large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_35
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
The art then is gone, and can no more be "restored" on its old lines than a mediæval building can be. The rich and refined cannot have it though they would, and though we will believe many of them would. And why? THE ART THEN IS GONE AND CAN NO MORE BE RESTORED ON ITS OLD LINES THAN A MEDIAEVAL BUILDING CAN BE THE RICH AND REFINED CANNOT HAVE IT THOUGH THEY WOULD AND THOUGH WE WILL BELIEVE MANY OF THEM WOULD AND WHY
long for, though they hunt it about the world so hard, sentimentalizing the sordid lives of the miserable peasants of Italy and the starving proletarians of her towns, now that all the picturesqueness has departed from the poor devils of our own country-side, and of our own slums. Indeed, there is little of reality left them anywhere, and that little is fast fading away before the needs of the manufacturer and his ragged regiment of workers, and before the enthusiasm of the archæological restorer of the dead past. Soon there will be nothing left except the lying dreams of history, the miserable wreckage of our museums and picture-galleries, and the carefully guarded interiors of our æsthetic drawing-rooms, unreal and foolish, fitting witnesses of the life of corruption that goes on there, so pinched and meagre and cowardly, with its concealment and ignoring, rather than restraint of, natural longings; which does not forbid the greedy indulgence in them if it can but be decently hidden. T WHICH THEY SO MUCH LONG FOR THOUGH THEY HUNTED ABOUT THE WORLD SO HARD SENTIMENTALIZING THE SORDID LIVES OF THE MISERABLE PEASANTS OF ITALY AND THE STARVING PROLETARIANS OF HER TOWNS NOW THAT ALL THE PICTURESQUENESS HAS DEPARTED FROM THE POOR DEVILS OF OUR OWN COUNTRYSIDE AND OF OUR OWN SONS INDEED THERE IS LITTLE OF REALITY LEFT THEM ANYWHERE AND THAT LITTLE IS FADING FAST AWAY BEFORE THE NEEDS OF THE MANUFACTURER AND HIS RAGGED REGIMENT OF WORKERS AND BEFORE THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESTORER OF THE DEAD PAST SOON THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT EXCEPT THE LYING DREAMS OF HISTORY THE MISERABLE WRECKAGE OF OUR MUSEUMS AND PICTURE GALLERIES AND THE CAREFULLY GUARDED INTERIORS OF OUR ESTHETIC DRAWING ROOMS UNREAL AND FOOLISH FITTING WITNESSES OF THE LIFE OF CORRUPTION THAT GOES ON THERE SO PINCHED AND MEAGRE AND COWARDLY WITH ITS CONCEALMENT AND IGNORING RATHER THAN RESTRAINT OF NATURAL LONGINGS WHICH DOES NOT FORBID THE GREEDY INDULGENCE IN THEM IF IT CAN BUT BE DECENTLY HIDDEN
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