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men to the English to fight the Yankees。 The river； too； is picturesque；
for the old bridge has not been repaired since it was blown up in the Seven
Years' War； and there is but a single lazy barge floating down the stream；
owing to the tolls and tariffs of his Serene Highness； the village is
picturesque； for the flower of the young men are at the wars； and the place
is tumbling down； and the two old peasants in the foreground； with the
single goat and the hamper of vine… twigs； are very picturesque likewise；
for they are all in rags。
How sad to see the picturesque element eliminated； and the quiet
artistic beauty of the scene destroyed；to have steamers puffing up and
down the river； and a railroad hurrying along its banks the wealth of the
Old World； in exchange for the wealth of the Newor hurrying； it may be；
whole regiments of free and educated citizen… soldiers； who fight； they
know for what。 How sad to see the alto schloss desecrated by tourists；
and the neue schloss converted into a cold…water cure。 How sad to see
the village； church and all； built up again brand…new； and whitewashed to
the very steeple…top； a new school at the town…enda new crucifix by the
wayside。 How sad to see the old folk well clothed in the fabrics of
England or Belgium； doing an easy trade in milk and fruit； because the
land they till has become their own； and not the prince's； while their sons
are thriving farmers on the prairies of the far West。 Very unpicturesque；
no doubt； is wealth and progress； peace and safety； cleanliness and comfort。
But they possess advantages unknown to the Ancien Regime； which was；
if nothing else； picturesque。 Men could paint amusing and often pretty
pictures of its people and its places。
Consider that word； 〃picturesque。〃 It； and the notion of art which it
expresses； are the children of the Ancien Regimeof the era of decay。
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THE ANCIEN REGIME
The healthy； vigorous； earnest； progressive Middle Age never dreamed of
admiring； much less of painting； for their own sake； rags and ruins； the
fashion sprang up at the end of the seventeenth century； it lingered on
during the first quarter of our century； kept alive by the reaction from
1815…25。 It is all but dead now； before the return of vigorous and
progressive thought。 An admirer of the Middle Ages now does not build
a sham ruin in his grounds； he restores a church； blazing with colour； like
a medieval illumination。 He has learnt to look on that which went by the
name of picturesque in his great…grandfather's time； as an old Greek or a
Middle Age monk would have doneas something squalid； ugly； a sign of
neglect； disease； death； and therefore to be hated and abolished； if it
cannot be restored。 At Carcassone； now； M。 Viollet…le…Duc； under the
auspices of the Emperor of the French； is spending his vast learning； and
much money； simply in abolishing the picturesque； in restoring stone for
stone； each member of that wonderful museum of Middle Age architecture：
Roman； Visigothic； Moslem； Romaine； Early English； later French； all is
being reproduced exactly as it must have existed centuries since。 No
doubt that is not the highest function of art： but it is a preparation for the
highest； a step toward some future creative school。 As the early Italian
artists； by careful imitation； absorbed into their minds the beauty and
meaning of old Greek and Roman art； so must the artists of our days by
the art of the Middle Age and the Renaissance。 They must learn to copy；
before they can learn to surpass； and； meanwhile； they must learnindeed
they have learntthat decay is ugliness； and the imitation of decay； a
making money out of the public shame。
The picturesque sprang up； as far as I can discover； suddenly； during
the time of exhaustion and recklessness which followed the great struggles
of the sixteenth century。 Salvator Rosa and Callot； two of the earliest
professors of picturesque art； have never been since surpassed。 For
indeed； they drew from life。 The rags and the ruins； material； and alas！
spiritual； were all around them； the lands and the creeds alike lay waste。
There was ruffianism and misery among the masses of Europe； unbelief
and artificiality among the upper classes； churches and monasteries defiled；
cities sacked； farmsteads plundered and ruinate； and all the wretchedness
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THE ANCIEN REGIME
which Callot has immortalisedfor a warning to evil rulersin his Miseres
de la Guerre。 The world was all gone wrong： but as for setting it right
againwho could do that？ And so men fell into a sentimental regret for
the past； and its beauties； all exaggerated by the foreshortening of time；
while they wanted strength or faith to reproduce it。 At last they became
so accustomed to the rags and ruins； that they looked on them as the
normal condition of humanity； as the normal field for painters。
Only now and then； and especially toward the latter half of the
eighteenth century； when thought began to revive； and men dreamed of
putting the world to rights once more； there rose before them glimpses of
an Arcadian ideal。 Country lifethe primaeval calling of menhow
graceful and pure it might be！ How gracefulif not pureit once had
been！ The boors of Teniers and the beggars of Murillo might be true to
present fact； but there was a fairer ideal； which once had been fact； in the
Eclogues of Theocritus； and the Loves of Daphnis and Chloe。 And so
men took to dreaming of shepherds and shepherdesses； and painting them
on canvas； and modelling them in china； according to their cockney
notions of what they had been once； and always ought to be。 We smile
now at Sevres and Dresden shepherdesses； but the wise man will surely
see in them a certain pathos。 They indicated a craving after something
better than boorishness； and the many men and women may have become
the gentler a