large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_80
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
And this hopeful art was possible amidst all the oppression of those days, because the instruments of that oppression were grossly obvious, and were external to the work of the craftsman. AND THIS HOPEFUL ART WAS POSSIBLE AMIDST ALL THE OPPRESSION OF THOSE DAYS BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENTS OF THAT OPPRESSION WERE GROSSLY OBVIOUS AND WERE EXTERNAL TO THE WORK OF THE CRAFTSMAN
n made to me when I have been talking on this subject. It may be said, and is often, You regret the art of the Middle Ages (as indeed I do), but those who produced it were not free; they were serfs, or gild-craftsmen surrounded by brazen walls of trade restrictions; they had no political rights, and were exploited by their masters, the noble caste, most grievously. Well, I quite admit that the oppression and violence of the Middle Ages had its effect on the art of those days, its shortcomings are traceable to them; they repressed art in certain directions, I do not doubt that; and for that reason I say, that when we shake off the present oppression as we shook off the old, we may expect the art of the days of real freedom to rise above that of those old violent days. But I do say that it was possible then to have social, organic, hopeful progressive art; whereas now such poor scraps of it as are left are the result of individual and wasteful struggle, are retrospective and pessimistic. CTION WHICH HAS OFTEN BEEN MADE TO ME WHEN I HAVE BEEN TALKING ON THIS SUBJECT IT MAY BE SAID AND IS OFTEN YOU REGRET THE ART OF THE MIDDLE AGES AS INDEED I DO BUT THOSE WHO PRODUCED IT WERE NOT FREE THEY WERE SERFS OR GUILD CRAFTSMEN SURROUNDED BY BRAZEN WALLS OF TRADE RESTRICTIONS THEY HAD NO POLITICAL RIGHTS AND WERE EXPLOITED BY THEIR MASTERS THE NOBLE CASTE MOST GRIEVOUSLY WELL I QUITE ADMIT THAT THE OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE OF THE MIDDLE AGES HAD ITS EFFECT ON THE ART OF THOSE DAYS ITS SHORTCOMINGS ARE TRACEABLE TO THEM THEY REPRESSED ART IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS I DO NOT DOUBT THAT AND FOR THAT REASON I SAY THAT WHEN WE SHAKE OFF THE PRESENT OPPRESSION AS WE SHOOK OFF THE OLD WE MAY EXPECT THE ART OF THE DAYS OF REAL FREEDOM TO RISE ABOVE THAT OF THOSE OLD VIOLENT DAYS BUT I DO SAY THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THEN TO HAVE SOCIAL ORGANIC HOPEFUL PROGRESSIVE ART WHEREAS NOW SUCH POOR SCRAPS OF IT AS ARE LEFT ARE THE RESULT OF INDIVIDUAL AND WASTEFUL STRUGGLE ARE RETROSPECTIVE AND PESSIMISTIC
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