Identifier: paintingsculptur00raym (find matches)
Title: Painting, sculpture, and architecture as representative arts : an essay in comparative aesthetics
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Raymond, George Lansing, 1839-1929
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: Princeton Theological Seminary Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Princeton Theological Seminary Library

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anshow us exactly the direction in which Ave are doing so.One who claims that architecture may be, and should be,representative of a state of mind, ought not, perhaps, tocomplain of the appearance of this street. No one candeny that it is representative. The trouble is that itdoes not represent what is agreeable or inspiring. Itrepresents, alas, New York. It represents the commercialspirit entirely overtopping the aesthetic and sanitary ingeneral; and the religious and domestic, as manifested bythe church and house to the left, in particular. In moresenses than one it represents selfishness and greed, en-tirely throwing into the shade beauty, health, kindness,rationality, and safety. Were it possible for any artisticmotive to appeal to our legislatures, they would pass lawsenabling owners of churches and houses afflicted as arethese at the left of this picture, to obtain from any oneerecting a building like the tall one, damages of anamount to render its erection impossible. Beautiful
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366 PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND ARCHITECTURE. buildinL^ as it is, considcrcil only in itself, it makes worsethan wasted every penny ever expended for the purposeof giving the adjoining buildings architectural dignity orvalue. Of course, nobody can imagine that our legislators willever be influenced b) ajsthetic considerations. But theymight be reached by other considerations. To say noth-ing of preventing risk to life through earthquake or con-flagration in edifices, fireproof too often onh- in name,some law should be found to prevent robbing ones nearneighbors of sunshine and health, as well as ones distantneighbors of real estate values, \\hich a less grasping ap-propriation of fortunately situated lots would distributemore generally. In fact, the conditions are such that itwould not be strange if, at no distant date, the practicaland moral aspects of the subject, aside from the aesthetic,would so appeal to public sentiment that of^cesand hotelsin these high buildings would be as much

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