On the Old Road, Vol. 2 | Page 8

should have no such hope if I had only copies of these pictures.
132. Do you hold much to the archæological, chronological, and
historical series and teaching of pictures?--Yes.
Are you of opinion that that is essential to the creative teaching, with
reference to our future schools?--No. I should think not essential at all.
The teaching of the future artist, I should think, might be accomplished
by very few pictures of the class which that particular artist wished to
study. I think that the chronological arrangement is in no-wise
connected with the general efficiency of the gallery as a matter of study
for the artist, but very much so as a means of study, not for persons
interested in painting merely, but for those who wish to examine the
general history of nations; and I think that painting should be
considered by that class of persons as containing precious evidence. It
would be part of the philosopher's work to examine the art of a nation
as well as its poetry.
You consider that art speaks a language and tells a tale which no
written document can effect?--Yes, and far more precious; the whole
soul of a nation generally goes with its art. It may be urged by an
ambitious king to become a warrior nation. It may be trained by a
single leader to become a great warrior nation, and its character at that
time may materially depend upon that one man, but in its art all the
mind of the nation is more or less expressed: it can be said, that was
what the peasant sought to when he went into the city to the cathedral
in the morning--that was the sort of book the poor person read or

learned in--the sort of picture he prayed to. All which involves
infinitely more important considerations than common history.
133. Dean of St. Paul's. When you speak of your objections to copies
of pictures, do you carry that objection to casts of sculpture?--Not at
all.
Supposing there could be no complete union of the great works of
sculpture in a country with the great works of painting in that country,
would you consider that a good selection of casts comprising the great
remains of sculpture of all ages would be an important addition to a
public gallery?--I should be very glad to see it.
If you could not have it of originals, you would wish very much to have
a complete collection of casts, of course selected from all the finest
sculptures in the world?--Certainly.
Mr. Richmond. Would you do the same with architecture--would you
collect the remains of architecture, as far as they are to be collected,
and unite them with sculpture and painting?--I should think that
architecture consisted, as far as it was portable, very much in sculpture.
In saying that, I mean, that in the different branches of sculpture
architecture is involved--that is to say, you would have the statues
belonging to such and such a division of a building. Then if you had
casts of those statues, you would necessarily have those casts placed
exactly in the same position as the original statues--it involves the
buildings surrounding them and the elevation--it involves the whole
architecture.
In addition to that, would you have original drawings of architecture,
and models of great buildings, and photographs, if they could be made
permanent, of the great buildings as well as the moldings and casts of
the moldings, and the members as far as you could obtain them?--Quite
so.
Would you also include, in the National Gallery, what may be called
the handicraft of a nation--works for domestic use or ornament? For
instance, we know that there were some salt-cellars designed for one of

the Popes; would you have those if they came to us?--Everything, pots
and pans, and salt-cellars, and knives.
You would have everything that had an interesting art element in
it?--Yes.
Dean of St. Paul's. In short, a modern Pompeian Gallery?--Yes; I know
how much greater extent that involves, but I think that you should
include all the iron work, and china, and pottery, and so on. I think that
all works in metal, all works in clay, all works in carved wood, should
be included. Of course, that involves much. It involves all the coins--it
involves an immense extent.
134. Supposing it were impossible to concenter in one great museum
the whole of these things, where should you prefer to draw the line?
Would you draw the line between what I may call the ancient Pagan
world and the modern Christian world, and so leave, to what may be
called the ancient world, all the ancient sculpture, and any fragments of
ancient painting which there might be--all the vases, all the ancient
bronzes, and, in short, everything which comes down