But, it may be argued further, the Church which has the spending of so much money might at least employ the best artists, even if they be few and eccentric. Surely her pictures and statues and extra-liturgical music might be made by artists rather than by commercial firms of Church decorators, even if she be obliged to employ architects and contractors to do her buildings. Why, it is asked, are so many painters competing for customers on the walls of the Royal Academy exhibitions, or why are the younger men so often obliged to sell themselves to advertisement contractors or else to live in penury? Here indeed are faults on all sides! Ecclesiastics certainly seem to show an amazing lack of intelligence in as much as they fail so completely to apply the principles of their own work to the criticism of the works of others, and are often buyers of work which is not only thoroughly unliturgical but also wanting in every quality of intelligence. Upon the other hand, artists to-day are generally both unable and unwilling to do the kind of work which the Church needs. We will examine briefly the history of the matter; then we shall see more clearly the causes underlying the present evil state of affairs.

At the break-up of the medieval system in the 16th Century two great disruptions were acting and interacting—the Reformation and the Renaissance. At the beginning of the century’ the class of persons now called artists did not exist, nor was there such a thing as an architectural profession.