustratedConcerning Cottages and Content ALICE M. RATHBONECertain Craftsman Cottages - IllustratedThe lndians of the Franciscan Missions - Illustrated

GEORGE WHARTON J AMESSuccess and Failure in Craftsmanship DOUGLAS VAN DENBURGHRene Ealique - Illustrated DR. H. IUDORA False Effort to be Fine : Manual Training Series - IllustratedCanvas Curtains with L inen Applique - I llustratedChipsBook Reviews

25 CENTS SINGLE COPY : : BY THE YEAR, $3.00Copyright, 1904,by GUSTAV STICKLEP. Entered November 18.1902, at Syracuse, N. Y., as second-class matter

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TheLast WordFe&i0 n

Evolution

TheFamily

Politics

Economics

66 he F inal and Tr ue Note of Spiri tual Li bertyis the tribute of the NewYork.Evening Post to

REL'IGIONS OF AUTHORITYBy AUGUSTE SABATIERLat e Dean of the Prot estant Facult y of Theology in the Uni versity of Paris

It attacks the formulas of Infallibility, whether Papal (the Roman Catho-lic dogma) or Biblical (the weapon of Protestantism) ; it makes anappeal for the souls experience as the only guide to pure Christianity.

Cloth, ho. Postpai d, $3.62: net , $3.50d


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FROM Henry of Navarre toand through the reign of DuBarry (whose personal memoirs,occupy four of the volumes) thisset of books covers the back-stairs-and-kitchen-gossip side ofFrench Court history much asGuizot covers its outward mani-festations. And where so muchwas set afoot with secret and ob-scure design, where so little was open and above-board whereboudoir counsels diciated treaties and the wounded vanity offavorites instigated campaigns, where a low-born womans capricecould set forth the torch to lay waste the half of Europe, it is im-possible to comprehend the curious events of history withoutknowing the intimate details of those underlying causes. It ischaracteristic of these Memoirs that in dealing with the peculiaraffairs which are associated in every ones mind with French Courthistory of the period, their very simplicity and frankness purgesthem of all offence.The undersigned controls a few sets of these personal FrenchCourt Memoirs (translated with fidelity into English)., which canbe secured, in complete sets only, at a very low price, and onsmall monthly payments,made at once. if preferred, provided applications beThese few copies are from a limited numbered and registered deZuxe edition, bound up to sell at $10.00 a volume. But through abinders error the leather of the volumes is imperfectly matched,consequently it becomes advisable to dispose of them outside ofregular subscription channels,and

J. B. CHADBOURNE, 11 East 16th St., New York at a price about equal to the valuePlease send me particulars -advertisement inMarch CRAFTSMAX. of the unbound sheets. A book-let fully describing the edition

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BOUNDOOKST SHEET RICE

Books are Royal Octave-About II inches tall

RidpathsHistory of. the WorldIn cleaning up our stock we find a few slightly (rubbed setsof Ridpaths History of the World. There are onlyabout twenty in all, and sooner than rebind such a small lot we

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The work is elaboral&l~ illustrated with morethan three hundred full-page photogravures uponJapan Vellum. There are a large number of colorillustrations done by hand in water colors. The mostwonderful part of the illustration is the actual colorphotography which appears in manyf them. Inevery sense of the word they are high-grade de luxebooks. They are ioyal library size. crown octave.averaging about three hundred and fifty pages each.The paper is a fine, specially made laid deckle-edgedpaper, and each leaf is water-marked. The marginsare exceptionally wide, and the volumes are stitchedat both the head and *tail bands with silk. This editionis registered, numbered and limited.THE GREATEST BOOK OFFER YET

You can bliy some (but not all) of the volumes described at only a fraction of theirregular priceThere are thirty-seven volumes in each complete set, but a few of the volumes are missingfrom a dozen sets or so. If these were ordinary books, we could take new volumes andfill up the sets, but this is a limited edition. Each set is numbered and registered, sothat if Paris, for example, is missing from set No. 227, there is no way of filling upthe gap, because there is only one copy of Paris No. 227.The regular sale of the books is by subscription and only in complete sets.We have guaranteed not to sell them to bookstores. But for this guaranty wecould sell the whole ,lot to any one of a dozen bookstores in New York city.

your descrip. Anythi ng we can get for these b roken sets is so much money f ound (RITE TO-DAY-DONT DELAYDont miss this snap. Cut off the coupon (or if you mention THE

CRAFTSMAN it will not be necessary) and write us to-day, andwe will mail you at once our illustrated descriptive book andquote you a price that will surprise you.MZRRLL & WkKE4l

9 6 11 Sixteenth Street, New York City

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LIBRARY CLASSICSat WANAMAKER PRICES

SAVING of ONE-THIRD to ONE-HALFSmall Monthly Payments

Will buildor complete your Ilbrary. But you mct write us at oncebecause the holiday drain has left u wth only a few qets of some of thesebeauuful books.

111c LYClllVCLY I 1 Y: b... .L. a.~.~. . ..b .,..:.. -.-.y yearwe save them money I prmting. illustrating, and bindIng on account ofthe large number of volumes we have pubiished at one time. The plates,illustrations. and getting ready to print fifty setsof books cost as much asif you printed a thousand sets. Now we have just saved our Club membersa considerable amount on ihis years book purchases. We have a fewsets left-only a very few of some-easy payments if you refer. Vouhave ten days time to look them over carefully -youll fin 8 them betterthan you think and will be satisfied.A NEW DEPARTURE IN THEL. MAKING OF BOOKSUnm,nn.3n mllYer>nkEnlvr,,,,I, *,v-,,,,,,,,rmn+~n,,,, ---. . . . I . .I --.. _ ... .-ll-p*Crfro;;tl~~~cesSGl;;~e~~y-~~~~ i~&&elle. These are such illustrationsas usually ap ear only in the highest prlccd and most luxurious books-books that se I for from ten dollars a vclume upward to twenty-five andeve thirty-five or forty.Otherwise the illustration of the se*s is rather elaborate, and consists (withthe exceptlo of a few text engraving? in the Thackeray and Ruskin)entirely of full page insert etchings, photogratures, photo engravingsand wood-engtavmgs by such artists as Crukshank. Palthorpe, RoLhe-grosse. &hell, Mrrrdl, Dielma and many others.

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THE EXCELLENCE OF MANUFACTUREThese books are full octave (8 x 5 Inches). The paper is a pore whitewove stock, special1light. to save as muc Y manufactured for these rditlons It is trade veryI as possible m the weight of the books, but is opaque.to prevent the type showing through. The printing has been carefullypresses to secure a proper distribution of ink and prevent off setting.I___^^ .._^ I.^.._ A :.. -Ierlr -A n+hnrc i ,A*..,, h,.., h.,l$ m,\*nrrfi ti- -

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AnExchangeableBook

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Our M arch OfferWe will mail you The Craftsmanfor one year, and send you post-paitl any $1.50 book advertisedon the page opposite, put up ina Tabard Inn Library case, for$43.00. The price of The Crafts-man alone is $3.00 a year, and thehook you choose will be a copy ofthe very latest publication in finecloth binding.

See What You SaveYOU GET A MAGAZINE for one year which gives a knowledge of how

to build, furnish and decorate your home, and which keeps you in touch with theHandicraft Movement the world over.

In addition, YOU HAVE YOUR CHOICE OF ONE ROOK from a list madeup of the latest and best fiction, the possession of which carries with it a permanentexchange privilege.

The saving to you will be beyond computation, for it will extend as long as youcontinue to be a reader of books. After you are through reading this volume put itback in its Tahard Inn case, take it to any Tabard Inn station in the world-there aremany thousands of them-and by the payment of an exchange fee of five cents (SC.)you can turn in your book and receive any book on the library shelves. If you prefer,keep the book always-it is exchangeable at any time.

7% e Ser vi ceThe Tahard Inn carries its books to convenient centrally located sub-stations where those havingbooks may make exchanges. The book-cases (of a quaint Tahard Inn design) holding 75, 125, ajo,and 500 books, arc placed in attractive shops, covering practically the entire United States. Some ofthe hooks at the sub-stations are removed at regular intervals and others substituted, thus providing

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Send U s Your Check Todaychoose what book you want, and you will receive without delay the January,

February and March numbers of The Craftsman and the book you select in a TabardInn case.

1 TH E CRAFTSMAN , c f ta sm a n B u i l d i n g . Syr a cu se, /v. Y.



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Send Your Check for $3 and receiveany one of These Books andGhe Craftsman for One YearA FOREST HEARTH . . . . . Charles MajorCOLONEL CARTERS CHRISTMAS . . F. Hopbinson SmithTHE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME John Fox, Jr.THE DAUGHTER OF A MAGNATE . Frank H. SpearmanBARLASCH OF THE GUARD . . Henry Seton MerrimanHESPER . . . . . . . Ham/in GarlandTHE HEART OF ROME . . . F. Marion CrautfordTHE ADVENTURES OF GERARD . . Sir 1. Conan DoyleTHE LONG NIGHT . . . . . Stanley J. WevmanTHE LMAIDS OF PARADISE 1 j D Robert R. ChambersTHE ONE WOMAN . . e . . Thomas Dixon, Jr.THE SHERRODS . . . . George Barr McCutcheonTHE CALL OF THE WILD . , . , rack LondonTHE WEB . . . . o . Frederick Trevor HillMR. SALT . . . m . . . . @WI PayneTHE DUKE DECIDES Headon HillSHE THAT HESITATES . . . e Harris DicksonSALLY OF MISSOURIJOHN BURT . . . o o . . a .

R. E. YoungF. U. Adams

PIGS IN CLOVER . . Frank DanbyTHE RELENTLESS CITY . E. F. BensonTHE SILVER POPPY . . ~ Arthur StringerWHEN I WAS CZAR . . 1 . e A. W. MarchmontTHE BOSS . . . . . . , Alfred Henry LewisREBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM klate jl)ouglas Wiggin-THE CRAFTSMAN , Craftsman Building, Syr acu se, J V. Y.



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Many are IncreasingTheir Salaries

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THEY KNOW THE BUSINESSHere are four recent graduates :

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You Must ReadTHE HOUSE BEAUTIFULIF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUIZ HOME ATTIIACTI\E

It is a monthly magazine which gives you all the newest ideas in decoration andfurnishing, tells you the fashions in linens, hangings, window curtains, wall-papers ;describes successful houses costing from $800 to $4,000, and gives plans and picturesof them. It prints articles on arts and crafts, and tells you how to make furniture,baskets, weave rugs, make bead bags and candle shades, and a thousand other thingsfor yourself and your home. It shows by illustrations what other people have doneand what you can do. It shows wherein taste goes farther thanmoney: it is interesting and practical and is the only magazine of the kind pub-lished.

Regular departments are devoted to Notes and Comments from New York,Home Economics, The Home Garden, Outdoor Work for Women, HousekeepersDepartment, Seen in the Shops, Art and Artists, Questions and Answers (problemsin decoration and furnishing answered by experts free of charge), Arts and Crafts,Collectors Interests (china, silver, pewter, furniture, etc.).

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Record Time to a Warmer Clime.Take the Golden State Limited if you would ENJOY your tripCalifornia.

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THE CRAFTSMANH 1904 No. 601. 1 MARC

AUGUSTE RODIN. WRITTEN FORTHE CRAFTSMBN BY J EAN SCHOP-FER AND CLAUDE ANET; TRANS-LATED FROM THE FRENCH BYIRENE SARGENT.

THE MAN AND HIS WORK

AAN who appears to be in thefullness of his powers, althoughhe has passed his sixtieth year,robust as an oak, of middle height,

broatl-shouldered, stout, but athletic; astrong neck, a face half covered by a longblonde beard, through which age has scat-tered j few grains of salt, a prominentnose, characteristic and well modeled, eyesclear and small, set beneath a powerfularch of the eyebrows, a high foreheadupon which reflection has ploughed deepfurrows : such phjrsically is Auguste Rodinto-clay.

,411 his life he has struggled, and he cannot yet relax his efforts. He has seen riseagainst him all those forces of official andorganized art which are so powerful inFrance: the School of Fine Arts,the Insti-tute, the Salons. He has experienced thelong and severe preliminary trials of theman who has a new and powerful messageto deliver. He astonishes, shocks and scan-dalizes. Further than all this, from his veryentrance into his profession, he has beenforced to earn his daily bread. About eachwork that he has exhibited jests, sarcasmsand hostile cries have joined in mocking

chorus. But finally, Rodin has triumphed.Not only has he given to the world a newpulsation excited by a hitherto unknown Ibeauty, but we can take from him a lessonof fortitude and energy in learningthrough what struggles and what pri-vations genius reaches glory.

Rodin arose from the people: that in-exhaustible reservoir of virgin purity andstrength, and of latent greatness. He wasborn in 1840. At the Museum, he followedthe classes of Barye, the distinguished ani-mal sculptor, who was, it is said, a poor in-structor, never revealing his powers exceptwhen he seized his handful of modelingclay.

At the approach of his twenty-fourthyear, Rodin, in order to gain his livelihood,entered the :studio of Carrier-Belleuse, a,sculptor favored by fashion, possessed ofskill, but devoid Of originality. At thisperiod, the young student produced his firstimportant work : The man with thebroken nose. This was a well-conceivedand powerful bust, worthy of antique art.Sent to the Salon, it was refused, as mighthave been foreseen, and Rodin continuedto work for the popular sculptor. Afterthe war of IWO, we find him at Brus-sels, occupied with other French and Bel-gian artists in decorating the Stock Ex-change.

At the age of thirty-seven, hc, for thefirst time, exhibited a very important workin the Man of the bronze age, which hesent to the salon of 1877. This was an ad-



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THE CRAFTSMANmirable figure which arrested and held puh- t,he great artists of the nineteenth centurylit attention. -those whose nnmcs have an assured fu-

It is thus seen that Rodin had no master, ture,-were not nurtured at the School ofand that he has followd no school. He ITine Arts, were not mru~bers of the Insti-has, so to speak, created himself, as all men tute, but, on the contrary, violently opposedtruly great have done. I t is disconcerting of%%1 doctrines, and worked, soli tary andfor superficial minds to obserw the uniin- indcpcndcnt, throughout their entire li ft.portant, part played in the artistic dwelop- I n pai nt i ng, EugPne Delacroix, Rous-

mcnt of a country by the higlwr h~hoolh,which our epoch 50 greatly honors with itsronfidcncc and maintains at such grwt cs-pCllSC. I i1 France, whwc the Go\ crninentha?r tlonc much for tlic cauhe of art, wheretlw whoo1s and aratleiuies liaw a universalrq~ut:~tion ant1 attract ntutlcntk from al1ccniiitric~, it mu4 still hc rwqnixcd that590

SC' i l l l , 31; I lct, (OlWt, Puvis Ck (lI:L\.:Lllllf3,anwiig the il lustrious dead; in sculpture,Rude, CarI )ll i-l:lstlv, Augwte Rodin,who. in crentiw force, in richness of invcn-tiOl1, SlWJSSC th OllJ~ hf.0 lll,?StWS \dlOpreccdctl him in the nineteentli cent.ury.Geniiis has little need of professors. It isc:lpiMc of rccognixing its own in the past.



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AITG7SrF: ItODINance with lrih own ide:ls and pleasuw, andit was only after the foundation of theNational Society (Salon of the Champs de3Itlrs) that he exhibited annually. Evenin the new Salon, where he was, in a certainscn~, in his own house, as president of thesection of sculpture, his works were stillangrily discussed. The artist having al-

,lncl then for its development, it has theIlard sc]lool of life, the best one that exists.I t is through struggle that a distinctivepersonali ty establishes itself and ~CCOIIICSc(jl~sci()uS of it,s 01531powers.Roclin llils not escaped fierce trials andopposition. TVllC31 The primitive man,I:21s c~]jil)i t(~(l at the Salon of 1877, thiswork. ~11011~ disobedient toconventional formulas, strongin truth and simplicity, and,because of these qualities,novel and revolutionary, ex-cited a furious storm of criti-cism. A rumor arose t.liattllc statnc had been cast afternature : a charge so unrcason-:Ible that it is difficult to dis-cover its meaning. For it isc,ridcnt to anyone, after fiveminutes reflection, tllat CilSt-ing always gives effects, dull,without accent, vigor, or dis-tinct,ion, and that, on thecontrary, the mission of artis to express, to make evidentthrough exaggeration thestrongest characteristic, thevery nature, of a body or alimb. If a cast of the nudeafter a living model be placedbeside a nude by Rodin, thedifferences wil l thrust themselves upoll themost prejudiced eyes. Art is indiridualityand will, neither of which is apparent inthe works of Nature. Individualit\ andIwil l are the capital which man, as the crea-tor of art, brings to his work.

Rodin easily exonerated himself fromthis unreasonable accusation. Careless ofcriticism, he continued to work in accord-

most attained the age of sixty years, and1liLVing become famous throughout theworld, saw one of his most important works,the statue of Balzac, excite such a tempestof public indignation, among his curiouscolleagues and the representatives of thepress-who for a fortnight ceased all otherwar of words to concentrate their attacksupon Rodins Balzac,-that the committee



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of tbo Society of J Ien of I .cttcrs, which hadortlcrcd the stati ic. rcfuscd to accept it, dc-clarinfi that the figure rould in no wise pre-tend to rcprescnt Ralzac.

Xewrthclcss, tllc sculptor so critic&d,found, cwn at the beginning of his career,enthusiastic admirers ; eren then, art criticsand literary men asserted the grandeur andthe strength of his talent. The fame of

self to his guest ; uncovering and showinghis OMIIworks, and conimrnting upon thcnlwith tlw ingcnriousnc+ and cwthusinsm ofone who, at tllnt instant, pcrceiws theirheaLnt;v for the first time.Isnt this fine? lit tloes ncii hesitatc tosay. And he paw3 his hand over theinarb10, ilS if caressing it. He turns thefigure upon the It&cling stool, in order to

Rodin is cstablishcd to&~. Throughout display it at another angle and in a morethe world, hc is recognized as the master of favorahlc light.modern sculpture. Such action does not esprcss vanity, but

simply the inclependcncc of t.hc artist frownI 1liLVC often seen Rotlin in his Parisian the work whrn once it is finished. As long

st.udios, in which, once werv week, he re- as it exists only in his thought, as long asceivcs, with open doors, those who wish to it is witl lin him, it is sacred; then he givesvisit him. The grace and the simplicity of birth to it in fever and anguish, and in thehis welcome are quite indescrib:~hle. Pro- SWfXt of his brow. Rut once that it standsridcd that hc tliscorw in his visitor a spark in nlarhle, it becomes a stranger to him, i tof low for artistic things, hc dwotcs him- is an independent being, animated with an5%



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. >i*l(li\j(l],ill ],f($ TI.lllCll IlC couSidws :\S II

It is 2~11 iqjirat.iOll t0 IlC:U iL lll:Lll SllCll :LS i~StOl1isllc~cl or cY~lfuscd tllcrcforc, if nllcn heIio(]i]] (]isc()ursc up011 art,. FVC live Our S[W:lkS t0 11s IVC but. IliLlf llntlcrst:ultl him.,lilrro~~ ]iv(v+ :u~d walk like animals of bur- SO COl~lll1Ol1 St:LlldillYl exists for llim and us.glC,ll , vllosc V~CSarc half-covcrctl with blind- But if wc ulakc cffort, to rise to llis Icycl, we,3,.s. \ \ c SCC cyontl us oiil? our objective enrich oursclvcs wit11 nw IJ IO~CS f .thou&poillt. 0111owl pWsona1 pointof aim. Aid from the iilfiuitckpectdc of tlling5 wc isolate .Ithe only ot),jects which intcrcstidea. J llc artist tC!irCllW11s t0ppi,i iL wi(ler itlltl liighcr viewof tilings. J I is true function is to :L~)pL


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that world of beings into which Rodin hashrcatbcd the breath of lift.

Rodin does not. live in Paris. He simplyworks there each afternoon. In t,be morn-ing he studies and models at his home in

Figure V. Statue in Rodins gardenMeudon, to which he returns at evening,after the hard labor of the afternoon; seek-ing there the soli tude and calm which areso dear to him. The suburban dwelling and5X

studio of the sculptor are original and beau-tiful.

He lives alone at the smlnnit of a dccliv-ity, fire hundred paces distant from thell ighway, which pa5scs at the rear of hishouse. In front of his garden the soil isbroken and crunlbling. This is the site ofthe old quarries of ?(leudon which are nowabandoned. From these conditions resultcomplctc solitude and t11c absence of housesin the foreground of tile landscape. Therearc none of those ugly li ttle villas which,in the suburbs of c\ cr_v large city,;LggrcssivCl\ ~ display bad taste and prcten-sion. l~cpd the walls of the gardenspreads the admirable panorama of theSeine, the rircbr of beautiful scrpentinc, in-dolent curves, surrounding the island ofJ il lancourt, caressing the neighboringdIcudon and its ruined bridge, which datesfroni the time of Louis SK . ; then, upon theIiciglits, there arc the llarmonious masses ofthe groves of Me&on and of Saint Cloud,\ vhicll arc tcrininat~cd i Lt the horizon line hythe hill upon which cro?!clrcs, l ike a boundready to at,tack, the forti-css of Mont-\ al&it~n.

SWll is the 1:mdscapc risible fromKodins windows. Never, lrcbsaid to me,dock it rcpcat its cffccts. Masses of lighti l l l d shade mingle there in proport~ons in-finitclv diverse. 1 ncvcr weary of studyingit. Each day and ahnost each hour, itclothes itself with new beauty.

Rodin has for his dwelling a small build-ing of brick and white stone, the entranceof which is guarded by dogs. At the right,and advanced beyond the residence portion,t.hcre is an immemse studio-museum which wehere il lustrate. This was formerly theM&e Kodin erected in the Cours-la-Reine



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for the Exposition of 1900. It is an es-Alnple of the neo-classic style, with bold pro-jcctions and a heavy entablature. Further-1,1ore, the details in relief are accentuated,the shadows arc deep and the high lightsstrong. The structure is cntircly roofed\ \ *ithglass, and is further lighted by largel):L ys on each of the sides, esccpt the onecontaining the entrance, which is a porticoin classic style, opening upon the splendidscene which we have earl ier dc-

scarcely larger, each one, than a monks cell,Nll d monastic no less in their simplicity thanin their size, with their whitcwaAed walls.a rude scat and a modeling stool. Rut it isa detail to be noted that upon the walls arefkctl il few shelves of thick mirror-glasswhich .support csquisitc antique ornaments,fragments of ir idcsccnt glass, and smallnl0(lcrll VilSeS and cwrrs of lovely color :Llldcolito~ir. Tlrcsc fen ol)jccts, frail and pcr-

scribed.111 front of tile btudio ta 0

small gardens, cncloscd 1))walls, extend as far as theabantloncd quarries. Ill oneof tllclll, croucliing upon aped&l, WC find a superbIhlddll;L f roll1 the Indo-Chinese temple of Kmer, whoprojects his Oriental calmupon tlic delicately veiled at-mosphere of the region ofParis. When, last summer, Ivisited Rodin, geraniums wcrcblooming at the feet of theAsiatic god, as an offering ofthe modern sculptor to theforrign divinity, whose strongsimple outline produced astriking effect in this littlecultivated spot in the suburbs of a greatmodern city.

Behind the museul11, is a studio in whichseveral workmen are occupied in trans-lating into marble the works in clay mod&dby the hand of the master.

Finally, at the side of the garden, thereis a low, elongated, mvstcrious li ttle struc-yture. In the interior there are two rooms

feet, assume in this bare and narrow rooman importance which it is not easy to con-ceive.

Rodin who, wearing a broad Panama,was conducting me through his possessions,said to me:

There come hours when I can not workin the large studio. It contains too great athrong of statues. Their glance weighs

531



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THE CRAFTSMANupon me and puts me under constraint.Then, I come here to recover my composurein the calm of these little cells.

Here he showed me the roughly outlinedbust of an American woman upon which hewas wopking at that time. Almost inva-riably, he said, there is intelligence in thefaces of the women of this nation. But,he added, casting a long look at the ,un-finished head which he turned toward me,there is, furthermore, kindness of heartevidenced in the countenance of this model.That is what I shall att empt to express. Itis a difficult task.

THE WORK OF RODIN.T HE artistic production of Rodin isalmost completely represented bylneans of casts in the great studio-museum, which is flooded by abundant andequalized light.

The artistic production of Rodin! Howshall we speak of it? When one enters thepresence of works created by genius, is itnot natural to be overwhelmed, as one mightbe on the threshold of a fairy palace inwhich everything should be progressivelymore beautiful, greater, richer, more in-tense? In the best moments of our lives wehalf perceive a superior world, we wish toenter it, we feel that for an instant we areworthy to comprehend things which we havenot before understood, to participate injoys before denied to us, that we can seatourselves at last at the banquet of those whoapproach most closely to divinity.

I have long known the work of Rodin. Inco-operation with Claude Monet, about theyear 1889, he arranged an exhibition in aprivate gallery, and I shall never forget the

emotion which seized me when I approachedfirst the group of the Burghers of Calais,and then examined the small groups whichpeopled the gallery. The effect producedupon the spectator was that of something,new, great, unexpected, which profoundlymoved him and left him grave and silent..Fifteen years have passed, and, still to-day,I hesitat,e in crossing the threshold ofRodins studio: so powerful is the contact.of the masters thought.

In the work of this sculptor, the domi--nant element is not serenity. He is the typeof the modern genius who creates in tem-pest. Other artists have lived far from theworld, and, from the height of their ivorytower, have followed, solitary and isolatedfrom men, the harmonious development oftheir fancies. The agonized cries of thethrong groveling in the depths below themdid not reach their altitude. They did notsee the faces distorted by sorrow, the hardfurrows which passion ploughs upon pallid .faces and the eloquent gaze of eyes whichcan no longer weep. But Rodin has seen allthis. He, as an artist, has felt descend ,upon him the talons of the world-sorrow.Therein, he has advanced beyond the paganpoint of view, which, nevertheless, he holdsthroughout his work. He understands sin,and he shows the human being stricken andovcrwhehned, because his sufferings areheightened by the despairing memory ofhappier things, of a Paradise lost.

But Rodin has deliberately placed him-self in the midst of life. He has also con-templated joy, pleasure, the loveliness ofli fe, the glory of the nude displayed in aluminous atmosphere, the wild courses offauns, the play of satyrs, and love in both.its permitted and its forbidden aspects.



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point of view, to Iiii(lcr4i~l~(l lli~ coiiccptioiiOf tllrl world iJ )Ollt him.

Ihlity for IjiirI i\ all itI dl. It is thCSilCt imiigc of t1lC VXtCl?l;ll World, tllC lllO?tcollll)ltructurC Rodin i, pc~rfcdly acquainted,not only wllc~l it is in r(l)oy(. but also in itsinfinit(~ly varied nlovcm(7ltc;. Ilc In&r-\t:Lndh llc* I)l:iy of tllv sul)pl~~ illuscles which15ircl tlicir course l)cnc:ltll tlrc flcshv tissue.I I(* i, 3csn\itivc>o the hcax4 1liwllloIlie~ w--l)onhiv(* to \~l~icli tllty ill1 IllOw at tllc~liglltcst ~~1gyptioi~ I?;ivcvl to il,lly ollc SYh-tcm or tlivi~ioli of tllclll. 1Ic 1~1~0ws also the~tlYl. ,\ yormg girl iy .sc:tted in aniittitude suggestive Of ilWi~kLllil1g. Towardlwr lwndk II figure. Is it i l genius or alli~ngcl who touclic~ llih lip< to Iicr l~~w. lh I tto Call her l)ilCk t0 life?

Thih is tlie hod, awakened by a kisy.after the close of the earthly life, and sur-prihed to (lihcover that Love still exists intlic lift bevoncl the tomb.

On entering tlic stlltlio-lllrlsclll11, on find-ing ones self in the Ill&t of thi, people of\tatueh looking out upon tlw Morld with



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SorrOwful, or YCt wit11 1s wcn working for mIllitllV VCillS ; tllC11, dS0, tlW scrics of Tlwl of nllicll tllc \.iLliOllS plane5 onlyill72 intliwtctl, il Icg wit11 tense muscles, 21Contol-ted ;L1111. a WliLSNl torso. Even theRiL*\ case wit11 wliiclr tlw 411&o is fur-nihlictl art tilled wit11 d(hil~: feet, lqp,:11111>, hitlid in ill1 pwitions. There ih,:UllOllg tl!c OtllCl.h. :I Cil.S,(' in xliicli olle scc5l)CdiLp :L l~rmtlrctl tharfh, ill all position5iin(l with ill1 csprchhionh : stlTtclwl at1(*11gtll, COlltlYlCt~Vl~ sllpplic:tting, blessing.in lcpm?, tlllXiltC!llil~~, 11111sc1llilr. or flesll-IW5, lllol(lCtl OilCll 0Ilc wit II rcm:~rk:ct~lc prc-. .ciwm :uitl intcwsity. IllC 111:111 \VllO 1likSstudictl tlrc lw5t ilnport:ult ptwts of theI11111lii1i)otly \r-it11 hiicli :i lore of truth. canhi!.Y : Sow I know and undcrst;1ntl: now I(JIII ClYYltc.

s \l1-111.N \lYHb: is for Kotlin the first nntlgreat4 of tcdwrs. To her allartist, n11ist 11:~~ rccource. She ibc*ntl~lriiigly Iwlutifrll, \c~~tile. cll;tngcful.



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Szltllrct is mlr tcachcr. Ihis St~~tel~lCllt,cont;,iiis il truth aggravating IWCfLUSC of itstrit(~llCSS. l]le &tructors of tlic sc1wols in,v]lic]) c.ol~~clltion:llislll is dOlrli1lilllt, d0 IlOtf.y!(,S, rc>]jc%;ltinfihis ])rccCpt to their Stll-c]erltS : t]lc wlllpctitions for the lrix defio,,,c s]i(i\v us ill\.ariiL~ly i~Cil(lcl1licS-;tuc]icq] fly)111 t]lc liviiig lllO(lCl, iUlCl iiothingiS lll(jrc lliLtllraliStiC tllilll tllC \VOrk in SClli}Pture of t])ilt ll1OSt COll\clltiOllill ilrtiSt, tll?reccllt,]y (ICXYYLSN~ JI. (Zrhie, memlx2r oft]lc Inatitutc.

()nc must twlicvc tlrcn that Rodin hasSt,lt]ied Xatlirc otllcr\visc alit1 htter tllan()tll


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THE CRAFTSMANpainters llillllC W:l:, Scinboltl . a 1liUllC th-dayalniost unknown. His piltiCllW, his laboravailed notI ling, for Ilc followed ih wrongtlirection. Art does not con& in imitating

Figure XII. statue of Halaav?r;:1tuw. If i t wcrc tlms, ~herc would be0111 IlCCCl of artists to-thr i Photographs\VOllld dkc us.

,ilt consists it1 tile w:l1cll iLll(l tllc ;ICCCnt-uat ion Of tile significilnt Cll:ll~ilCtC~istiC. Itdots not reside in copying: it is purelv se-lection. 1clWHls of tillC!llt tlisrorcr Tvitli538

moderate ease an ;~grcenhle form of art, andthey rcnuh faithful to it. nut one whohas more tljan talent, ncvcr remains satisfiedwith a forlll ll la found once for all ; he strivesunceasingly to reach an interpretation ofSature higher and more personal.

Let us listen to Rodin I limsclf, as he es-pr~sscS himself upon this Subject :

At first, I ll lade, 1~ said, things skil-f111and adroit, boldly treated, and not with-orlt merit. I jut I felt nieanwhile that I wasin c\ 1101 . . . I had much trouble

. . . . . ,\ rt is not imitation, and onlyilllhilrs hclicw that we can create some-thing ; therefore, it remains for us to intcr-pret Nature in :I given sense. Each onetranslates according to his individual defi-nition. I have at last formulated my own.

I have passed through great trouble,bait1 Rodin. J lay thrse words of a masterbe a comfort to all those who experienceCiinlilar trials !

Tf WC now desire to learn in what direc-tion Hodin has esertrd this effort to in-tcrpret, ac shall find that he has devotedI~msi(lf to li fe, csprcssion and action.

Ilc is tllc 1llilStfr of action. I f we ex-amine his work, wc ~ldl discover no arrested11iotion, no rcpo5e. Saint J ohn Baptist\Viill


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the stat,ue wil l appear no less dull , unaccen-tuated and weak. The Grrcks, whose visionwas refined and subt,ilc, obscrvctl at an CLWYstagc of their art the distortion producedt,y the atmosphere in the I ~I ~MS~S and theIjrofilcs of monuments ; therefore, wit11 in-c.or,ccjv&lc delicacy, when ttlcy constructed()r csecut,cd, they purposely distorted theirlines in an opposite direction, in order toobtain a correct cffcct. They had rc-marked, for instance, t,llat the columnsstanding midway in the portico of a tcntplcappeared to bc of greater diameter thanthose placed at the angles ; because at a fewyards hchind them, the wall afforded a back-grond, The corner colunms, on the con-t,l.:Lry, appcarcd to be more slender, because +tt1c.y stood relieved against the sky and wereb&cd on all sides by the atmosphere. Forthis reason, the Greek artists increased thediameter of the corner columns, so that theymight present the same appearance as thosewhich had the background of wall. It is tobe regretted that, the grcatcr number of ourarchitects arc ignorant of this truth; cvcnthose who worship the classic orders andcarry about xith them, as :L sacred relic, apocket edition of vitruvius. And stil l to-clay, the corner columns of certain edificesappear to incline outward, although t,hcJarc in fact perpendicular to tllcir base. I l lorder to give them npparcnt straightness,the Greeks projected thcnt slight.lg inward,while in modern structures, bot,lt ICuropeanand American, li ttle attention llas beengiven to these optical il lusions, caused byttlc effect of light, even in those cases inwhich the colonnade is a prominent fcatilrc.l)rlt, vet, tltC laws of optics are immutable,the Same to-day as they were three thousandyears ago.

Tltc ancient Greeks recognized also thepart played by tltc luniinous envelope in thecast of statues: that it causes details to dis-appear in the open air, leaving only theprincipal lines and planes of a figure dis-tinct and clear. Tl ierefore, it is essential todcfinc emphatically thcsc planes and lines,and thcsc alone. Prom this method resultsthe ideal simplification (scientifically speak-ing) of Greek art.

The sculptors of the Middle Ages, by thepractice of their art, rcachcd the same con-clusions and knowlcdgc. They executed

.

their works to be placed in the open air andunder the most varied conditions of ,ligllt..There exist figures of saints placed in t,bcporches of churches with a background of

641



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wcogiiizcd, illdiCiltd illld MTclltd. A lidsucli rrhulth c:w I)c ol~t:hd onlv througlrcstrcinc simplification, ly hiippmssiiig pair-pohvly cVCr.V liing tlliLt is detilil or witlwrltniciming. It i:, witli tliih purpow thit Rodill11:lh Worhctl, 1lliLkillg pomil)lc tllcs cb\olut otiof his art I! Iiiclk has procccdcd froin skilftdthings lddl~ executed, up to the liiglwhtI

tlliLt is, 5in~plific;~tion (still SCielltifiCiLllyqwaliillg).

Ilris is wlwt 12oclill 11x5 lwrnc~l froinI Ilr~rl, X11(1 \lliLt \ O f. 543



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Figure XVIII, The Kiss; Museum of the Luxembourg, Paris

544



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AUGUSTE RODINmore highly. As to polishing the toes orthe ringlets of a statue, such details haveno interest for me: they compromise thecentral idea, the great line, the essence ofwhat I have desired, and I have nothingmore to say upon this subject. This is thedividing line between the public and myself,between the good faith which it ought topreserve toward me and the concessionswhich I ought not to make in its favor.

One of the important works of Rodin isthe Gate of Hell, destined for the Mu-seum of the Decorative Arts. It will bc castin bronze. For fifteen years the sculptorhas been working upon it; but it is not yetcompleted. At the summit of the gate,upon the cornice,: sits a man, The Thinker,who, with elbows resting upon his knees, andhead supported by his hands, gazes at thetortured sinners writhing beneath him. WCmeditates while gazing; he thinks of thesufferings of the world with such an effortof concentration that, from head to foot,there is no muscle of his body which is notturgid and contracted. The Thinker,enlarged to heroic size and cast in bronze,will be shown at the St. Louis Exposition.

If we wished to be exact, we should de-scribe the splendid, synthetic drawingswhich Rodin has exhibited for several yearspast. They are sketches, a line, a contour,a single form, made at one stroke, with acalm assurance which reveals the ruling ten-dency of the art of the master toward amore complete, more significant simplifica-tion. The greater number of his ,drawingshave already been engraved.

S CH is the work of Auguste Rodin.It reveals an almost frenzied powerof imagination, an intensity, an ex-cess of life and passion explaining the con--troversies which it provokes at its appear-ance in the calm, indifferent and culturedcircles called the public ; explaining also thegreat admiration which attaches to thename of Rodin in both France and foreigncountries.

It is, I think, a certain quality of excessand intensity which has made his fame sogreat outside of France. In the opinion offoreigners, French genius is too often anaffable, civil ized, cultured faculty, capableof understanding everything and of renew-ing and revitalizing all subjects, by givingthem an exquisite environment or envelope.But, at the same time, they criticise Frenchgenius as being closed against the world ofthe colossal and the terrible. And if proofof such judgment be demanded, they pointto the slight influence which, during thecourse of centuries, has been exerted by thepoem of Dante upon French thought andculture.Auguste Rodin possesses a soul createdto comprehend and to produce the colossaland all which is too great for human meas-ure. His genius can be summed up by say-ing that he, contrary to the criticisms offoreigners, would bc the best fitted of mod-crns to picture the thought of Dante; thatcontrary to the belief of many F renchmen,he is the worthiest contemporary heir of theold Greek artists, the most subtile appre-ciator of Greek beauty.



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THE CRAFTSMANCOMMERCIAL VALUE OF DESIGN

I the initial article of this series theauthor says : Shut in, as it were, toserve its owner, private art is but ahearthfire that warms only its builder?and lcavcs but few or no embers that can everglow again after the breath of- his fortunehas ceased to fan it. But public art is afire built in the market place, from whicheach citizen borrows live coals for his own110111c.

No statement can bc truer and no statc-ment ever came from a source more author-itative. J ohn Dewitt Warner, an eminentlawyer, has for years devoted time andcncrgy to the advancement of art in thiscountry. To a natural appreciation ofform and color, he adds a broad human in-terest in civic development. He has servedin every capacity from the private to thepresident and leader, and now at the headof the first Art Commission which NewPork has ever had, he stands not onlv as aninflucncc for all that is best in aesthetic dc-velopmcnt, but as a judge before whommust pass the artistic improvements of thisgreat city. Hc personifies, as does no otherone man, the appreciation of the layman forthat abstract quality which for a bettername we call public art. His comprehcn-sivc treatment of the Importance ofMunicipal Improvements encourages theconsideration of the present article on theCommercial Value of Design, which in itsvery statement challenges criticism and,judging by the action of our legislatureand city officials, has never been recognizedin this great country. It is hoped that thisshort article may start a discussion whichin the end wil l lead the great Captains of546

Industry to a realization that this country,to succeed in the future and hold its rankamong the nations of the world, must addto its raw product the value of design.Natural resourceS, great virili ty may, folthe time being, keep a nation to the front,but no permanent success can be achievedwithout careful study and thoughtful prep-aration. This is recognized by the oldernations of Europe, which strive not to pro-duce great quantities of raw material, butto make each ton of raw material return asgreat a value as possible by the added qual-ity of design.

Without, perhaps, a realization of thisfundamental principle, barbaric races havein fact made arms and implements which to-day we cherish, not because of their utili ty,but because of. the rude archaic ornamentwhich was added with such primitive butmasterly strokes. The works of t,hc Aztec,of the Navajo and other American Indiansarc among the choicest treasures in ourmuseums. The more mature efforts of theAssyrians and the E gyptians are wellknown, and the later work of the Greek, theOriental and the Asiatic pcoplcs is-too wellknown to need mention.

In pottery th e simple utensils of thehome, selling, as thy did at the time of theircreation, for sums too insignificant to mcn-tion, are cherished as precious treasures, bc-cause of their ornament and color. TI P2vases of the Egyptians and the stil l moremature work of the Turks, arc now, and formany years to come will be, of inestimablevalue. In textiles the same is true,-thework of the hand-loom survives, not so muchfrom the fact that it is done by hand, butfrom the excellence of the design. Thesimple stuffs of the Orient, the cotton prints



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c

VALUE OF DESIGNof India, the silks, the velvets, and thosewonderful rugs, are regarded as invaluable,not .because we have not the same materialsand cannot reproduce the same stuffs, butbecause of those wonderful combinations oftone and color which were undoubtedly theresult of long and careful study. Tap-estry;that queen of textiles, stands to-dayas the most remarkable combination ofgraphic ability in textile form, and itsvalue is commensurate with the ability dis-played. While laces and embroideries havebeen appreciated and are still appreciated,they wil l, eventually, have to step aside andleave the place of honor to the tapestry andthe rug ; for these have those possibil itiesin design and color which must in the courseof things grant them the precedence.

In wood we have a material which, in itsnatural form, has possibly thelowest value,but which, as a manufactured article, even inits simple forms, demands attention. Giventhe added quality of design in chair or tableand its cost materially increases; add thetouch of the craftsman, and the value is stillfurther enhanced ; add the quality of thesculptor, and in tryptich, reredos, and carvedchoir stall, it assumes untold value. The un-hewn block of stone is of little worth : shapeit under the builders hand and its worthincreases ; give it the touch of the chisel andits value is only gauged by the ability ofthe artist. The Schiinen Brunnen, many ofthe monuments of Europe, the frozen musicof the cathedrals, could not have existed butfor this material. Their priceless value,however, is not to be gauged by theircubical contents, but by the merit of thedesign thus held in imperishable form.Marble in slab or column has its minimumvalue and is often passed unnoticed ; when

used as inserts in clever combinations, it ar-rests attention, and when in smaller tesseraeit becomes the mosaic, its value is increaseda hundred-fold. The marble, which in themass may be considered crude or uninter-esting, is, when deftly combined in smallpieces and under the hand of the skilledartisan, a medium which produces resultssecond to none.

The metals when sold by the ton are acommercial quantity, but when, under thestroke of the hammer, they become wroughtiron or chiseled brass, when under the touchof the tool they become repoussd, or in thehands of the founder they assume deft andbeautiful shapes,-their worth is immeas-urably increased.

Glass, perhaps one of the most difficultmaterials to produce in its crude state, isstill naught, until touched by the hand ofthe Venetian, the Bohemian, or those masterworkers of the Middle Ages, who from thismaterial have produced windows which,while having the charm of the mosaic, rivalthe color and the composition of the picture.

It is almost needless to speakof designin decoration or to show how building afterbuilding has been beautified by the strokeof the brush. We are not speaking of thosegreat efforts which may be claimed, andjustly claimed, as the finer art, but of thosesimpler combinations of form and flower,which, with accent of shield and escutcheon,make a fitting background to the purposesof the room. We are not claiming for de-sign in decoration the credit which is dueto the abstract art creation. The singlefigure,, the portrait, if you will, the easel pit- 3ture, owes its quality, it is true, to the in-dividual ability of the author, but take evena commonplace figure and repeat it in the



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THE CRAFTSMANdecorative scheme of the room and in thisvery repetition it gains value. Thecommonplace portrait, uninteresting per-haps by itself, when placed as one of a serieswith proper decorative frame work, is athing of beauty; and the easel picturecreated to express but one thought, oneidea, has no quality as a decoration; butplace it as one of a series and in that veryrepetition it gains an added interest andbecomes part of a greater thought than thespecific subject which it has been createdto express. Al l these gain an added quali tyby being used as parts of a greater schemeand this is what is meant by the value ofdesign.

In sculpture the same is true ; the mon-ument isolated and apart from architec-tural surroundings, owes its recognition tothe individual ability of its creator; butwhen the monument becomes the singlefigure in the niche, and is repeated upon thefaqade of some great building, its creatormay even be unknown, but its value sti llexists because of the added quality of de-sign. The portrait bust in an isolated gar-den is of but momentary interest, the por-trait bust, if one of a series in some hall offame or some great public building, assumesan importance difficult to describe in words.The sculptors work becomes an integral partof a greater whole and assumes an addedvalue that can be appreciated, but which isdifficult to define. The sculptural groupembodying some great conception, arrestsour attention when seen in gallery, mu-seum or upon isolated pedestal, but howmuch greater its effect, when it becomes oneof a series, as in the Stations of the Cross insome cathedral, how much stronger its ef-fect when it is but one of a series of cre-548

ations which are to ,explain some greatertrain of thought. The sculptured panels ofChartres or Amiens would undoubtedly bebeautiful, even if taken from their surround:ings, but how much fuller is their wondrousbeauty when left side by side in those mas-sive cathedrals, each a page in the historyof religion.

To speak of the increased value of archi-tecture by the addition of design would bean anachronism-for no architecture canexist in its higher form without the finestdevelopment of design. But in these com-mercial days, when mere building and con-struction masquerade under the name ofarchitecture, it may not be amiss to callattention to the fact that even the simplestconstruction, the most modest building, cangain much by a true appreciation of thatvaluable quality, design.

And now has this been recognized? Isthere any indication in what is occurringday by day that these simple, fundamentaltruths are not only appreciated but prac-tised? In Europe, yes; in our great coun-try, which prides itself upon its greatnessand upon the rapidity of its advancement,most decidedly no. It is needless to speakof a European appreciation of these sim-ple truths in the past and down to the timeof the Middle Ages and the Renascence, butit may not be amiss to say a word of thelatter-day development. -The invention andimprovement of machinery rendered uselessmany of the precedents of the past andforced a readjustment of all schools of de-sign. At first, the influence of the machinewas, to be frank, detrimental, and the me-chanical or commerEia1 article appeared ;but with greater knowledge came greater



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VALUE OF DESIGN,power, and what has been accomplished inthe last decade is but a promise of what willbe accomplished in the future. In 1851,England, realizing the superiority of theFrench craft work, held the great Inter-national Exposition and by its comparativecollections endeavored to show its manufac-turers and craftsmen what might be accom-plished with intelligent artistic effort. Theschool of Morris, Day and Burne-J ones wasthe result, and English wall papers, textiles,woodwork, metalwork, fayence, glass, marbleand mosaic show their influence. The SouthKensington Schools and Museum are butthe outward symbol of how deep a hold thismovement has taken of the people.

What is true of England is true of allEuropean countries, but is particularly- soof Germany. The commercial supremacyof Germany is due in no small degree to theappreciation of these principles. Her suc-cess may be attributed and has been at-tributed to many causes, but careful anal-ysis will show that no one has been a greaterfactor in this success than the realization onher part of the commercial value of design.Germany, after the France-Prussian war,had little or no rank among the commercialcountries of the world, but since that time,with an energy and perseverance unprece-dented, she has developed her resources, untilshe stands almost second to none. Schools\ of architecture;. painting and sculptureexisted as a matter of course, but since 1870there have been founded in every city, town,and even village, schools of handicraft,schools for painting on glass, schools forthe carving of wood and the welding ofiron, schools for textiles, schools for instruc-tion in the manipulation of every medium

and of every material. Great museumshave sprung up which contain, not only rep-resentative examples of the craft work ofthe past, but specimens of what is beingdone to-day by the, craft workers of theworld at large, and last but not least, com-mercial museums and sample museums havebeen created which contain comparative ex-amples of all that is being produced in theworld at large at the present day. Thusnot only do the manufacturer and thecraftsman receive the best the schools cangive them, but they have the advantage ofseeing without extensive travel what is be-ing produced throughout the world. Thus,for example, Mr. Ormun, our Consul atStuttgart, reports that on one occasion acommission sent by the Germans visited theOrient and collected a great many samples.They were afterward exhibited for severaldays in the halls and corridors of the Im-perial Parliament. They were afterwardsent to large industrial and commercial cen-ters and put upon exhibition for the benefitof the workmen and workwomen who couldnot afford a trip to Berlin. They wereafterward divided among the samplemuseums,-textile centers getting textiles,and iron districts getting iron and steelproducts. The sample museum is an ex-cellent auxiliary of the Empires industrial,industrial-art and technical schools. Whileit would be hard to estimate their value indollars and cents, the German merchant andmanufacturer have come to regard them asa part of the popular system of education.

Thus Germany has pushed to the fore, ~until her ships are found in every port andHamburg has become, next to London,Liverpool and New York, the most impor-tant commercial place in the world. Not

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THE CRAFTSMANonly do these countries recognize the valueof design. in erroneously so-called com-mercial lines, but they recognize it in wayswhich to us are almost incomprehensible. Sogreat a stress do they lay upon the value ofgood architecture, that in many countriesprizes have been offered to those privateowners who erect buildings of sufficientartistic merit to pass the judgment of com-petent juries, and in some cases they haveeven gone farther by exempting these build-ings from any and all taxes. Prizes with-out limit have been offered for worthy worksof public art, both in painting and sculp-ture, and it is a common custom for govern-ments to purchase works of distinction forpublic parks and public buildings, not onlyto please and benefit the people, but torecognize and to keep active that art qual-ity which is so essential to the higher de-velopment of any nation.

But in a more important field than anythat has yet been mentioned have the coun-tries of Europe demonstrated the value ofdesign, and this is in the planning of cities.No greater problem has ever faced theworld than this rapid growth of moderncities. No problem has ever been of greaterimportance, not only to the social, but tothe commercial development of a country.It is in the intelligent answer to this per-plexing question that the countries of theold world have shown their ability to copewith modern conditions. The walls of Parishave been moved four or five times, and atthe present writing, it has b,een decided tolevel the fortifications and extend the area.Vienna has replaced its walls with its nobleRingstrasse. Antwerp has replanned itswater front and laid out vast sections for itsmincreased population. Hamburg has spent550

millions in creating the finest system ofwharves and harbors that the world has asyet seen. Berlin has spared no expense toperfect its transit and to improve the out-,lying section. Prague has re-designed theolder portion of the city, even changing itslevel some six to eight feet. Niirnberg,while retaining the old, is perfecting itsnewer section. Stuttgart, Leipsic, Dresden,Hanover, Hildersheim and hundreds of othercities are striving to the utmost to maketheir facil ities adequate to the demand. Andthese are no hap-hazard efforts, but effortsalong the lines of carefully matured plans.They represent all that experience and abil-ity, coupled with judicious expenditure, canproduce. I t would be perhaps going toofar to state that every effort has been a suc-cess, but it is not too much to say that fail-ure, if there has been failure, has been dueto lack of forethought, or to lack of appre-ciation of the importance of the issue.Such expenditure as has been made will bereturned a hundred-fold, and not only Ger-many, but every country in Europe willreap a commercial benefit therefrom.Why should our country be so slow inappreciating the commercial value of de-sign? It is true that at the coming Ex-position at St. Louis, the arts and craftsare to be shown in the Art Building andhave been ranked as of equal value withexhibits that heretofore have been consid-ered the finest art products. It is truethat at this same Exposition there is to,be- a model city, demonstrating what hasbeen done, or what has been projected, inmany of our large cities. It is true thatWashington has been replanned, that St.Louis is considering radical changes, thatin St. Paul and Milwaukee material ad-



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VALUE OF I)ESIGNvances have been made ; but it is also truethat this work in the main has been doneby private incentive and by private capital.Why is it that our governments, whether.national, state or city, do not realize thecommercial necessity of these improve-ments? Why is it that there are no publiccommercial museums or sample museums?Why is it that the schools throughout thecountry at large are lacking in classes andappliances to give this most necessary edu-cation? Certainly we do not wish to be.considered less intelligent or progressivethan the older countries; we do not wishto have said that under republican formsof government, less can be accomplishedthat under monarchical government. Wecertainly do not wish to feel that Americanscan accomplish less than other nationalities.Design is but a word to indicate the prac-tical application of that potent force calledart; design is but a word which in a roughand ready way defines the practical ap-plication of the appreciation of the beau-tiful. I t is but a medium through whichwe interpolate into our crafts, our manu-factures, that quality of imagination, thatappreciation of form and color, that knowl-edge of symmetry, without which no productcan be other than commonplace. ;

Is-it not time that we should awake ; havenot the long years of preparation passed?Are we not ready for that great movementwhich is to revolutionize all that has beendone before? Our statisticians point withpride to our increased exports, but forgetthat they are in a great measure due to thenatural wealth of the country. Theyforget that as time passes, these natural re-sources must be drained and that as the workof other countries improves, so must the bal-

ante of trade eventually turn against us.Is it not time for us to appreciate that nowmust be added to our cottons, our si lks, ourwoven stuffs, our wood, our metal, our stone,that intellectual effort which will make eachounce of raw material return its maximumvalue? Is it not time to recognize that it isno longer a competition of quantity but ofquality, no longer a competition of force,but of skill, and that the country which isto create the finest product possessing themaximum value of design, must have thoseconditions, social, educational and govern-mental, which will produce this result.

FREDERICK S. LAMB

STREET FURNISHINGST HE thought of lighting cities waslong postponed through the factthat those who had to see their wayat night were individuals, not masses. Noris it strange, since every lamp required sep-arate care before it could be lighted, thatwhen, at last, their provision in the streetcould be conceived as a civic duty, lightswere stil l made individual charges.The public function of the light wasslowly appreciated better as their numbermultiplied. , . . . In Brussels-the littleParis in so many things,-a prize offeredby LOeume Nationabe Be&e early in itscareer, was for an artistic street light, andwas awarded to the designer of a single can-delabrum to stand on the Place de la Mon-naie, where it was subsequently erected.

The terms of this competition, conductedby a national society organized for the fur-thering of civic art, had invited the munici-palities to designate those public placeswhich it was desired .to light artistically.

Charles Mu lf o~d Robimsoti in iModern Civic Art.651



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THE CRAFTSMANA PLEA FORBOOK-PLATE.TEAL BROWN

THE DECORATIVEBY FRANK CHOU-

D SPITE the fact that we prideourselves upon being a commer-cial and unimaginative people, alittle consideration will, I think,prove that there is a constant tendency ofour natures to idealize: to symbolize, andgive a meaning to objects that, oftentimes,have of themselves no such original intent,-the same objects that may, upon other per-

sons, produce an almost opposite effect. I tseems hardly necessary to emphasize thehold that symbolism has upon even theAnglo-Saxon temperament, but it is an in-heritance which we cannot escape. Theearliest and most primitive pagan raceserected symbols which they worshiped asgods: in many cases, the same symbolsthat arc to-day most closely associated

with the rituals of the Christian Church.We read cryptograms into Shakespere,

and modern meanings into the simplest Biblestories. Instead of accepting these inspiredwritings in their direct and obvious appli-cation, and so taking each one home in theway that it most appeals to us, we build upcumbrous and far-fetched analogies, inthemselves sufficient to smother the possibleinspiration that might have been drawnfrom the original source.

The book-plate, then, responds to thiscraving for a personal symbol: the desirethat each individual experiences to possessa poster all his own.

The question What is the book-plate?is still asked so frequently that perhaps nobetter beginning can be made than to offera definition of a somewhat vague term.Later, I may venture to state a few of thecauses which have produced the recent andgrowing revival of interest in this subject.

A book-plate, then, is primarily a name-label, and, as such, is used to take the placeof the owners written name within thecovers of his books. To many persons thisstatement wil l recall the yellowing paperlabel, bearing an engraved coat-of-arms,pasted inside the covers of old leather boundbooks lying in their attics. Such a label isundoubtedly a book-plate, but a book-platebelonging to another age. It is, at best, apedantic survival, suggesting little of theartistic possibilities contained within itself.

The coat-of-arms had at one time a mean-ing and reason for being which it no longerpossesses. During the age of chivalry,gentle folk were distinguished by their coat-armor, and often more readily recognized bytheir heraldic insignia than by their familynames. In the blazoning borne upon the



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THE BOOK PLATEShield, or worn lI pOn thC trappings of idieknight id Of hk horse, the beards familyhistory was plainly written. Indeed, it maybe said that this coat-of-arms took the plncc:N

of an individual name : to the initiate it cer-tainly fulfi lled its purpose better than isdone by our modern written substitute.

WC endeavor to show by a persons Chris-tian and middle names the branches of thefamilies to which he is allied, through hisfather and his mother ; but the coat-of-armsrevealed in its quarterings not only thismuch,-and, furthermore, in so exact amanner as to allow of no possibil ity forerror,-but also the entire family an-cestry-both paternal and material.

It must be remembered that the book, atone time, was a very valuable possession. Itwas written either wholly or in part by hand,or belonged to a small and costly hand-printed edition. Books were then laid upon

their backs on inclined shelves in such amanner that the front cover was always fullyexposed. So the custom of placing thestamped coat-of-arms individual to itsowner upon the outside binding of thebook, was established naturally. Thearmorial bearings were generally arrangedso as to become a part of the binding design,and thus, as an integral and conspicuouspart of the book, indicated the owner to allwho might pass. If the volume changedhands, its new possessor, before placing it inhis library, had it rc-bound in his favoritemanner and marked with his own coat-armor.This custom was incidentally responsible forthe making of the early printed books witha wide margin ; since this marginal space re-quired trimming or cutting down after eachre-binding.

The modern bookcase, in which booksstand closely side by side, with the backsonly exposed, is a comparatively recent in-vention. An invention partly made possibleby the cheaply made and rapidly printed

book and the resulting carelessness regard-ing its preservation ; partly occasioned by

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the necessity for economizing space. Whenbooks came to be placed upright in cases, thecoat-of-arms was often repeated upon theback; or, more comn~only, separately en-graved and printed upon a label, it waspasted inside the cover. So, in brief, arosethe use of coat-armor for book-plates,which continued even after heraldry had lostits meaning, and when, for purposes of iden-tification, it became necessary to add theowners name.

The armorial plate soon became filled witherrors; frequently, a mans plate was usedfor a woman ; or a son, merely changing thename, borrowed bodily his fathers coat-of-arms. The engraving grew more and moremechanical, dry and inartistic, until , aboutthe middle of the nineteenth century, itreached a climax of mediocrity.

Meanwhile, a historical interest wasslowly gathering around the book-plate, orEx Libris, as it was often called ; andmany people began to collect plates ownedby their friends, or family ; beside acquiringall the older plates they could find) borrow orsteal. When, by chance, a print belongingto a person of literary or historical fame wasfound, it was valued highly for its associa-tions. I f, in addition, it was bclicvcd that

but, few copies of it existed, and if in a goodstate, that is, well preserved, and printedfrom a comparatively new and unworn plate,554

it became stil l more .valuable. Instead ofthe label now protecting the book, it wasfound that the hook had protected the label,

and many a good volume and nice bindingwere despoiled, in order that some collectormight carry off the plate pasted within.

In some countries, and in England es-pecially, the old feeling that the only book-plate worthy of the name, was one engravedon and printed from copper, stil l survives ;and in the latter country any collector ofpretensions still imitates as closely as pos-sible--both in style and matter-the oldarmorial book-plate. As no appreciation orcomprehension of the meaning of heraldicforms and symbols now exists, it is not to bewondered at that, the design presents li ttlesemblance of originality or viril ity. Thiskind of book-plate is still frequently re-produced in old-fashioned Rook-Plate J our-nals, and forms the model for the plates ofsuch American collectors as are content toborrow the ideas and copy the mannerismsof their English compatriots.

A distinct change in the artistic qualityof book-plate designs is very evident in thosewhich have been produced within the last fewyears. Even in more conservative and oldercountries, the designed book-plate has beengiven more and more attention by modern



50/143

;wtists of repute. The result is that to-day first, it appeared with possibly only theno more beautiful designs are executed in name ; perhaps the name and address; orany branch of artistic endeavor than some again these enclosed in a ruled outline;of those made to decorate the books in pri- then, with a li ttle border of typographicvutc libraries. ornaments WpCiltd entirely around theIn order to explain the widespread and whole. From this point the short step to asudden development of the interest in drawn or engraved design of similar simplemodern book-plates, an apparent digression character, was one quickly and easily taken.is neressary. The position of the ordinary The continual striving of human nature forbook owner must now be considered. It may something Merent, something individualbc that he does not possess the right to use and distinctive, might alone be dependedcoat-armor, or that, disdaining to pose as upon to make this slight advance.being better than his fellow men, he con- Modern book-plates, such as the examplessciously gives up this privilege. Perhaps he shown, are mostly reproduced by the zinc-regards the custom as inconsistent with line engraving process: at once the mostmodern times. For some reason, per- modern and the most appropriate, whenhaps only from carelessness,indifference or thoughtless-ness, he has been accustomedto write his name within thecovers of his books. Peoplethcrc are who have even com-mitted barbarity in scrawling. .their names across the un-offending title page ; near the top or bottom,along the side, or even diagonally across it ;but such a method of defacing ones ownproperty,-so discourteous a treatment ofthe friend of many delightful hours,-ismost ungrateful. Every one must feel thatthe written scrawl is out of keeping with thestrictly typographic character and the moreor less formal appearance of the printed vol-umc; that, it is prcfcrablc to add to, ratherthan to detract from, t,he value of ones ownproperty. Beside, the tremendous growthin the output of books makes it difficult fora person of broad literary interests to sparethe time to write out his name within thebooks which he is constantly acquiring.

And so originated the printed label: at

used with either the ordinary il lustratedbook, or with one entirely lacking in il lus-trations and of the severest typographicalPl ainness. Beside, according to this pro-cess, designs arc frequently etched orengraved with vcrv good cfFect; providedthat they arc done in a modern fashion andwithout attempting to cop? old manner-isms. Sometimes they are stenciled, some-times-especially abroad-they are litho-graphed, and often printed in more thanone color, when some quite exceptional ef-fects have been secured.

So we find a reason for the designed book-plate which is not only the development ofa healthy appreciation of the beauty of theprinted book itself; but also, a combination

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51/143

of tlie wrvi\ .;il of tlic coat-of-arins km3k-I)liltc, Xlltl Of tllo lllOtlCrI1 tl~ll~~d for a Sllb-stitutc to iin+ th wuits of those not caringfor tlic arniorial dcsigx.

coat-of-arms, as an accessory-, with suf-ficient distinctness to satisfy the owner; atthe same time, it is a plate that may be as :Iwhole modern, pleasing and American.

When starting out to secure a book-platedesign, many people make the mistake ofoverburdening it with all their family his-tory, or of trying to cspress through it themanifestations of a widel-y varied li fe.Either their ideas arc too fully, if somewhatvaguely, formed-when it is practically im-

possible for anot her individual to make asatisfactory interpretation of them in pfnand ink, or, having no ideas at all, they areIm:lble lo rn:Ikc well the few appropriatesuggfstlons that will allow the artist to in-corporate something individual into thedesign.

It is best to strike a mean bet,wecn thesetwo estremcs. Then, the dcsigncr will lcarnmore or less about his clients individllalfads or fancies, somctl~ng of his person-ality and family, as well as the kind ofbooks and tlie things in which be is in-tcrestctl, possibly his business or occupa-tion ; while, at the same time, the designer,for the best reslllt, should not be too closelyrestricted.

The book-plate nwtl not express any-thing of the bookish quality ;-it is not absolutclv necessary that it should show abook, or 1 k00 s, a library, or angthi.ng ofthe sort. This is an error that seems, how-cvcr, to have acquired a very wide accept-ancc, and is undoubtedly a survival, eventhor~gh an unacknowledged one, of old-c0u11t1-y conservatism. The plate itselfnrcd riot he bookish in subject, but itmust linre somewhat of this quality in itstrcattncnt, in order to fit it for its place andpurpose. Tlw label sl~~ultl express individ-uality)-, if only by differing in sonic essentialfrom the conventional design, and the de-sire for a Lbookisll plate tends to restrictthe problenl to too narrow and ordinary afield.

As I hare already intimated, the plateought not to be too literal in its expressionof tlie owners tastes or tendencies. In il lus-tration, perhaps the plate for Dr. Ellis maybe opportunely cited. Drawn for a man of*scholarly habits, interested cspccially in the



52/143

THE BOOK PLATEstudy of the human eye, and having somereputation in his profession as a writerupon kindred subjects, the plate itself sug-

gests this much to one knowing the person-ality and reputation of the owner; while atthe same time, it is not so matter-of-fact butthat it may possess a certain meaning andsignificance to anyone, quite aside fromsuch a literal reading.

A satisfactory design once obtained, itslocation upon the inside cover of the bookis of considerable importance to its effect.It must be so placed that it will composewith the entire shape of the page, in the sameway that the title page of a printed volumeso composes. Roughly, it may be said thatthe two upper corners of the book-plateshould be arranged so that the spaces leftabove and on each side of the label arenearly equal. This should prove a saferule-of-thumb which may, on occasion, bebetter honored in its breach than in its ob-servance.

When the end paper of the volume is of

a color or tone, the exact placing of thelabel becomes even more important. I f, asit often happens nowadays, the end papersare decorated, I find myself unable to spoilthe intention of the bookmaker by pastingmy individual label over his carefully con-sidered work ; then I place it upon the insideof the fly-leaf, or upon the loose sheet of theend paper. I am well aware that it is thenmuch less an integral part of the book, butthe book of to-day is ordinarily of suchslight value that it would hardly be worthwhile for anyone to tear out the book-platein order to claim the volume.

To-day, many odd shapes are often givento the book-plate label itself. Of course, itis apparent that the most appropriate and,at the same time, the most obvious form isof the same proportions as the cover of thebook: a rectangle of about two-thirds itsheight in width. Almost equally suitablehowever-and perhaps preferable in fact,because it is not so common-is the shapethat I have used in my brothers plate, or inmy own. Other more unusual forms are

frequently employed. In one case, I re-member, in order to cover the name whichhad been written in a more or less triangular

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the craftsman - 1904 - 03 - march

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