the critic as artist-第14部分

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s　of　many　of　their　best　pictures。　　For　a　class　that　welcomes　the　incompetent　with　sympathetic　eagerness；　and　that　confuses　the　bizarre　with　the　beautiful；　and　vulgarity　with　truth；　they　are　extremely　accomplished。　　They　can　do　etchings　that　have　the　brilliancy　of　epigrams；　pastels　that　are　as　fascinating　as　paradoxes；　and　as　for　their　portraits；　whatever　the　commonplace　may　say　against　them；　no　one　can　deny　that　they　possess　that　unique　and　wonderful　charm　which　belongs　to　works　of　pure　fiction。　　But　even　the　Impressionists；　earnest　and　industrious　as　they　are；　will　not　do。　I　like　them。　　Their　white　keynote；　with　its　variations　in　lilac；　was　an　era　in　colour。　　Though　the　moment　does　not　make　the　man；　the　moment　certainly　makes　the　Impressionist；　and　for　the　moment　in　art；　and　the　'moment's　monument；'　as　Rossetti　phrased　it；　what　may　not　be　said？　　They　are　suggestive　also。　　If　they　have　not　opened　the　eyes　of　the　blind；　they　have　at　least　given　great　encouragement　to　the　short…sighted；　and　while　their　leaders　may　have　all　the　inexperience　of　old　age；　their　young　men　are　far　too　wise　to　be　ever　sensible。　　Yet　they　will　insist　on　treating　painting　as　if　it　were　a　mode　of　autobiography　invented　for　the　use　of　the　illiterate；　and　are　always　prating　to　us　on　their　coarse　gritty　canvases　of　their　unnecessary　selves　and　their　unnecessary　opinions；　and　spoiling　by　a　vulgar　over…emphasis　that　fine　contempt　of　nature　which　is　the　best　and　only　modest　thing　about　them。　　One　tires；　at　the　end；　of　the　work　of　individuals　whose　individuality　is　always　noisy；　and　generally　uninteresting。　　There　is　far　more　to　be　said　in　favour　of　that　newer　school　at　Paris；　the　ARCHAICISTES；　as　they　call　themselves；　who；　refusing　to　leave　the　artist　entirely　at　the　mercy　of　the　weather；　do　not　find　the　ideal　of　art　in　mere　atmospheric　effect；　but　seek　rather　for　the　imaginative　beauty　of　design　and　the　loveliness　of　fair　colour；　and　rejecting　the　tedious　realism　of　those　who　merely　paint　what　they　see；　try　to　see　something　worth　seeing；　and　to　see　it　not　merely　with　actual　and　physical　vision；　but　with　that　nobler　vision　of　the　soul　which　is　as　far　wider　in　spiritual　scope　as　it　is　far　more　splendid　in　artistic　purpose。　　They；　at　any　rate；　work　under　those　decorative　conditions　that　each　art　requires　for　its　perfection；　and　have　sufficient　aesthetic　instinct　to　regret　those　sordid　and　stupid　limitations　of　absolute　modernity　of　form　which　have　proved　the　ruin　of　so　many　of　the　Impressionists。　　Still；　the　art　that　is　frankly　decorative　is　the　art　to　live　with。　　It　is；　of　all　our　visible　arts；　the　one　art　that　creates　in　us　both　mood　and　temperament。　　Mere　colour；　unspoiled　by　meaning；　and　unallied　with　definite　form；　can　speak　to　the　soul　in　a　thousand　different　ways。　The　harmony　that　resides　in　the　delicate　proportions　of　lines　and　masses　becomes　mirrored　in　the　mind。　　The　repetitions　of　pattern　give　us　rest。　　The　marvels　of　design　stir　the　imagination。　　In　the　mere　loveliness　of　the　materials　employed　there　are　latent　elements　of　culture。　　Nor　is　this　all。　　By　its　deliberate　rejection　of　Nature　as　the　ideal　of　beauty；　as　well　as　of　the　imitative　method　of　the　ordinary　painter；　decorative　art　not　merely　prepares　the　soul　for　the　reception　of　true　imaginative　work；　but　develops　in　it　that　sense　of　form　which　is　the　basis　of　creative　no　less　than　of　critical　achievement。　　For　the　real　artist　is　he　who　proceeds；　not　from　feeling　to　form；　but　from　form　to　thought　and　passion。　　He　does　not　first　conceive　an　idea；　and　then　say　to　himself；　'I　will　put　my　idea　into　a　complex　metre　of　fourteen　lines；'　but；　realising　the　beauty　of　the　sonnet…scheme；　he　conceives　certain　modes　of　music　and　methods　of　rhyme；　and　the　mere　form　suggests　what　is　to　fill　it　and　make　it　intellectually　and　emotionally　complete。　　From　time　to　time　the　world　cries　out　against　some　charming　artistic　poet；　because；　to　use　its　hackneyed　and　silly　phrase；　he　has　'nothing　to　say。'　　But　if　he　had　something　to　say；　he　would　probably　say　it；　and　the　result　would　be　tedious。　　It　is　just　because　he　has　no　new　message；　that　he　can　do　beautiful　work。　　He　gains　his　inspiration　from　form；　and　from　form　purely；　as　an　artist　should。　　A　real　passion　would　ruin　him。　　Whatever　actually　occurs　is　spoiled　for　art。　　All　bad　poetry　springs　from　genuine　feeling。　To　be　natural　is　to　be　obvious；　and　to　be　obvious　is　to　be　inartistic。

ERNEST。　　I　wonder　do　you　really　believe　what　you　say？

GILBERT。　　Why　should　you　wonder？　　It　is　not　merely　in　art　that　the　body　is　the　soul。　　In　every　sphere　of　life　Form　is　the　beginning　of　things。　　The　rhythmic　harmonious　gestures　of　dancing　convey；　Plato　tells　us；　both　rhythm　and　harmony　into　the　mind。　　Forms　are　the　food　of　faith；　cried　Newman　in　one　of　those　great　moments　of　sincerity　that　make　us　admire　and　know　the　man。　　He　was　right；　though　he　may　not　have　known　how　terribly　right　he　was。　　The　Creeds　are　believed；　not　because　they　are　rational；　but　because　they　are　repeated。　　Yes：　　Form　is　everything。　　It　is　the　secret　of　life。　Find　expression　for　a　sorrow；　and　it　will　become　dear　to　you。　　Find　expression　for　a　joy；　and　you　intensify　its　ecstasy。　　Do　you　wish　to　love？　　Use　Love's　Litany；　and　the　words　will　create　the　yearning　from　which　the　world　fancies　that　they　spring。　　Have　you　a　grief　that　corrodes　your　heart？　　Steep　yourself　in　the　Language　of　grief；　learn　its　utterance　from　Prince　Hamlet　and　Queen　Constance；　and　you　will　find　that　mere　expression　is　a　mode　of　consolation；　and　that　Form；　which　is　the　birth　of　passion；　is　also　the　death　of　pain。　And　so；　to　return　to　the　sphere　of　Art；　it　is　Form　that　creates　not　merely　the　critical　temperament；　but　also　the　aesthetic　instinct；　that　unerring　instinct　that　reveals　to　one　all　things　under　their　conditions　of　beauty。　　Start　with　the　worship　of　form；　and　there　is　no　secret　in　art　that　will　not　be　revealed　to　you；　and　remember　that　in　criticism；　as　in　creation；　temperament　is　everything；　and　that　it　is；　not　by　the　time　of　their　production；　but　by　the　temperaments　to　which　they　appeal；　that　the　schools　of　art　should　be　historically　grouped。

ERNEST。　　Your　theory　of　education　is　delightful。　　But　what　influence　will　your　critic；　brought　up　in　these　exquisite　surroundings；　possess？　　Do　you　really　think　that　any　artist　is　ever　affected　by　criticism？

GILBERT。　　The　influence　of　the　critic　will　be　the　mere　fact　of　his　own　existence。　　He　will　represent　the　flawless　type。　　In　him　the　culture　of　the　century　will　see　itself　realised。　　You　must　not　ask　of　him　to　have　any　aim　other　than　the　perfecting　of　himself。　　The　demand　of　the　intellect；　as　has　been　well　said；　is　simply　to　feel　itself　alive。　　The　critic　may；　indeed；　desire　to　exercise　influence；　but；　if　so；　he　will　concern　himself　not　with　the　individual；　but　with　the　age；　which　he　will　seek　to　wake　into　consciousness；　and　to　make　responsive；　creating　in　it　new　desires　and　appetites；　and　lending　it　his　larger　vision　and　his　nobler　moods。　　The　actual　art　of　to…day　will　occupy　him　less　than　the　art　of　to…morrow；　far　less　than　the　art　of　yesterday；　and　as　for　this　or　that　person　at　present　toiling　away；　what　do　the　industrious　matter？　　They　do　their　best；　no　doubt；　and　consequently　we　get　the　worst　from　them。　　It　is　always　with　the　best　intentions　that　the　worst　work　is　done。　　And　besides；　my　dear　Ernest；　when　a　man　reaches　the　age　of　forty；　or　becomes　a　Royal　Academician；　or　is　elected　a　member　of　the　Athenaeum　Club；　or　is　recognised　as　a　popular　novelist；　whose　books　are　in　great　demand　at　suburban　railway　stations；　one　may　have　the　amusement　of　exposing　him；　but　one　cannot　have　the　pleasure　of　reforming　him。　　And　this　is；　I　dare　say；　very　fortunate　for　him；　for　I　have　no　doubt　that　reformation　is　a　much　more　painful　process　than　punishment；　is　indeed　punishment　in　its　most　aggravated　and　moral　form　…　a　fact　which　accounts　for　our　entire　failure　as　a　community　to　reclaim　that　interesting　phenomenon　who　is　called　the　confirmed　criminal。

ERNEST。　　But　may　it　not　be　that　the　poet　is　the　best　judge　of　poetry；　and　the　painter　of　painting？　　Each　art　must　appeal　primarily　to　the　artist　who　works　in　it。　　His　judgment　will　surely　be　the　most　valuable？

GILBERT。　　The　appeal　of　all　art　is　simply　to　the　artistic　temperament。　　Art　does　not　address　herself　to　the　specialist。　　Her　claim　is　that　she　is　universal；　and　that　in　all　her　manifestations　she　is　one。　　Indeed；　so　far　from　its　being　true　that　the　artist　is　the　best　judge　of　art；　a　really　great　artist　can　never　judge　of　other　people's　work　at　all；　and　can　hardly；　in　fact；　judge　of　his　own。　　That　very　concentration　of　vision　that　makes　a　man　an　artist；　limits　by　its　sheer　intensity　his　faculty　of　fine　appreciation。　The　energy　of　creation　hurries　him　blindly　on　to　his　own　goal。　　The　wheels　of　his　chariot　raise　the　dust　as　a　cloud　around　him。　　The　gods　are　hidden　from　each　other。　　They　can　recognise　their　worshippers。　　That　is　all。

ERNEST。　　You　say　that　a　great　artist　cannot　recognise　the　beauty　of　work　different　from　his　own。

GILBERT。　　It　is　impossible　for　him　to　do　so。　　Wordsworth　saw　in　ENDYMION　merely　a　pretty　piece　of　Paganism；　and　Shelley；　with　his　dislike　of　actuality；　was　deaf　to　Wordsworth's　message；　being　repelled　by　its　form；　and　Byron；　that　great　passionate　human　incomplete　creature；　could　appreciate　neither　the　poet　of　the　cloud　nor　the　poet　of　the　lake；　and　the　wonder　of　Keats　was　hidden　from　him。　　The　realism　of　Euripides　was　hateful　to　Sophokles。　　Those　droppings　of　warm　tears　had　no　music　for　him。　　Milton；　with　his　sense　of　the　grand　style；　could　not　understand　the　method　of　Shakespeare；　any　more　than　could　Sir　Joshua　the　method　of　Gainsborough。　　Bad　artists　always　admire　each　other's　work。　　They　call　it　being　large…minded　and　free　from　prejudice。　　But　a　truly　great　artist　cannot　conceive　of　life　being　shown；　or　beauty　fashioned；　under　any　conditions　other　than　those　that　he　has　selected。　　Creation　employs　all　its　critical　faculty　within　its　own　sphere。　　It　may　not　use　it　in　the　sphere　that　belongs　to　others。　It　is　exactly　because　a　man　cannot　do　a　thing　that　he　is　the　proper　judge　of　it。

ERNEST。　　Do　you　really　mean　that？

GILBERT。　　Yes；　for　creation　limits；　while　contemplation　widens；　the　vision。

ERNEST。　　But　what　about　techniqu