Thus opens a manifesto for classical renewal in the last issue of The Jackdaw (No. 26, March 2003). A nice opening, to be sure. The collection of signatures at the end is quite impressive, as well. The problem is in the middle, though. For example, the first sentence asserts that we have now reached a point of crisis in the visual arts. Visual arts only? Now? The tense is off by about a century. The scope is too narrow, too. Art is now ripe for scientific inquiry. Or is it inquest? It is dead and ready to be dissected. Classical renewal is but another way of saying the same thing. If there is a manifesto worth signing today, it is one that puts a humble wreath on the tomb of art. It would be a belated gesture, but it would still be helpful to many, as witnessed by The Jackdaw. It would draw a line under the entire subject. At long last, even classical renewal would be up for grabs, albeit under a different heading—that of polite pastimes, say.