Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

I11t1·oduction

Vl

necessity of а basis of liistoгic kпowledge in all workers. " I do not tЬiвk," lie says, " that any man but one of the l1igl1est genius coulcl do anything in these days withoнt much stнdy of ancient art, and even he would Ье much hiшlered if Ье lacked it." It is but turning to the original soшces; then, to examine the prog1·ess of шediюval artistic crafts, and tlюse soшccs are usually to Ье foнnd p1·eserved for ош cdification in enormous volumes of plates, inacccssiЫe to rnost readers, авd seldom ,\rith the kind of iвformation ,vhich the average peI"son woнld enjoy. Thcrc are very few books dealiпg ,vith thc arts and cгafts of the olden time, wllich аге adapted to infoгш tlюse " r ho Ьаvс во intcntion of practising sucl1 aгts, апd yet ,vho ,vish to understand and appreciatc the cxaшples which thcy sce in nшnerous muscums ог exhiЫtions, апd in travelling abroad. There are шаnу of the arts and crafts which соте undeг the daily observation of thc tourist, " r hich шаkе no impression upon him and have no message for him, siшply because l1e has neYer considei·ed tl1e subject of their origin and construction. After one has once studied the subject of historic caгving, шetal work, embгoidery, tapestry, or illuminatioп, one can never fail to look upon these things ,vith intelligent interest and vastly increased pleasure. Until the middle of the nineteenth century art had becn гcgarded as а Iuxury fог the rich dilett�nte, - the people hcard little of it, and thought less. The utensils апd fuгniture of tlie milidle class were fashioned