essays and lectures-第28节

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wisdom　of　New　England's　Plato　is　not　silenced　nor　the　brilliancy　of

that　Attic　genius　dimmed：　　the　lips　of　Longfellow　are　still　musical

for　us　though　his　dust　be　turning　into　the　flowers　which　he　loved：

and　as　it　is　with　the　greater　artists；　poet　and　philosopher　and

song…bird；　so　let　it　be　with　you。









LECTURE　TO　ART　STUDENTS









IN　the　lecture　which　it　is　my　privilege　to　deliver　before　you　to…

night　I　do　not　desire　to　give　you　any　abstract　definition　of　beauty

at　all。　　For　we　who　are　working　in　art　cannot　accept　any　theory　of

beauty　in　exchange　for　beauty　itself；　and；　so　far　from　desiring　to

isolate　it　in　a　formula　appealing　to　the　intellect；　we；　on　the

contrary；　seek　to　materialise　it　in　a　form　that　gives　joy　to　the

soul　through　the　senses。　　We　want　to　create　it；　not　to　define　it。

The　definition　should　follow　the　work：　　the　work　should　not　adapt

itself　to　the　definition。



Nothing；　indeed；　is　more　dangerous　to　the　young　artist　than　any

conception　of　ideal　beauty：　　he　is　constantly　led　by　it　either　into

weak　prettiness　or　lifeless　abstraction：　　whereas　to　touch　the

ideal　at　all　you　must　not　strip　it　of　vitality。　　You　must　find　it

in　life　and　re…create　it　in　art。



While；　then；　on　the　one　hand　I　do　not　desire　to　give　you　any

philosophy　of　beauty　…　for；　what　I　want　to…night　is　to　investigate

how　we　can　create　art；　not　how　we　can　talk　of　it　…　on　the　other

hand；　I　do　not　wish　to　deal　with　anything　like　a　history　of　English

art。



To　begin　with；　such　an　expression　as　English　art　is　a　meaningless

expression。　　One　might　just　as　well　talk　of　English　mathematics。

Art　is　the　science　of　beauty；　and　Mathematics　the　science　of　truth：

there　is　no　national　school　of　either。　　Indeed；　a　national　school

is　a　provincial　school；　merely。　　Nor　is　there　any　such　thing　as　a

school　of　art　even。　　There　are　merely　artists；　that　is　all。



And　as　regards　histories　of　art；　they　are　quite　valueless　to　you

unless　you　are　seeking　the　ostentatious　oblivion　of　an　art

professorship。　　It　is　of　no　use　to　you　to　know　the　date　of　Perugino

or　the　birthplace　of　Salvator　Rosa：　　all　that　you　should　learn

about　art　is　to　know　a　good　picture　when　you　see　it；　and　a　bad

picture　when　you　see　it。　　As　regards　the　date　of　the　artist；　all

good　work　looks　perfectly　modern：　　a　piece　of　Greek　sculpture；　a

portrait　of　Velasquez　　…　they　are　always　modern；　always　of　our

time。　　And　as　regards　the　nationality　of　the　artist；　art　is　not

national　but　universal。　　As　regards　archaeology；　then；　avoid　it

altogether：　　archaeology　is　merely　the　science　of　making　excuses

for　bad　art；　it　is　the　rock　on　which　many　a　young　artist　founders

and　shipwrecks；　it　is　the　abyss　from　which　no　artist；　old　or　young；

ever　returns。　　Or；　if　he　does　return；　he　is　so　covered　with　the

dust　of　ages　and　the　mildew　of　time；　that　he　is　quite

unrecognisable　as　an　artist；　and　has　to　conceal　himself　for　the

rest　of　his　days　under　the　cap　of　a　professor；　or　as　a　mere

illustrator　of　ancient　history。　　How　worthless　archaeology　is　in

art　you　can　estimate　by　the　fact　of　its　being　so　popular。

Popularity　is　the　crown　of　laurel　which　the　world　puts　on　bad　art。

Whatever　is　popular　is　wrong。



As　I　am　not　going　to　talk　to　you；　then；　about　the　philosophy　of　the

beautiful；　or　the　history　of　art；　you　will　ask　me　what　I　am　going

to　talk　about。　　The　subject　of　my　lecture　to…night　is　what　makes　an

artist　and　what　does　the　artist　make；　what　are　the　relations　of　the

artist　to　his　surroundings；　what　is　the　education　the　artist　should

get；　and　what　is　the　quality　of　a　good　work　of　art。



Now；　as　regards　the　relations　of　the　artist　to　his　surroundings；　by

which　I　mean　the　age　and　country　in　which　he　is　born。　　All　good

art；　as　I　said　before；　has　nothing　to　do　with　any　particular

century；　but　this　universality　is　the　quality　of　the　work　of　art；

the　conditions　that　produce　that　quality　are　different。　　And　what；

I　think；　you　should　do　is　to　realise　completely　your　age　in　order

completely　to　abstract　yourself　from　it；　remembering　that　if　you

are　an　artist　at　all；　you　will　be　not　the　mouthpiece　of　a　century；

but　the　master　of　eternity；　that　all　art　rests　on　a　principle；　and

that　mere　temporal　considerations　are　no　principle　at　all；　and　that

those　who　advise　you　to　make　your　art　representative　of　the

nineteenth　century　are　advising　you　to　produce　an　art　which　your

children；　when　you　have　them；　will　think　old…fashioned。　　But　you

will　tell　me　this　is　an　inartistic　age；　and　we　are　an　inartistic

people；　and　the　artist　suffers　much　in　this　nineteenth　century　of

ours。



Of　course　he　does。　　I；　of　all　men；　am　not　going　to　deny　that。　　But

remember　that　there　never　has　been　an　artistic　age；　or　an　artistic

people；　since　the　beginning　of　the　world。　　The　artist　has　always

been；　and　will　always　be；　an　exquisite　exception。　　There　is　no

golden　age　of　art；　only　artists　who　have　produced　what　is　more

golden　than　gold。



WHAT；　you　will　say　to　me；　the　Greeks？　were　not　they　an　artistic

people？



Well；　the　Greeks　certainly　not；　but；　perhaps；　you　mean　the

Athenians；　the　citizens　of　one　out　of　a　thousand　cities。



Do　you　think　that　they　were　an　artistic　people？　　Take　them　even　at

the　time　of　their　highest　artistic　development；　the　latter　part　of

the　fifth　century　before　Christ；　when　they　had　the　greatest　poets

and　the　greatest　artists　of　the　antique　world；　when　the　Parthenon

rose　in　loveliness　at　the　bidding　of　a　Phidias；　and　the　philosopher

spake　of　wisdom　in　the　shadow　of　the　painted　portico；　and　tragedy

swept　in　the　perfection　of　pageant　and　pathos　across　the　marble　of

the　stage。　　Were　they　an　artistic　people　then？　　Not　a　bit　of　it。

What　is　an　artistic　people　but　a　people　who　love　their　artists　and

understand　their　art？　　The　Athenians　could　do　neither。



How　did　they　treat　Phidias？　　To　Phidias　we　owe　the　great　era；　not

merely　in　Greek；　but　in　all　art　…　I　mean　of　the　introduction　of　the

use　of　the　living　model。



And　what　would　you　say　if　all　the　English　bishops；　backed　by　the

English　people；　came　down　from　Exeter　Hall　to　the　Royal　Academy　one

day　and　took　off　Sir　Frederick　Leighton　in　a　prison　van　to　Newgate

on　the　charge　of　having　allowed　you　to　make　use　of　the　living　model

in　your　designs　for　sacred　pictures？



Would　you　not　cry　out　against　the　barbarism　and　the　Puritanism　of

such　an　idea？　　Would　you　not　explain　to　them　that　the　worst　way　to

honour　God　is　to　dishonour　man　who　is　made　in　His　image；　and　is　the

work　of　His　hands；　and；　that　if　one　wants　to　paint　Christ　one　must

take　the　most　Christlike　person　one　can　find；　and　if　one　wants　to

paint　the　Madonna；　the　purest　girl　one　knows？



Would　you　not　rush　off　and　burn　down　Newgate；　if　necessary；　and　say

that　such　a　thing　was　without　parallel　in　history？



Without　parallel？　　Well；　that　is　exactly　what　the　Athenians　did。



In　the　room　of　the　Parthenon　marbles；　in　the　British　Museum；　you

will　see　a　marble　shield　on　the　wall。　　On　it　there　are　two　figures；

one　of　a　man　whose　face　is　half　hidden；　the　other　of　a　man　with　the

godlike　lineaments　of　Pericles。　　For　having　done　this；　for　having

introduced　into　a　bas　relief；　taken　from　Greek　sacred　history；　the

image　of　the　great　statesman　who　was　ruling　Athens　at　the　time；

Phidias　was　flung　into　prison　and　there；　in　the　common　gaol　of

Athens；　died；　the　supreme　artist　of　the　old　world。



And　do　you　think　that　this　was　an　exceptional　case？　　The　sign　of　a

Philistine　age　is　the　cry　of　immorality　against　art；　and　this　cry

was　raised　by　the　Athenian　people　against　every　great　poet　and

thinker　of　their　day　…　AEschylus；　Euripides；　Socrates。　　It　was　the

same　with　Florence　in　the　thirteenth　century。　　Good　handicrafts　are

due　to　guilds；　not　to　the　people。　　The　moment　the　guilds　lost　their

power　and　the　people　rushed　in；　beauty　and　honesty　of　work　died。



And　so；　never　talk　of　an　artistic　people；　there　never　has　been　such

a　thing。



But；　perhaps；　you　will　tell　me　that　the　external　beauty　of　the

world　has　almost　entirely　passed　away　from　us；　that　the　artist

dwells　no　longer　in　the　midst　of　the　lovely　surroundings　which；　in

ages　past；　were　the　natural　inheritance　of　every　one；　and　that　art

is　very　difficult　in　this　unlovely　town　of　ours；　where；　as　you　go

to　your　work　in　the　morning；　or　return　from　it　at　eventide；　you

have　to　pass　through　street　after　street　of　the　most　foolish　and

stupid　architecture　that　the　world　has　ever　seen；　architecture；

where　every　lovely　Greek　form　is　desecrated　and　defiled；　and　every

lovely　Gothic　form　defiled　and　desecrated；　reducing　three…fourths

of　the　London　houses　to　being；　merely；　like　square　boxes　of　the

vilest　proportions；　as　gaunt　as　they　are　grimy；　and　as　poor　as　they

are　pretentious　…　the　hall　door　always　of　the　wrong　colour；　and　the

windows　of　the　wrong　size；　and　where；　even　when　wearied　of　the

houses　you　turn　to　contemplate　the　street　itself；　you　have　nothing

to　look　at　but　chimney…p