Beauty’s Death.
When you go out and buy something these days it will only have as much decoration on it as is absolutely necessary. However, things used to be very different…
In Victorian times, everything seemed to be intricately finished. It didn’t matter if it was a chair, a sideboard or an ink well; it would be adorned with the most wonderful designs. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble and if something was going to be manufactured then it had to be pleasing to the eye. There were craftsmen to sit and create just about anything you could imagine. People took great pride in their work and actually wanted it to become a thing of beauty.
So what happened? How did it all go wrong? Well, it was all down to something called ‘progress’. The industrial revolution taught manufacturers that less work meant more money. Why spend so long creating something when it could be made faster for the same amount of money? And so it all began. There were still some lovingly made items after this time, but the rot had set in; the love of detail, decoration and beauty would slowly fizzle out.
Which brings us back to the present day; now we are in a time where everything is mass produced. If you want beauty then you will have pay double the price and use the services of a craftsman, if you can track one down…
What a terrible shame that it has all turned out this way. If we had not been so obsessed with making as much money as possible then things may have panned out differently. Money is not the be all and end all of everything. It is vital that humans be surrounded by beauty as it is a very good medicine for the soul.