第40章

Artisticgenius，asM。Tainehasshown，issomethingwhichwilldevelopitselfonlyunderpeculiarsocialcircumstances；and，therefore，ifwehavenotart，wecanperhapsonlywaitforit，trustingthatwhenthetimecomesitwillariseamongus。Butwithoutoriginating，wemayatleastintelligentlyappreciate。 Thenatureofaworkofart，andthemodeinwhichitisproduced，aresubjectswellworthyofcarefulstudy。Architectureandmusic，poetry，paintingandsculpture，haveintimespastconstitutedavastportionofhumanactivity；andwithoutknowingsomethingofthephilosophyofart，weneednothopetounderstandthoroughlythephilosophyofhistory。 Inenteringuponthestudyofartingeneral，onemayfindmanysuggestivehintsinthelittlebooksofM。Taine，reprintedfromthelectureswhichhehasbeendeliveringattheecoledesBeauxArts。Thefirst，onthePhilosophyofArt，designatedattheheadofthispaper，isalreadyaccessibletotheAmericanreader；andtranslationsoftheothersareprobablysoontofollow。WeshallforthepresentgiveameresynopsisofM。Taine’sgeneralviews。 Andfirstitmustbedeterminedwhataworkofartis。Leavingforawhilemusicandarchitectureoutofconsideration，itwillbeadmittedthatpoetry，painting，andsculpturehaveoneobviouscharacterincommon:theyareartsofIMITATION。This，saysTaine，appearsatfirstsighttobetheiressentialcharacter。ItwouldappearthattheirgreatobjectistoIMITATEascloselyaspossible。Itisobviousthatastatueisintendedtoimitatealivingman，thatapictureisdesignedtorepresentrealpersonsinrealattitudes，ortheinteriorofahouse，oralandscape，suchasitexistsinnature。Anditisnolessclearthatanovelordramaendeavourstorepresentwithaccuracyrealcharacters，actions，andwords，givingaspreciseandfaithfulanimageofthemaspossible。Andwhentheimitationisincomplete，wesaytothepainter，“Yourpeoplearetoolargelyproportioned，andthecolourofyourtreesisfalse“；wetellthesculptorthathislegorarmisincorrectlymodelled；andwesaytothedramatist，“Neverhasamanfeltorthoughtasyourheroissupposedtohavefeltandthought。“ Thistruth，moreover，isseen。bothinthecareersofindividualartists，andinthegeneralhistoryofart。AccordingtoTaine，thelifeofanartistmaygenerallybedividedintotwoparts。Inthefirstperiod，thatofnaturalgrowth，hestudiesnatureanxiouslyandminutely，hekeepstheobjectsthemselvesbeforehiseyes，andstrivestorepresentthemwithscrupulousfidelity。 Butwhenthetimeformentalgrowthends，asitdoeswitheveryman，andthecrystallizationofideasandimpressionscommences，thenthemindoftheartistisnolongersosusceptibletonewimpressionsfromwithout。Hebeginstonourishhimselffromhisownsubstance。Heabandonsthelivingmodel，andwithrecipeswhichhehasgatheredinthecourseofhisexperience，heproceedstoconstructadramaornovel，apictureorstatue。Now，thefirstperiod，saysTaine，isthatofgenuineart；thesecondisthatofmannerism。OurauthorcitesthecaseofMichaelAngelo，amanwhowasoneofthemostcolossalembodimentsofphysicalandmentalenergythattheworldhaseverseen。InMichaelAngelo’scase，theperiodofgrowth，ofgenuineart，maybesaidtohavelasteduntilafterhissixtiethyear。Butlook，saysTaine，attheworkswhichheexecutedinhisoldage； considertheConversionofSt。Paul，andtheLastJudgment，paintedwhenhewasnearlyseventy。Eventhosewhoarenotconnoisseurscanseethatthesefrescosarepaintedbyrule，thattheartist，havingstockedhismemorywithacertainsetofforms，ismakinguseofthemtofillouthistableau；thathewantonlymultipliesqueerattitudesandingeniousforeshortenings；thatthelivelyinvention，thegrandoutburstoffeeling，theperfecttruth，bywhichhisearlierworksaredistinguished，havedisappeared；andthat，ifheisstillsuperiortoallothers，heisneverthelessinferiortohimself。 ThecareersofScott，ofGoethe，andofVoltairewillfurnishparallelexamples。Ineveryschoolofart，too，theflourishingperiodisfollowedbyoneofdecline；andineverycasethedeclineisduetoafailuretoimitatethelivingmodels。Inpainting，wehavetheexaggeratedforeshortenersandmuscle-makerswhocopiedMichaelAngelo；theloversoftheatricaldecorationswhosucceededTitianandGiorgioneandthedegenerateboudoir-painterswhofollowedClaucleandPoussin。Inliterature，wehavetheversifiers，epigrammatists，andrhetorsoftheLatindecadence；thesensualanddeclamatorydramatistswhorepresentthelaststagesofoldEnglishcomedy；andthemakersofsonnetsandmadrigals，orconceitedeuphemistsoftheGongoraschool，inthedeclineofItalianandSpanishpoetry。Brieflyitmaybesaid，thatthemasterscopynatureandthepupilscopythemasters。Inthiswayareexplainedtheconstantlyrecurringphenomenaofdeclineinart，andthus，also，itisseenthatartisperfectinproportionasitsuccessfullyimitatesnature。 Butwearenottoconcludethatabsoluteimitationisthesoleandentireobjectofart。Werethisthecase，thefinestworkswouldbethosewhichmostminutelycorrespondtotheirexternalprototypes。Insculpture，amouldtakenfromthelivingfeaturesisthatwhichgivesthemostfaithfulrepresentationofthemodel；butawell-mouldedbustisfarfrombeingequaltoagoodstatue。Photographyisinmanyrespectsmoreaccuratethanpainting；butnoonewouldrankaphotograph，howeverexquisitelyexecuted，withanoriginalpicture。Andfinally，ifexactimitationwerethesupremeobjectofart，thebesttragedy，thebestcomedy，andthebestdramawouldbeastenographicreportoftheproceedingsinacourtofjustice，inafamilygathering，inapopularmeeting，intheRumpCongress。Eventheworksofartistsarenotratedinproportiontotheirminuteexactness。 Neitherinpaintingnorinanyotherartdowegivetheprecedencetothatwhichdeceivestheeyesimply。EveryoneremembershowZeuxiswassaidtohavepaintedgrapessofaithfullythatthebirdscameandpeckedatthem；andhow，Parrhasios，hisrival，surpassedeventhisfeatbypaintingacurtainsonaturalinitsappearancethatZeuxisaskedhimtopullitasideandshowthepicturebehindit。Allthisisnotart，butmereknackandtrickery。PerhapsnopainterwaseversominuteasDenner。Itusedtotakehimfouryearstomakeoneportrait。Hewouldomitnothing，——neitherthebluishlinesmadebytheveinsundertheskin，northelittleblackpointsscatteredoverthenose，northebrightspotsintheeyewhereneighbouringobjectsarereflected；theheadseemstostartoutfromthecanvas，itissolikefleshandblood。YetwhocaresforDenner’sportraits？AndwhowouldnotgivetentimesasmuchforonewhichVanDyckorTintorettomighthavepaintedinafewhours？SointhechurchesofNaplesandSpainwefindstatuescolouredanddraped，saintsclothedinrealcoats，withtheirskinyellowandbloodless，theirhandsbleeding，andtheirfeetbruised；andbesidethemMadonnasinroyalhabiliments，ingaladressesoflustroussilk，adornedwithdiadems，preciousnecklaces，brightribbons，andelegantlaces，withtheircheeksrosy，theireyesbrilliant，theireyelashessweeping。Andbythisexcessofliteralimitation，thereisawakenedafeeling，notofpleasure，butalwaysofrepugnance，oftenofdisgust，andsometimesofhorrorSoinliterature，theancientGreektheatre，andthebestSpanishandEnglishdramatists，alteronpurposethenaturalcurrentofhumanspeech，andmaketheircharacterstalkunderalltherestraintsofrhymeandrhythm。Butwepronouncethisdeparturefromliteraltruthameritandnotadefect。WeconsiderGoethe’ssecond“Iphigenie，“writteninverse，farpreferabletothefirstonewritteninprose；nay，itistherhythmormetreitselfwhichcommunicatestotheworkitsincomparablebeauty。InareviewofLongfellow’s“Dante，“ publishedlastyear，wearguedthisverypointinoneofitsspecialapplications；theartistmustcopyhisoriginal，buthemustnotcopyittooliterally。 Whatthenmusthecopy？Hemustcopy，saysTaine，themutualrelationsandinterdependencesofthepartsofhismodel。Andmorethanthis，hemustrendertheessentialcharacteristicoftheobject——thatcharacteristicuponwhichalltheminorqualitiesdepend——assalientandconspicuousaspossible。Hemustputintothebackgroundthetraitswhichconcealit，andbringintotheforegroundthetraitswhichmanifestit。IfheissculpturingagroupliketheLaocoon，hemuststrikeuponthesuprememoment，thatinwhichthewholetragedyrevealsitself，andhemustpassoverthoseinsignificantdetailsofpositionandmovementwhichserveonlytodistractourattentionandweakenouremotionsbydividingthem。Ifheiswritingadrama，hemustnotattempttogiveusthecompletebiographyofhischaracter； hemustdepictonlythosesituationswhichstandindirectsubordinationtothegrandclimaxordenoument。Asafinalresult，therefore。Taineconcludesthataworkofartisaconcreterepresentationoftherelationsexistingbetweenthepartsofanobject，withtheintenttobringtheessentialordominatingcharacterthereofintoprominence。 WeshouldoverrunourlimitsifweweretofollowouttheadmirablediscussioninwhichM。Taineextendsthisdefinitiontoarchitectureandmusic。Thesecloselyalliedartsaredistinguishedfrompoetry，painting，andsculpture，byappealingfarlessdirectlytotheintelligence，andfarmoreexclusivelytotheemotions。Yettheseartslikewiseaim，bybringingintoprominencecertainrelationsofsymmetryinformasperceivedbytheeye，orinaerialvibrationsasperceivedbytheear，toexciteinusthestatesoffeelingwithwhichthesespeciesofsymmetryarebysubtlelawsofassociationconnected。They，too，imitate，notliterally，butundertheguidanceofapredominatingsentimentoremotion，relationswhichreallyexistamongthephenomenaofnature。Andhere，too，weestimateexcellence，notinproportiontothedirect，buttotheindirectimitation。A Gothiccathedralisnot，ashasbeensupposed，directlyimitatedfromthetoweringvegetationofNorthernforests；butitmaywellbetheexpressionofthedimsentimentofanunseen，all-pervadingPower，generatedbycenturiesofprimevallifeamidsuchforests。SothesoundswhichinasymphonyofBeethovenarewovenintoawebofsuchamazingcomplexitymayexistindifferentcombinationsinnature；butwhenamusicianstepsoutofhiswaytoimitatethecrowingofcocksortheroarofthetempest，weregardhisachievementmerelyasagracefulconceit。 Artis，therefore，animitationofnature；butitisanintellectualandnotamechanicalimitation；andtheperformancesofthecameraandthemusic-boxarenottobeclassedwiththoseoftheviolinist’sboworthesculptor’schisel。 Andlastly，indistinguishingartfromscience，Taineremarks，thatindisengagingfromtheircomplexitythe，causeswhichareatworkinnature，andthefundamentallawsaccordingtowhichtheywork，sciencedescribestheminabstractformulasconveyedintechnicallanguage。Butartrevealstheseoperativecausesandthesedominantlaws，notinariddefinitions，inaccessibletomostpeople，intelligibleonlytospeciallyinstructedmen，butinaconcretesymbol，addressingitselfnotonlytotheunderstanding，butstillmoretothesentimentsoftheordinaryman。Arthas，therefore，thispeculiarity，thatitisatonceelevatedandpopular，thatitmanifeststhatwhichisoftenmostrecondite，andthatitmanifestsittoall。 Havingdeterminedwhataworkofartis，ourauthorgoesontostudythesocialconditionsunderwhichworksofartareproduced；andheconcludesthatthegeneralcharacterofaworkofartisdeterminedbythestateofintellectandmoralsinthesocietyinwhichitisexecuted。Thereis，infact，asortofmoraltemperaturewhichactsuponmentaldevelopmentmuchasphysicaltemperatureactsuponorganicdevelopment。Theconditionofsocietydoesnotproducetheartist’stalent；butitassistsorchecksitseffortstodisplayitself；itdecideswhetherornotitshallbesuccessfulAnditexertsa“naturalselection“ betweendifferentkindsoftalents，stimulatingsomeandstarvingothers。Tomakethisperfectlyclear，wewillciteatsomelengthTaine’sbrilliantillustration。