File:The century illustrated monthly magazine (1882) (14790033563).jpg

Identifier: centuryillustratv32newy (find matches)
Title: The century illustrated monthly magazine
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors:
Subjects: American literature
Publisher: New York : Century Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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allits varied neighbors. But I am sorry to saythat a Swiss and not a native artist must becredited with its virtues. If we count up,however, all the dissentient voices of everykind and value, we still find that they hardlyweaken to a perceptible extent the unanimityof the vernacular chorus. Evidently we failed in this attempt to pro-duce architectural art, but not becausewe lacked for aspiration. The very extrav-agance of our misdeeds shows the eager-ness of the effort we had been making. Whywas it so fruitless an effort ? Must we con-clude that its outcome proves us wholly andhopelessly, then, now, and forever, withoutartistic aptitude? Or should we lay thewhole blame on mere immaturity ? Shouldwe argue that failure in this early stage countsfor little as proof or prophecy of any kind, hav-ing been but a youthful, temporary stumbleon what was none the less the right path tofollow ? Or ought we to decide, on theother hand, that we failed because the path 10 AMERICAN COUNTRY DWELLINGS.
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HALL IN HOUSE OF SAMUEL TILTON, ESQ., NEWPORT. we followed was not the right one—becausethe ignorant, naif, popular way of attempt-ing architecture is intrinsically mistaken, is away that will kill, not foster, such gifts aswe may possess, that will prevent and notinsure such progress as we may be capableof making ? I think, in spite of the critics Ihave quoted, that the last explanation is thetrue one. Of course there was aperiod with many na-tions in the past when their builders were notlearned, cultivated, theorizing — when in-stinctive, untrained effort did such work aswas done and conquered such steps as weregained. But these were primitive periods,when work of no kind was professional,when no knowledge was codified, and noeffort was theorizing or self-conscious. Art inits earlier stages was then certainly broughtout of ignorance, as were all the other treas-ures of civilized humanity. But we are notin a time or a condition when such births are in order. We are nota primitive

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