Page 508

THE CRAFTSMAN
the manner in which it has developed in the
country mentioned.
  Above all, it must be remembered that the
new art has grown naturally in England,
and is not to be assigned to culture. The
source from which it sprang exists in Eng-
land. For this modern English style of in-
dustrial art is just what in other branches we
call pre-Raphaelitism. Tennyson, Rossetti
and Swinburne are not only the godfathers
of Burne-Jones and Watts, but also of the
new English interior decoration. The sen-
timent which found expression in English
poetry 'of the middle nineteenth century,
demanded not only the representation of
delicacy and sensitiveness in painting-and
this demand satisfied the English    pre-
Raphaelites,--but also required from arch-
itecture dwellings adapted to foster con-
templation. Thus arose the modern Eng-
lish style of home which we, in Germany,
have excellently imitated during recent
years. Suitable arrangement of the inte-
rior, however, was still wanting, refined
decorative art, intimate or homely inside
architecture, and homely industrial art.
But from where could we obtain suitable
models ? The feeling which existed was not
sufficient to originate such. We had, at
least, to obtain a hold on something, to
produce something lasting. Fortunately,
international communication brought about
our acquaintance with Chinese and Jap-
anese industrial art. Here we found the
things sought. Namely, the small, refined
and very delicate Japanese, whose objects
of daily use appeared like doll's playthings,
whose dwellings harmonized with their feel-
ings, and their natural surroundings, with
their country and soil, supplied the ade-
quate model. Just as-English pre-Raph-
508
aelites sought stimulation in Italian paint-
ing, so the English art industrialists turned
to account the miniature Japanese art; not
only borrowing from it ideas, but gaining
therefrom models. From this point of view
English, and modern art industrialists in
general, are to be regarded and studied.
Later, other nations, the Germans, the Bel-
gians and the French drew on the one hand
from the same source-that is, from the
Japanese miniature art-and, on the other
hand, from a second source, in that they
derived from the English enthusiasm, and
even the models themselves, after they had
adopted the Japanese style. Wherever, in
the whole world, one sees a modern arrange-
ment of a room, it has its origin in England
and Japan. We must not, however, over-
look the fact that England set to work more
radically; that she possessed exactly the
right source; that she was able to nourish
all branches of artistic creation and home-
life from the same world of feeling. Even
the- climate was in her favor. Truly, there
are, especially on the east coast of England
rough storms, but the climate in general is
mild and equable, while frequent fog makes
everything appear in soft, indistinct forms.
England is a land of meadows, pastures,
and gardens. The English woman is char-
acterized by her white complexion, her slen-
der figure, and her luxuriant hair. To
complete the artistic whole the modern Eng-
lish house was needed. Further, let one
add the modern arrangement of rooms, the
corresponding industrial art, on the walls
pictures after Burne-Jones' style, the poems
of Swinburne or Browning, the playing of
familiar chamber music, and one has a har-
mony from which we deduce that industrial
art is something not due to chance, or