10 Injiuence of Employers on Art. 



asked, who, then, is to blame ? I answer, that, in three cases 

 out of four, it is the employer ; who, either knowing but Httle of 

 the general principles which govern every branch of art, or fail- 

 ing to apply them to practice, invents and suggests alterations 

 and finishing touches of his own, which are sufficient to distract 

 any artist possessing a proper feeling of what is due to his art 

 and to himself. I have read a story of a Turkish turban being 

 placed on the head of a marble Naiad of the stream ; and really 

 I do not think it an impossibility. An instance of injurious 

 interference with the peculiar province of the artist occurs in 

 the case to which you have been pleased, in so flattering a 

 manner, to direct my attention. (X. 453.) It would, indeed, 

 be a fortunate circumstance for many an artist suffering in 

 reputation from faults which are not his own, if an impartial and 

 influential public writer, like yourself, would lay the whole truth, 

 in a proper point of view, before the world. We must not, 

 indeed, forget that, in this, as in all other questions, there are 

 two sides to be considered. The patron or employer, Avho 

 liberally rewards the artist, certainly has a right to expect 

 attention to his wishes ; but he should bear in mind that present 

 character and future fame are, or ought to be, as dear to the 

 artist as the pittance necessary to his support; in other words, 

 that what he receives for his works is only a species of liferent 

 derived from talents which belong to his country, to his contem- 

 poraries at large, and to posterity ; and which it is ungenerous 

 to compel him to disgrace. 



Of the fine arts in general, and of landscape-gardening in 

 particular, there are many amateurs, whose minds are open to 

 conviction, and inclined to truth ; but whose powers of observ- 

 ation are not sufficient to enable them to discover what is right 

 and appropriate to a particular case, until it is pointed out to 

 them. Under such circumstances, it is highly necessary that 

 the practical artist should be capable of explaining, in convers- 

 ation or in writing, the nature of those effects which he proposes 

 to produce ; and he cannot do this well without a considerable 

 degree of literary knowledge. On this point, you have already 

 given an excellent hint. (X. 4-55.) 



In addition to facility and correctness of expression, it is par- 

 ticularly advisable that an artist, in whatever department he 

 may be, should possess a well-grounded and perfect control 

 over his own temper and feelings. By this self-command, 

 united with suavity of manners and firmness, he may often save 

 his employer from falling into absurdities, and his own works 

 from mutilation. We very well know that an opinion, when 

 stated with gentleness and in a pleasing manner, does not appear 

 the same as when arbitrarily advanced, and thrust upon us, as it 



