,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,sidenotes are identified as3 ,,sn3 text of sidenote4 ,additional ,transcriber's ,notes are at the end4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,relation of ,art to ,nature 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,relation ,,of ,,art ,,to ,,nature by ,john ,w4 ,beatty ,new ,york ,william ,edwin ,rudge #aibb 99 99 99 99 99 ,copyright1 #aibb by ,,john ,w4 ,,beatty 99 99 99 99 99 ,to my gentle wife this little volume is affectionately dedicated4 ,contents ,,argument ,page #a ,,the ,,artist ,,and ,,his ,,purpose #e ,,ancient ,,conceptions ,,of ,,art #ac ,,evidence ,,of ,,painters ,,and ,,sculptors #ai ,,opinions ,,of ,,philosophers ,,and ,,writers #dh ,,symmetry #eg ,,conclusion #fg ,authorities ,quoted ,,painters ,,and ,,sculptors ,kuo ,hsi #aath ,century ,leonardo da ,vinci #adeb-aeai ,albrecht ,drer #adga-aebh ,michelangelo ,buonarotti #adge-aefd ,william ,hogarth #afig-agfd ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds #agbc-agib ,gilbert ,stuart #agee-ahbh ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence #agfi-ahcj ,john ,constable #aggf-ahcg ,jean-,baptiste ,camille ,corot #agif-ahge ,jean ,franois ,millet #ahad-ahge ,james ,abbott ,mc,neill ,whistler #ahcd-aijc ,john ,la ,farge #ahce-aiaj ,winslow ,homer #ahcf-aiaj ,anton ,mauve #ahch-ahhh ,auguste ,rodin #ahdj-aiae ,abbott ,handerson ,thayer #ahdi-aiba ,henry ,ward ,ranger #aheh-aiaf ,giovanni ,segantini #aheh-ahii ,,writers ,,and ,,philosophers ,socrates #dgj-cii ,b4 ,c4 ,plato #dbg-cdg ,b4 ,c4 ,aristotle #chd-cbb ,b4 ,c4 ,baron ,gottfried ,wilhelm von ,leibnitz #afdf-agaf ,alexander ,gottlieb ,baumgarten #agad-agfb ,immanuel ,kant #agbd-ahjd ,georg ,wilhelm ,friedrich ,hegel #aggj-ahca ,arthur ,schopenhauer #aghh-ahfj ,john ,stuart ,blackie #ahji-ahie ,james ,anthony ,froude #ahah-ahid ,jean ,henri ,fabre #ahbc-aiae ,hippolyte ,adolphe ,taine #ahbh-ahic ,william ,angus ,knight #ahcf-aiaf ,lord ,james ,bryce #ahch-aibb ,lafcadio ,hearn #ahej-aijd ,maurice ,maeterlinck #ahfb- ,sei-ichi ,taki ,introduction ,in his very convincing and lucid treatise on the fundamental principles of art1 ,john ,w4 ,beatty gives us a most absorbing theme to follow--the relation of art to nature1 as expressed in their own words by artists themselves1 of different times and creeds2 with1 too1 the opinions of philosophers and men of letters4 ,himself a well-known painter1 ,mr4 ,beatty has been for almost thirty years the enlightened ,director of ,fine ,arts of the ,carnegie ,institute1 where1 alone in our whole country1 are held annually ,international ,exhibitions of ,art4 ,much of his life has thus been spent in intimate association with the very best painters and sculptors of our generation1 and his and their opinions and observations are here to be read with much pleasure and profit by every one interested in art4 ,mr4 ,beatty is quite right when he says1 8,not many able artists have recorded their opinions40 ,in conversation1 or on the impulse of the moment they may often speak with great beauty and clarity of expression1 but nearly always tersely and to the point4 ,on the other hand1 the man of letters is more given to analysis and finds more words1 and more beautiful ones1 to express his meaning4 ,analysis is perhaps a dangerous thing for the craftsman to toy with4 ,he must approach nature directly and simply1 with concentration that is absolute4 ,he dissects only that particular fragment of nature which is before him1 and that unconsciously4 ,the precious sensation of closeness to nature is so fleeting and so fickle1 so often not there at all1 and so frightened1 that it is easily scared away by the cold voice of the man with a rule to follow4 ,the ever changing aspect of nature1 be it man or landscape1 makes the first impression quickly recorded in the thumb-box sketch1 or with a dozen lines on the back of an envelope1 an invaluable document4 ,again and again in the painting of a picture we refer with respect to this first strong impression of nature4 ,the words character and beauty are many times repeated in this book4 ,both terms are definite and yet how elastic6 ,rembrandt is the preminent example of the complex meaning of the word beauty2 many of his models he found in the ,ghetto and among his friends and neighbors1 or1 for lack of a model1 he painted himself4 ,surely he has proved to us that only that which has character is truly beautiful2 and we must also feel in the presence of ,rembrandt's works1 his absolute fidelity to truth4 ,on a certain occasion ,i was in ,rodin's studio when reference was made to some harsh criticism of one of his nudes4 ,after listening with impatience ,rodin shrugged his shoulders and said3 8,why find fault with me8 they should find fault with nature60 ,and so we return to ,mr4 ,beatty's contention that the artist has succeeded when he has imitated the truth and beauty of nature4 ,the word imitation might seem to limit the artist's personal vision1 which must be his very own4 ,how very different this personal vision can be came vividly before me when ,i visited the ,prado in ,madrid4 ,in one room are seen the immortal works of ,velasquez1 among which are the portraits of ,philip ,,iv and his consort2 and in an adjoining room are portraits of this same ,philip and his queen by ,rubens1 the ,fleming1 who happened to be temporarily in ,madrid on a diplomatic mission4 ,the ,spaniard saw his sovereigns in all their splendor1 but with a solemn dignity1 dark haired and sallow complexioned4 ,while the man from ,antwerp saw the forms more round and amiable1 the hair and flesh more blond and colourful1 and unconsciously injected the blood of the ,netherlands into the veins of his ,spanish sitters4 ,notwithstanding this personal expression1 the predilection of a ,rubens for the more florid colours1 of a ,velasquez for the more subdued1 sober notes found in nature1 it remains true that the end sought by both is the representation of character as it exists in nature4 ,,gari ,,melchers4 ,belmont1 ,falmouth1 ,virginia1 ,january #e1 #aibb4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the realities of ,nature surpass our most ambitious dreams40 ,,auguste ,,rodin ,argument ,my purpose in writing this treatise is to establish1 if this be found possible1 a foundation for the belief that the art of the painter and sculptor is imitative1 not creative2 that the great masterpieces of art which have withstood the test of time rest firmly upon the supreme expression of character and beauty as these qualities are revealed in man and nature2 that it is the mission of art to reveal and make plain these rare and lovely qualities4 ,the truthful representation of these qualities constitutes a common factor which binds all great works together1 a fact that is realized in every national gallery of art4 ,i have chosen to base my argument not upon theory or opinion but upon the evidence of eminent painters and sculptors who have produced great works of art4 ,not many able artists have recorded their opinions touching the philosophy of art4 ,on the other hand1 writers in abundance have undertaken to define art4 ,a few early and some modern philosophers have given profound thought to the subject and bequeathed to us their opinions4 ,painters and sculptors1 with few exceptions1 however1 have confined their efforts to searching for1 and revealing by their art1 beauty and character4 ,more is the pity1 because opinion supported by achievement is always more valuable than judgment which rests solely upon theory or observation4 ,the great masters who have directed brush and chisel in the performance of their work must have known what their purpose was2 they certainly knew better than any one else1 and they undoubtedly realized how far they had succeeded1 or how far they had fallen short of securing the qualities which they had discovered and which they had undertaken to reveal4 ,the evidence of these men is invaluable4 ,its importance bears an exact relation to their success in producing great and enduring works4 ,this is true in every other field of human endeavor and it is equally true in the field of art4 ,the opinion of the great astronomer with reference to astronomy is more valuable than that of the layman2 the opinion of the great painter than that of the amateur4 ,the man who knows any science so perfectly that he can practice it successfully1 the artist who knows his art and nature so well that he can produce great works of art1 these have earned the right to express their opinions4 ,i think this must be accepted as a fundamental truth4 ,it is therefore to the painter and sculptor that ,i turn for judgment4 ,i have been aided in this inquiry by knowledge of the opinions of many of the able painters and sculptors of our own time4 ,intimate discussion has stimulated further inquiry1 and a conviction which was originally based upon familiarity with the methods and purpose of the painter has been confirmed4 ,the ,artist and ,his ,purpose ,during all the great periods of art able men have striven earnestly to attain a knowledge of character and beauty and to achieve their truthful representation4 ,even when the purpose of the artist has been to express some specific idea or to record some incident or historical event1 the work has lived1 not because of the idea conveyed or the interest which attaches to the subject1 but because it has portrayed character in a powerful manner1 or because it has expressed the qualities of beauty which are inherent in nature4 ,upon these qualities1 as they have been understood and translated by the artist1 has depended the life of every great painting and work of sculpture4 ,i believe this to be a fundamental and far reaching truth1 accepted almost universally by painters and sculptors4 ,this1 ,i know1 is equivalent to saying that the chief value of a work of art lies in its power to give aesthetic pleasure4 ,these observations may suggest a question as to the relative importance of a work of art which tells a story or records historical events as compared with one which appeals solely to the aesthetic sense or the love of beauty4 ,human language1 it would seem to me1 is the logical method for conveying thought from one mind to another and offers direct1 untrammelled mental contact without the intervention of form or design of any kind1 while the representation of beauty for beauty's sake alone is the more direct and effective way of creating and stimulating in the human heart a love of nature and art4 ,this1 however1 is not the question considered in this work4 ,the question raised is simply this3 ,has the artist1 in representing the evanescent effects of nature1 the manifold beauties and harmonies with which we are surrounded in this world1 or predominant character as expressed by man1 exceeded nature either by virtue of his exceptional power or as a result of any personal quality which he may impart to the work8 ,it is also manifestly true that the greatness of a work of art must depend upon the mental power of the artist1 that power which enables him to apprehend or discover the essential qualities existing in nature4 ,it is equally true that every artist1 even though wholly absorbed in the effort to reveal the truth and beauty which exist in nature1 expresses in some degree his own personality4 ,he does this inevitably1 first1 by the type of subject he chooses to study and represent1 and1 second1 but in a less important degree1 by the technical manner employed4 ,this is1 of course1 well understood by every one4 ,it is not for a moment disputed4 ,but beyond and above this personal expression stands1 as the chief and highest purpose of the artist1 the representation of truth and character as these do actually exist4 ,while the painter has used his art to record history1 to tell stories1 and to express emotions and convictions1 his chief mission is to extract from nature her many beautiful forms and harmonies and to present these in pleasing fashion4 ,in this way the artisan1 drawing upon the great multitude of beautiful forms and colours exhibited by nature and so lavishly spread everywhere in the animal and plant creations1 cunningly fashions patterns and combinations1 weaving these into rugs and adapting them to the many beautiful objects with which we are familiar4 ,notwithstanding these accepted facts1 ,i am convinced that the great works of the painter and sculptor1 those of supreme importance1 rest not upon any of these devices or expressions of art1 but upon the faithful1 unerring and masterly representation of character and beauty as these do actually exist4 ,the masterpieces of art as they live today in the national art galleries of the world establish this fact4 ,they seem to possess a common factor without regard to subject or period which unites in a common family the great paintings of the entire history of art4 ,this factor ,i believe to be the quality of truth4 ,these great works owe their existence to the fact that they faithfully represent some great outstanding type1 or because they truthfully reveal the characteristic and essential beauty of nature expressed in one of her many moods4 ,they are important just in proportion as their masters have understood these qualities and recorded their impressions on canvas and in marble4 ,i know perfectly well that the opinion here expressed is not the one most widely accepted2 it is not the popular view of art2 it is not the view expressed by many writers upon this subject4 ,the opinion most widely accepted is that the artist creates beauty2 that in some mysterious way1 by virtue of a special gift1 he does actually evolve from within his own consciousness forms of grace and loveliness2 that however deeply the artist sinks himself in nature1 art yet remains intensely individual2 that in representing nature he adds to that which he secures from nature a personal quality which becomes the most important part of the work4 ,this is the theory of art accepted very generally1 but it is not supported by evidence4 ,the main purpose of this writing is1 in fact1 to establish by the evidence of the men who are quoted that their reliance has been solely upon nature and their success in exact proportion to their knowledge of nature and their ability to portray her predominant qualities4 ,let me repeat1 however1 that the ability to see and understand nature is dependent upon mental power4 ,the man of limited mental power will see little2 the one of great power will see much4 ,the latter will apprehend the subtle1 elusive qualities in a way impossible to the former4 ,this1 ,i know1 is equivalent to saying that the great artist must bring to his task a great mind4 ,this assumption is quite correct4 ,a great mind is that power which is vaguely described as genius2 it is what enables men to accomplish great things in every field of human endeavor4 ,the question1 therefore1 is not whether the great artist possesses superior power1 but rather how important are the inevitable traces of personal predilection or technical manner revealed in nearly all works of art as compared with the truthful presentation of the fundamental qualities the artist has discovered and undertaken to represent4 ,let us examine this phase of the question more fully4 ,a painting by ,corot for instance bears1 first1 the evidence of ,corot's choice of subject4 ,that which appealed to him in nature he painted4 ,the kind of thing he loved1 the phase of nature he chose1 unquestionably bore evidence of his personal temperament or predilection4 ,by this he expressed his personal taste1 his discriminating judgment1 himself1 in fact4 ,if the artist be a man of gentle and sensitive quality1 he will select for representation1 as ,corot did1 a phase of nature which is in accord with his feeling4 ,in the second place1 a painting by ,corot will exhibit in a very obvious way the manifest impress of the artist's technical method4 ,in fact1 the manner by which the work is performed1 that which is termed technic1 the very manner in which the artist touches the canvas1 becomes a distinguishing and individual characteristic intimately associated with the artist and easily recognized4 ,however1 the technical treatment is of little significance4 ,it is in an important sense pure mannerism1 often the result of habit or early professional training4 ,in a limited sense it is the handwriting of the artist4 ,this technical side of a painting1 the obvious and superficial aspect1 is1 ,i am convinced1 given by the amateur an importance out of all proportion to its value4 ,we must1 however1 deal with this personal phase of a work of art4 ,the question is how important is this personal expression as compared with the more profound truth of nature4 ,if we may accept the testimony of the painters and sculptors who have produced enduring works of art1 we will1 ,i think1 be convinced that this quality is not important when compared with essential truth or predominant character4 ,the artists whose opinions you will read seem almost without exception to attach greater importance to the expression of the character of the person or object represented than to the expression of personal temperament4 ,indeed1 they seem to be oblivious to the qualities which attract and occupy the attention of the writer and amateur1 but they are insistent upon the paramount importance of truth4 ,what this all-important quality is may be further explained by a simple illustration4 ,abraham ,lincoln was an outstanding type4 ,the painter or sculptor cannot by his art enhance either the beauty or strength of ,lincoln's character4 ,the utmost he can hope to do is to realize that character in its richness and fullness of power4 ,in everything the artist touches in his effort to reproduce this character his taste will be displayed1 even in the treatment of details1 the adjustment of draperies and accessories1 the appropriateness of gesture or movement2 but all these things1 including the technic displayed1 will be subordinate to ,lincoln's character4 ,the great1 outstanding1 dominant character of ,abraham ,lincoln exists as a masterpiece of nature far outranking in perfection any description or portraiture4 ,the man who best reads or comprehends this character and who most faithfully represents it1 will produce the greatest work of art4 ,in the effort to do this1 the painter or sculptor will undoubtedly leave traces of his own individuality or temperament1 but these qualities must not be confused with the dominant character of a ,lincoln or given undue importance4 ,the highest purpose of the artist is to faithfully represent character4 ,ancient ,conceptions of ,art ,closely allied to the thought that the painter creates beauty is the ancient tradition that the artist is inspired to produce works of art4 ,this conviction had its origin very early in the history of art4 ,in the time of ,praxiteles this belief was entertained by many2 it was thought1 for instance1 that in the production of the ,aphrodite of ,knidos the sculptor was inspired by the goddess herself4 ,this conception of art doubtless grew out of the fact that the early art of the ,egyptians and ,greeks was largely devoted to the representation of deities and to the erection of temples which should be their shrines4 ,this association of art with the gods and their temples doubtless contributed to the belief that the artist was inspired or that he possessed a superior power or the gift of inspiration4 ,,sn3 ,hegel ,closely allied with this thought was the conception expressed by ,hegel with reference to a distinction between the external and material forms of art and the spirit which he suggests permeates the work and of which it is a manifestation4 ,hegel1 although accepting the theory that 8art has the vocation of revealing the truth in the form of sensuous artistic shape10 speaks of the union of the material with the spiritual in a manner1 which although quite true in abstract reasoning1 contributes to this impression4 ,discussing ,architecture as a ,fine ,art1 he wrote3 8,the material of architecture is matter itself in its immediate externality as a heavy mass subject to mechanical laws1 and its forms remain the forms of inorganic nature1 but are merely arranged and ordered in accordance with the abstract rules of the understanding1 the rules of symmetry4 ,but in such material and in such forms the ideal as concrete spirituality cannot be realized2 the reality which is represented in them remains1 therefore1 alien to the spiritual idea1 as something external which it has not penetrated or with which it has but a remote and abstract relation4444 ,into this temple now enters the ,god himself4 ,the lightning-flash of individuality strikes the inert mass1 permeates it1 and a form no longer merely symmetrical1 but infinite and spiritual1 concentrates and molds its adequate bodily shape40 ,no one today in the presence of a superb relic of architecture asks whether or not it is the abiding place of a spirit4 ,it is accepted as expressing the spirit of beauty and is enjoyed for this alone4 ,hegel's conception of a work of art1 frequently expressed in his philosophy1 was that the content or idea is the important thing4 ,this conception conformed to early art because painting and sculpture were employed primarily to express ideas4 ,with the development of the ,landscape ,school of ,art and the enjoyment of art on the purely aesthetic side1 modern thought has materially changed4 ,gradually our appreciation of the beautiful for its own sake has developed4 ,the influence of this movement has reacted upon all phases of art expression1 and even those works which express ideas in the sense of subject matter have come to be judged upon the basis of aesthetic beauty1 rather than with reference to the idea or content as thus defined4 ,therefore what ,hegel says applies to the early conception of art rather than to that of the present time4 ,,sn3 ,socrates ,another conception of art suggests the union of the beautiful with the good4 ,the philosophy of ,socrates teaches this4 ,he regarded the beautiful as coincident with the good1 and both of them as resolvable into the useful4 ,he does not seem to have attached importance to the immediate gratification which a beautiful object affords to perception and contemplation1 but rather to have emphasized its power of furthering the more necessary ends of life4 ,these early theories and conceptions with reference to art may in some degree account for the prevalence of an impression1 even in our own time1 that the artist is inspired or that he creates his masterpiece as the result of some supernatural power4 ,it has always seemed to the inexperienced that the creation of a work of art implies an element of mystery or represents something inexplicable4 ,what is to the painter a natural process becomes mysterious4 ,nothing existed on the blank canvas and behold1 presently1 there appears a picture simulating life4 ,having no knowledge of the methods employed1 or of the years of patient labor required to secure the technical ability to represent the actual truth and spirit of natural objects1 the result seems far removed from the ordinary4 ,thence it is but a step to the point of view that the artist is one 8inspired40 ,although the conception of a work of art which places it above nature is very old1 ,i do not recall a definition made under this impression which seems satisfactory4 ,there is always apparent the effort to compromise or bring together two distinct conceptions--the one attributing to the work a quality superior to nature and the other demanding that it be a truthful representation of nature4 ,defining a work of art as something superior to nature1 and at the same time insisting that it represent nature faithfully is an inconsistency eternally cropping out4 ,,sn3 ,john ,constable ,john ,constable touched this subject with remarkable acumen and expressed his conviction with precision when he said3 8,it appears to me that pictures have been over-valued2 held up by a blind admiration as ideal things1 and almost as standards by which nature is to be judged rather than the reverse2 and this false estimate has been sanctioned by the extravagant epithets that have been applied to painters1 as #8the divine1' #8the inspired1' and so forth4 ,yet1 in reality what are the most sublime productions of the pencil but selections of some of the forms of nature1 and copies of a few of her evanescent effects2 the result1 not of inspiration1 but of long and patient study1 under the direction of much good sense40 ,this1 then1 is my argument3 ,first1 that art is the expression of supreme or predominant character and the representation of grace and harmony as these qualities exist in nature2 and1 second1 that the truthful rendering of these qualities is the high mission of the painter and sculptor4 ,evidence of ,painters and ,sculptors ,if we will now turn to the evidence bearing upon this subject1 we will discover what ,i have already indicated1 namely1 that the able artists who have expressed opinions touching the philosophy of their art have done so in no uncertain terms1 and that the opinions which refer art to nature as the highest source seem convincing4 ,we will also discover that not only do the majority of able painters agree upon what art really is1 and express their opinions with clearness and precision1 but that many of the philosophers of recent and ancient times define art in the same forceful way4 ,let us first examine opinions expressed by painters and sculptors4 ,,sn3 ,michelangelo ,michelangelo wrote3 8,in my judgment that is the excellent and divine painting which is most like and best imitates any work of immortal ,god1 whether a human figure1 or a wild and strange animal1 or a simple and easy fish1 or a bird of the air1 or any other creature4444 ,to imitate perfectly each of these things in its species seems to me to be nothing else but to desire to imitate the work of immortal ,god4 ,and yet that thing will be the most noble and perfect in the works of painting which in itself reproduced the thing which is most noble and of the greatest delicacy and knowledge40 ,michelangelo thus reduces the philosophy of art to the simple problem of selection1 and the faithful and truthful representation of the dominant1 the graceful1 the harmonious1 and the beautiful in nature4 ,his statement1 which so simply1 even quaintly1 expresses the opinion of a great master whose works have commanded the homage of the world during nearly four centuries1 is worthy of the most careful consideration4 ,it reveals his reliance upon nature without confusion of thought or pretension of any kind4 ,there are here no intricate definitions of art or complex theories concerning his method of creating his masterly representations of the best he found in nature--8the thing which is most noble60 ,the universality of this profound truth and of its independence of local conditions and circumstances is emphasized by the fact that another great master of another race1 one whose technical methods and choice of subjects differed widely from those of ,michelangelo1 expressed the same reliance upon nature4 ,,sn3 ,albrecht ,drer ,albrecht ,drer was a contemporary of ,michelangelo1 but he worked under widely different conditions4 ,it is the great fundamental quality of truth so quaintly commended by ,michelangelo that distinguishes the works of ,albrecht ,drer4 ,albrecht ,drer wrote3 8,life in ,nature proves the truth of these things2 therefore consider her diligently1 guide thyself by her1 and swerve not from ,nature1 thinking that thou canst find something better of thyself1 for thou wilt be deceived4 ,for ,art standeth firmly fixed in ,nature1 and whoso can thence rend her forth1 he only possesseth her40 ,,sn3 ,leonardo da ,vinci ,we find in ,leonardo da ,vinci's notebook reference to this same principle4 ,he recommends application to the study of the works of nature and advises the student to withdraw as far as possible from the companionship of others in order that he may more earnestly and effectively do this4 ,his sage advice emphasizes the importance of study4 8,the eye1 which is called the window of the soul1 is the chief means whereby the understanding may most fully and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature4444 ,all visible things derive their existence from nature1 and from these same things is born painting40 ,,sn3 ,william ,hogarth ,another painter who has written his opinion upon this subject is ,william ,hogarth1 who said3 8,nature is simple1 plain1 and true1 in all her works1 and those who strictly adhere to her laws1 and closely attend to her appearances in their infinite varieties1 are guarded against any prejudiced bias from truth40 ,,sn3 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds ,of the great painters who have touched upon the philosophy of art in their writings1 no one has written1 shall ,i say1 more fluently than has ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,he may even be said to have been eloquent4 ,his lectures prepared for the students of the ,royal ,academy have been famous for a century and a half4 ,they have not only inspired generations of art students with a keener interest in art1 but they are probably the most helpful utterances upon the subject given to the world in his time or since4 ,it seems to me1 however1 that1 as is often the case where great facility of expression is practiced1 ,reynolds employs a term which1 without clear definition1 confuses the mind4 ,this is true where he frequently uses the term 8genius40 ,the term is associated in popular belief with the power to create works of art4 ,although using a term which is at least subject to this interpretation1 ,reynolds definitely denies to the human mind this power1 asserting that the power to create is simply the power to imitate nature4 ,reynolds wrote3 8,i am on the contrary persuaded that by imitation only1 variety1 and even originality of invention1 is produced4 ,i will go further2 even genius1 at least what generally is so called1 is the child of imitation40 ,he further says3 8,the study of nature is the beginning and the end of theory4 ,it is in nature only we can find that beauty which is the great object of our search2 it can be found nowhere else2 we can no more form any idea of beauty superior to nature than we can form an idea of a sixth sense1 or any other excellence out of the limits of the human mind40 ,reynolds again writes3 8,invention1 strictly speaking1 is little more than a new combination of those images which have been previously gathered and deposited in the memory3 nothing can come of nothing3 he who has laid up no materials can produce no combinations40 ,,sn3 ,john ,constable ,john ,constable1 a contemporary of ,reynolds1 and to whose judgment we have already referred1 further expressed his opinion upon this subject4 ,a statement of principle by him seems to be conviction crystallized4 ,constable1 although unaccustomed to writing1 even unaccustomed to discussion1 because he was a man of quiet and simple life1 seems to have thought profoundly2 and when the rare occasion to express his opinion did come he condensed within a few words a great fundamental principle with unerring precision4 ,his definition of the purpose and method of the artist cannot1 ,i think1 be excelled for accuracy or fullness of meaning4 ,he wrote3 8,in art1 there are two modes by which men aim at distinction2 in the one1 by a careful application to what others have accomplished1 the artist imitates their works1 or selects and combines their various beauties2 in the other1 he seeks excellence at its primitive source1 nature4 ,in the first1 he forms a style upon the study of pictures1 and produces either imitative or eclectic art2 in the second1 by a close observation of nature1 he discovers qualities existing in her which have never been portrayed before1 and thus forms a style which is original4 ,the results of the one mode1 as they repeat that with which the eye is already familiar1 are soon recognized and estimated1 while the advances of the artist in a new path must necessarily be slow1 for few are able to judge of that which deviates from the usual course1 or qualified to appreciate original studies40 ,there is here no mystery or ambiguity4 ,this is the statement of a profound truth by a great painter who knew perfectly his reliance upon nature4 ,it was prompted by the conviction of a great mind which saw only the underlying fact and abjured all trivialities and hair-splitting theories4 ,in his mental attitude and grasp1 ,constable was like ,winslow ,homer1 a man of few words1 one given to much thought and to firm convictions4 ,,sn3 ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence ,in one of his lectures at the ,royal ,institution of ,great ,britain1 ,constable said3 8,it was said by ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 that #8we can never hope to compete with nature in the beauty and delicacy of her separate forms or colours1 our only chance lies in selection and combination4'0 ,,sn3 ,gilbert ,stuart ,gilbert ,stuart expressed a like reliance upon nature when he said3 8,you must copy nature1 but if you leave nature for an imaginary effect1 you will lose all4 ,nature cannot be excused1 and as your object is to copy nature1 it is the height of folly to work at anything else to produce that copy40 ,,sn3 ,corot ,corot was equally assured of the importance of this principle to an artist4 ,he said3 8,truth is the first thing in art1 and the second1 and the third40 ,,sn3 ,millet ,let us take the opinion of another able painter1 that of ,millet1 who said3 8,men of genius are1 as it were1 endowed with a divining-rod4 ,some discover one thing in nature1 some another1 according to their temperament4444 ,the mission of men of genius is to reveal that portion of nature's riches which they have discovered1 to those who would never have suspected their existence4 ,they interpret nature to those who cannot understand her language40 8,i should like to do nothing which was not the result of an impression received from the appearance of nature1 either in landscape or figures40 8,i should express the type very strongly1 the type being1 to my mind1 the most powerful truth40 ,these opinions are at once simple and comprehensive4 ,they express the thoughts of men who have achieved great works4 ,indeed1 ,i have never heard the able master of art say otherwise than that he has striven with all his power1 sometimes in despair1 to wrest from nature the subtle beauties of form and colour possessed by her and discovered by those who have the power to perceive and understand these qualities4 ,nature is the supreme standard1 attained to only in part4 ,we may accept nature as the source of all beauty and harmony in art and rest assured that the stream has never risen above its source4 ,the opinions here quoted do not differ materially from those expressed by painters of our own time4 ,,sn3 ,whistler ,i recall that ,whistler upon the occasion of one of my visits expressed an opinion upon this subject4 ,whistler's 8,white ,girl10 8,girl at the ,piano0 and many other works are such notable examples of truthful representation as to give weight to his opinion4 ,the absolute certainty with which the several parts of these pictures exist in relation to each other cannot be overstated4 ,in response to my inquiry regarding the most important quality in the art of the painter1 ,whistler said3 8,art is the science of the beautiful4 ,the parts of nature bear a certain relation to each other1 and this relation is as true as a mathematical fact4 ,people sometimes say my pictures are dark4 ,that depends upon whether or not the subject was dark2 whether the conditions made it dark4 ,if a dark or low toned phase of nature is selected1 then the picture must be absolutely true to those conditions40 8,there it is1 the subject4 ,certain relations exist between the value notes1 and these relations must be reproduced absolutely4 ,two and two make four--that is a simple truth in mathematics as it is in nature4 ,two and two make four--the trouble is that many painters do not see that two and two make four4 ,they do not see this fine relationship which results in a simple truth4 ,not seeing1 they try all kinds of numbers40 ,turning from the easel in front of which we were standing1 ,whistler lifted a book from the table with a quick1 almost nervous action1 and as he opened it said with a quizzical expression1 8,it is all in here40 ,the book was the 8,gentle ,art of ,making ,enemies40 ,tuning quickly to the paragraph he had in mind1 he read1 8,nature contains the elements1 in colour and form1 of all pictures1 as the keyboard contains the notes of all music4 ,but the artist is born to pick1 and choose1 and group with science1 these elements1 that the result may be beautiful40 ,he continued to read for a good part of an hour4 ,whistler by ,whistler was an inimitable and rare treat4 ,the slightest shade of meaning was expressed with great delicacy1 by inflection and gesture4 ,at the end of very many years of study and observation1 ,whistler's sensitive appreciation and power of selection were extraordinary4 ,the most subtle and harmonious qualities in nature made an irresistible appeal to him4 ,he has described this faculty as the power to pick and choose4 ,by the very choice of many of his subjects he was enabled to eliminate all insignificant details and thereby to render the harmonies of nature as they appeared to him4 ,he described his method or mental attitude with reference to nature when he said3 8,as the light fades and the shadows deepen all petty and exacting details vanish1 everything trivial disappears1 and ,i see things as they are1 in great strong masses40 ,this represents ,whistler in the presence of subdued and gentle qualities in nature1 but it was the same ,whistler1 without modification or change in his attitude with respect to nature1 who rendered with such startling realism and absolute fidelity to truth in his marvellous etchings the shipping1 the city1 and the river ,thames4 ,under the blazing light of noonday the masts and rigging of the ships1 the forms and details of the hulls1 even the tile upon the roofs of the city houses were distinctly seen4 ,he recorded his impressions manifestly without the slightest deviation from the simple truth of form and value4 ,no one who has studied ,whistler's set of the ,thames etchings will for an instant dispute this statement4 ,the quality of simple truth is so astonishingly present in every line and form in these works that no argument is needed touching this point4 ,the ,whistler who made these etchings1 the ,whistler who painted the 8,white ,girl0 and the 8,girl at the ,piano10 must be reconciled with the ,whistler who painted the evening symphonies representing the river1 the 8,portrait of ,sarasate10 and other works of subdued and gentle qualities4 ,the simple truth is that ,whistler was as faithful and scientific in the one case as in the other1 and that the result depended upon his choice of subject1 and the time1 and effect observed4 ,i am told that in his later period he sought after and discovered means of securing the more gentle aspects of nature2 that he toned and diffused the light in his studio scientifically by the use of semi-transparent window curtains4 ,however this may be1 it is undoubtedly true that he did rely upon the effect actually before him and that he sought to represent the subdued effect in his studio or the gentle light of evening so beautifully described by him in his 8,ten ,o',clock40 ,it would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful pen picture than this description by ,whistler4 ,it indicates his love for the gentle and harmonious qualities in nature4 8,when the evening mist clothes the riverside with poetry1 as with a veil1 and the poor buildings lose themselves in the dim sky1 and the tall chimneys become campanili1 and the warehouses palaces in the night1 and the whole city hangs in the heavens1 and fairyland is before us--then the wayfarer hastens home2 the workingman and the cultured one1 the wise man and the one of pleasure1 cease to understand1 as they have ceased to see1 and ,nature1 who1 for once1 has sung in tune1 sings her exquisite song to the artist alone1 her son and her master--her son in that he loves her1 her master in that he knows her40 ,,sn3 ,abbott ,thayer ,this power to select and represent the beautiful qualities in nature1 a power which is the result of repeated efforts1 has been defined by ,abbott ,h4 ,thayer with rare skill and poetic beauty4 8,it is as though a man were shown a crystal1 a perfect thing1 gleaming below depths of water--far down beyond reach4 ,he would dive and dive again1 driven by his great desire to secure it1 until finally1 all dripping1 he brought it up4 ,but that in the end he could bring it--a perfect thing--to us1 was possible solely because he had first seen it1 gleaming there4 ,others might dive and dive1 might work and labor with endless patience and endless pain1 but unless they had first seen the crystal--unless they had been given this divine gift of seeing--this vision--they would come up empty-handed4 ,the occasional so-called genius does not make the crystal1 but he alone sees it1 where it lies gleaming below depths of water1 and by his effort brings it to us4 ,the whole question is how absolutely1 how perfectly1 the artist sees this vision40 8,after the artist has lived1 for a certain period1 in worship of some particular specimen or type of the form of beauty dearest to him1 this crystal-like vision forms1 clearer and clearer1 at the bottom of his mind1 which is1 so to speak1 his sea of consciousness1 until at last the vision is plainly visible to him1 and the all-strain and danger-facing time has come for putting it into the form in which as one of the world's treasures it is to live on40 ,when asked whether the artist has ever been granted a vision of any beauty which is not based upon the beauty of nature1 ,thayer exclaimed emphatically1 8,no1 no1 no6 ,i don't see the slightest material for any such conception40 ,and when the question was further put--granted that the artist has the gift of seeing beauty in nature to which others are blind1 is his picture ,art in proportion as he truthfully records the beauty of the nature that he sees8 ,mr4 ,thayer answered1 8,yes4 ,everything in art1 in poetry1 music1 sculpture1 or painting1 however fantastic it looks to people who are not far enough on that road1 is nothing but truth-telling1 true reporting of one or another of the great facts of nature--of the universe40 ,the ability to see1 as ,thayer suggests1 is the very foundation of the artist's power4 ,it is this power of seeing which enables him to discover truth and beauty1 and it is the skill of the trained master which enables him to reproduce these for the delight and inspiration of his fellows4 ,that men are endowed by inheritance with varying degrees of mental power is a self-evident fact4 ,no one will dispute this2 it comes within our common experience4 ,providence has been lavish in the bestowal of extraordinary powers upon the few1 but it remains everlastingly true that even with these success depends upon effort4 ,nothing is more fully established than this truism4 ,the records of successful men in all periods and in every avenue of life bear testimony to this fact4 ,to the artist1 seeing is the all important thing1 and to him there is no mystery either in the development of this power or in the result obtained4 ,to him it is simply a matter of logical evolution1 the result of the day's work well done4 ,he begins his career as a student by laboriously copying nature4 ,his first studies are1 as a rule1 hard and unsympathetic4 ,i have not discovered an exception to this rule4 ,in the beginning the art student does not even see colour in its fullness and beauty4 ,gradually he acquires greater power of perception4 ,he discovers beautiful and harmonious colours in nature which were unseen at first4 ,he realizes the exquisite grace of line to be found on every hand but unperceived before--the movement1 charm1 and beauty of natural forms4 ,new beauties are revealed from day to day2 new harmonies are seen and felt4 ,presently the inharmonious becomes distasteful2 the ugly1 intolerable2 the offensive1 a distress4 ,he comes into the presence of nature with a new vision4 ,her beauties are revealed to him4 ,he feels a thrill in the love he bears for the exceptional and profound beauty of an evening sky or a grey day4 ,he never talks about inspiration or soul1 although he has searched out the very soul of the landscape4 ,he simply seeks with every power at his command1 as ,constable1 borrowing the thought from ,wordsworth1 expressed it1 8to give #8to one brief moment caught from fleeting time' a lasting and sober existence1 and to render permanent many of those splendid but evanescent ,exhibitions which are ever occurring in the endless varieties of ,nature40 ,the sculptor1 ,i think1 in some such manner lies in wait for the grace and charm of movement1 the supreme expression of character and of harmony1 as an animal lies in wait for its prey4 ,when one or all of these qualities are seen he seizes his chisel and strives to fix what he has discovered in permanent form4 ,the artist1 looking back over twenty or thirty years of continuous and earnest study1 of repeated and laborious effort1 and of failures and successes1 realizes that the power of perception and selection which he now possesses is the result of these years of observation and labor4 ,he also realizes that he has never quite attained to the full height of his ambition to represent truthfully the supreme qualities of beauty which he has learned to discover in nature4 ,in the selection of subjects for his works and in the production of arrangements or combinations representing either grace1 beauty of colour and form1 or essential character1 the painter or sculptor is aided by two very powerful influences4 ,the first of these is his inherited or acquired taste4 ,step by step1 precept upon precept1 first as a student in the art school1 then as an artist1 this faculty known as taste is cultivated1 increased1 until with rare discrimination and judgment he selects1 8picks and chooses10 as ,whistler said1 the things of beauty and harmony1 being guided all the while by the unwritten law of harmony of which we are all conscious4 ,to arrive at this consummation of the artist's highest endeavors is not an easy task4 ,his course may be1 and often is1 a very delightful and agreeable one1 but it is one of infinite effort and labor4 ,before the painter acquires this knowledge or power which enables him to discriminate with judgment and taste1 selecting those forms and colours expressive of harmony1 grace and beauty1 he must have served an apprenticeship of many long years4 ,the sculptor who would aspire to the exquisite and discriminating taste of a ,rodin1 who observes with patience and who seizes with marvellous skill upon the very essence of grace as it is expressed by the human figure1 must travel the same tedious road4 ,if the sculptor would read and know character as does a ,saint-,gaudens1 he must travel many a weary mile over the path which leads to perfection in art4 ,the second powerful influence helping the artist to acquire knowledge is1 as ,constable suggested1 art itself4 ,the student while pursuing the plodding course of training in the art school and later in a wider field as an artist1 is not only searching out in nature the qualities of grace and harmony1 but his eyes are constantly turned in the direction of the accumulated records of art4 ,he studies with assiduous care and thought in the great works of all times1 the qualities1 the harmonies1 the character wrested from nature by the able painters and sculptors of the past4 ,myriads have tried and failed to know and master nature during the past few hundred years1 and only the few who have succeeded have left the record of their success4 ,all the weak productions have gone into oblivion4 ,to these really great works the painter and sculptor turn again and again1 patiently1 persistently1 unfalteringly1 sometimes through hours of silent study at other times by earnest effort to copy1 but always with a single purpose in mind--to know and master the secrets of the masters4 ,little by little1 always referring the master to nature for confirmation or proof1 the artist struggles upward to a more consummate understanding of the works of nature1 but he never forsakes or belittles this supreme source of all his power and knowledge4 ,,sn3 ,winslow ,homer ,i recall asking ,winslow ,homer if he did not think the beauty existing in nature must be discovered and reproduced by the painter4 ,quick as a flash he answered3 8,yes1 but the rare thing is to find a painter who knows a good thing when he sees it40 ,on another occasion we were picking our way along the ,maine coast1 over the shelving rocks he painted so often and with such insight and power1 when ,i suddenly said3 8,homer1 do you ever take the liberty1 in painting nature1 of modifying the colour of any part80 ,i recall his manner and expression perfectly4 ,he stopped quickly and exclaimed3 8,never6 ,never6 ,when ,i have selected the thing carefully ,i paint it exactly as it appears40 ,during our talk he emphasized1 however1 the importance of selection4 8,you must not paint anything you see--you must wait and wait patiently for a particular effect1 and then when it comes1 if you have sense enough to know it when you do see it--well1 that's all there is to that40 ,at another time1 referring contemptuously to the calm ocean under a vacant sky1 he said3 8,i take no interest in that40 ,there came1 however1 one morning while ,i was at ,prout's ,neck a misty and threatening sky4 ,grey clouds bewitching in their silvery tones went hurrying across the troubled sea4 ,by noon it was blowing a gale and the waves were lashing the coast1 sending spray high into the air4 ,once and again great clouds of mist drove across the deserted rocks1 and the music of old ocean rose to an ominous and resounding tone4 ,presently ,homer hurried into my room1 clad from head to foot in rubber1 and carrying in his arms a storm coat and a pair of sailor's boots4 8,come10 he said1 8quickly6 ,it is perfectly grand40 ,for an hour we clambered over rocks1 holding fast to the wiry shrubs which grew from every crevice1 while the spray dashed far overhead4 ,this placid1 reserved1 self-contained little man was in a fever of excitement1 and his delight in the beautiful and almost overpowering expression of the ocean as it foamed and rioted was inspiring4 ,to him this was the supreme expression of beauty and power4 ,the moment he had patiently waited for had come4 ,homer's love for and appreciation of those rugged1 elemental qualities in nature resulted in the production of forceful works of great beauty4 ,in the selection of subjects he expressed his individual taste4 ,,sn3 ,henry ,w4 ,ranger ,i recall an opinion expressed by the late ,henry ,w4 ,ranger to the effect that ,tolstoi's definition of art had never been excelled4 ,he referred to ,tolstoi's definition of art as the power to pass on a sensation4 ,ranger maintained the opinion that art is the expression of the individual's feeling1 that the artist uses the facts of nature to express his own sensation and that no great landscape was ever painted directly from nature4 8,the technical difficulties10 he said1 8and the rapidly changing effects made it hard to paint out of doors4 ,he could do better by depending upon his memory40 ,it was his opinion that the deeper qualities were secured in the studio2 that nature only furnishes the hooks upon which the painter hangs his work2 that he in reality expresses his own feeling1 the poetry or sentiment which is in himself4 ,ranger here describes a vague or not clearly defined quality which is referred to as personal temperament4 ,his opinion is in direct contradiction to the almost universal testimony of painters and sculptors1 and ,ranger himself in his practice failed to maintain it4 ,although he did not complete his works in the presence of nature1 he made many sketches from nature and copied his larger canvases from these4 ,i think ,ranger at the end of a long career had the power of discovering beautiful qualities in nature and of seeing them profoundly4 ,i knew him well1 and many times we discussed art and artists4 ,i found his knowledge broad and intimate4 ,his view that a painter simply passes on a sensation was repeated to me many times4 ,i think one may frankly agree with this opinion1 but ,i do not think a painter originates or creates a sensation4 ,in the presence of nature he simply receives it and then transmits it1 the result being dependent upon his natural or acquired power of perception1 his memory1 and his technical ability4 ,ranger's paintings are characterized by an understanding of nature1 and this was the result of a lifetime of the most earnest1 patient1 and persistent study4 ,probably no modern artist was more industrious1 for his studio was filled with studies in colour and many thousands of pencil drawings4 ,indeed1 so familiar was he with the colours and characteristic forms of nature that he frequently reproduced these with much delicacy1 relying solely upon his memory and a few accurate pencil notes4 ,in discussing his method1 ,i recall his remark that he painted in the studio because he could get closer to nature that way than by painting out of doors4 ,painters universally understand the difficulties of painting in the open because of conflicting lights4 ,they also realize the more certain judgment of the experienced eye when painting in a quiet or more subdued light2 but to do this requires great knowledge and a retentive memory4 ,as illustrating ,ranger's method of study and his reliance upon memory1 ,i recall an occasion when he studied long and patiently the union or combination of two colour notes1 the sky and water--for we were sailing at the time4 ,he remarked upon the beautiful harmony expressed by these colours4 ,he studied them intently1 evidently with the thought of reproducing them later4 ,i also remember a painting expressive of the charm and beauty of a moon-light night4 ,it was painted at his ,noank home4 ,i believe this picture was painted almost wholly in his studio4 ,i think it was the result of an infinite number of impressions received as he studied1 evening after evening1 the ocean and the sky4 ,by this ,i mean that while ,ranger in this painting was passing on a sensation1 he was only passing on the truth and beauty of nature as realized by him night after night1 and recorded in his memory4 ,the point here raised is one of vital importance with reference to the subject under consideration4 ,it is that the painter does not express anything he has not received4 ,he pursues one of two methods3 he either secures beautiful qualities in the presence of nature or he reproduces qualities stored in his memory4 ,,sn3 ,john ,la ,farge ,john ,la ,farge referred to these two methods1 the one by which the painter works directly from nature and the other by which he depends upon his memory1 and his opinion bears directly upon the point raised4 ,la ,farge wrote3 8,he the painter will then go again to nature1 perhaps working directly from it1 perhaps only to his memory of sight1 for remember1 that in what we call working from nature--we painters--we merely use a shorter strain of memory than when we carry back to our studios the vision that we wish to note4 ,and more than that1 the very way in which we draw our lines1 and mix our pigments1 in the hurry of instant record1 in the certainty of successful handling1 implies that our mind is filled with innumerable memories of continuous trials40 ,as ,la ,farge points out1 the difference between painting in the presence of nature and painting from memory is only a different span of memory4 ,one painter pursues one way1 another a different method4 ,the end sought is the same4 ,,sn3 ,segantini ,giovanni ,segantini's method was to go to nature finally4 ,he began his paintings in the studio1 working from studies1 and finished them in the presence of nature4 ,i recall a delightful visit with this able ,italian painter at his home at ,maloja1 and also his interesting description of his method4 ,his art was little known at that time1 some twenty years ago4 ,his works are now well known to art lovers throughout the world4 ,i had but recently seen his 8,ploughing in the ,engadine0 at an exhibition in the ,bavarian capital4 ,it impressed me as possessing a very vital quality4 ,the technical manner seemed at that time strange and unusual4 ,like worsted1 the colours stretched across the sky4 ,the earth clods were small strands of colour1 revealing1 on close examination1 a rarely prodigal palette4 ,this phase of ,segantini's art interested me on the purely technical side4 ,the effect of the picture was startling4 ,it was like a breath of fresh and fragrant air from the mountains of ,switzerland4 ,it was following this impression received from his painting that ,i visited the painter at ,maloja4 ,leaving ,chiavenna early one morning1 the coach slowly climbed the mountainside and1 presently1 crossed the apex of the range4 ,there lay at our feet the beautiful valley of the ,engadine4 ,i carried away from ,maloja many delightful impressions1 but the two dominating all others were these3 the earnestness of the painter1 and his unwavering dependence upon nature4 ,he showed me large drawings or cartoons of some of his well known subjects representing the arrangement of the compositions and the balancing of the various parts of his pictures4 ,the drawings were made in crayon and suggested in line the technical treatment of his paintings4 ,from these sketches he transferred the drawings to canvas4 ,in this way he saved time and labor4 ,when a drawing was thus transferred to a canvas he carried the canvas to the scene of his subject1 where he painted invariably directly from nature4 ,when ,i asked if he ever completed a picture in the studio1 he said3 8,absolutely no6 ,i always finish my pictures in the presence of nature40 ,segantini spoke his last word1 if ,i may adopt this form of expression1 in the very presence of and under the influence of nature4 ,this to him was the supreme moment in the execution of his work4 ,,sn3 ,anton ,mauve ,another illustration of the method of a great painter in relying upon his memory for the truths and facts of nature is found in ,anton ,mauve4 ,mauve's power is unquestioned4 ,he was one of the great modern ,dutch painters4 ,his pictures are always direct and forceful4 ,his knowledge of nature was profound4 ,this knowledge was the result of effort and study4 ,among his early drawings are found studies from nature which1 in spirit1 are wholly unlike his later productions4 ,they reveal ,mauve as a student of nature who was untiring in his effort to draw minute details with unflinching accuracy4 ,i recall pencil studies of sheep1 horses1 cows1 and plants which have rarely ever been excelled in the delineation of detail1 not even by a master draughtsman like ,barque4 ,mauve's knowledge of nature acquired by this method was intimate and deep4 ,his later manner was based upon a solid foundation4 ,it was by this knowledge he was enabled to depict the more characteristic forms with a few hastily drawn lines4 ,he knew well how important are broad1 essential masses in art and he rendered these1 eliminating non-essentials and trivial details4 ,his sense of design or appropriate balance of parts was keen and sure2 nearly all his pictures possess the distinguishing quality of simplicity4 ,like ,ranger1 he preferred to paint his pictures in the studio1 but his reliance was1 in the highest sense1 upon nature4 ,i recall a visit to ,mauve's country1 a country of sand dunes and pastures4 ,these he loved and painted4 ,one of ,mauve's students1 an able etcher1 was probably more familiar with the artist's method than any other person4 8,his ,mauve's best pictures1 before ,laren10 he wrote me1 8were all made in his studio from memory1 aided with sketches in chalk4 ,then he went every day1 if possible1 to the spot he had sketched1 to study the effect1 the #8moment1' and he tried to fix that impression on his canvas when back home40 ,,sn3 ,rodin ,let us turn from the art of the painter to the art of the sculptor4 ,probably no modern sculptor has taken a higher place in the estimation of his fellow artists than has ,rodin4 ,as expressions of his art1 his 8,thinker0 stands at one extreme end of the scale and such graceful and beautiful forms as 8,eternal ,spring0 at the other4 ,it is interesting1 therefore1 to know that ,rodin has acknowledged his absolute dependence upon nature for the widely divergent expressions of character rendered by him4 ,he is quoted as saying3 8,seeker after truth and student of life as ,i am1 444 ,i obey ,nature in everything1 and ,i never pretend to command her4 ,my only ambition is to be servilely faithful to her40 8,i have not changed it nature4 ,or1 rather1 if ,i have done it1 it was without suspecting it at the time4 ,the feeling which influenced my vision showed me nature as ,i have copied her40 8,if ,i had wished to modify what ,i saw and to make it more beautiful ,i should have produced nothing good40 8,the only principle in ,art is to copy what you see4 ,dealers in aesthetics to the contrary1 every other method is fatal4 ,there is no recipe for improving ,nature40 8,the only thing is to see40 8,the ideal6 ,the dream6 ,why1 the realities of ,nature surpass our most ambitious dreams40 ,opinions of ,philosophers and ,writers ,the opinions here referred to are those of masters who have produced works of art4 ,they seem to be supported by the opinions of able writers and philosophers who have dealt with this subject4 ,if the opinions of these writers are less authoritative1 they are nevertheless important as representing the thought of profound scholars4 ,they cover practically the entire period of writing upon art4 ,while diversified in the manner of approach1 they will be found to unite in a common theory4 ,these writers naturally deal with mental processes2 with the attributes of the mind2 with the philosophy of the subject4 ,,sn3 ,schopenhauer ,schopenhauer defines genius as pre-eminent capacity for contemplation which ends in the object4 8,now10 he says1 8as this requires that a man should entirely forget himself and the relations in which he stands1 genius is simply complete objectivity1 i4e41 the objective tendency of the mind1 as opposed to the subjective1 which is directed to one's own self--in other words1 to the will4 ,thus genius is the faculty of continuing in the state of pure perception1 of losing one's self in perception1 and of enlisting in this service the knowledge which originally existed only for the service of the will2 that is to say1 genius is the power of leaving one's own interests1 wishes1 and aims entirely out of sight1 and thus of entirely renouncing one's own personality for a time1 so as to remain pure knowing subject1 clear vision of the world--and this not merely at moments1 but for a sufficient length of time and with sufficient consciousness to enable one to reproduce by deliberate art what has thus been apprehended1 and #8to fix in lasting thoughts the wavering images that float before the mind4'0 ,schopenhauer's definition of genius is probably more accurate and more logical than that of any other writer4 ,in his opinion1 genius is the power of pre-eminent perception4 ,the artist only exceeds his fellows in that his perception is keener2 that he is able to see and understand more perfectly than others4 ,when an able painter approaches nature in this spirit1 forgetting all else1 as ,schopenhauer suggests1 the result is usually a masterpiece4 ,to such a painter is attributed the quality known as genius4 ,,sn3 ,taine ,taine defines art as the power of perceiving the essential character of an object4 ,taine says3 8,the character of an object strikes him the artist and the effect of this sensation is a strong1 peculiar impression4444 ,but art itself1 which is the faculty of perceiving and expressing the leading character of objects1 is as enduring as the civilization of which it is the best and earliest fruit4444 ,to give full prominence to a leading character is the object of a work of art4 ,it is owing to this that the closer a work of art approaches this point the more perfect it becomes2 in other words1 the more exactly and completely these conditions are complied with1 the more elevated it becomes on the scale4 ,two of these conditions are necessary2 it is necessary that the character should be the most notable possible and the most dominant possible4444 ,the masterpiece is that in which the greatest force receives the greatest development4 ,in the language of the painter1 the superior work is that in which the character possessing the greatest possible value in nature receives from art all the increase in value that is possible4444 ,it is essential1 then1 to closely imitate something in an object2 but not everything40 ,after defining the essential quality by two illustrations--the illustration of the lion and the illustration of the dominant characteristics of a flat country like ,holland1 ,taine continues3 8,through its innumerable effects1 you judge of the importance of this essential character4 ,it is this which art must bring forward into proper light1 and if this task devolves upon art it is because nature fails to accomplish it4 ,in nature this essential character is simply dominant2 it is the aim of art to render it predominant4444 ,man is sensible of this deficiency1 and to remove it he has invented art40 ,,sn3 ,froude ,froude touches upon this point in his reference to the art of the writer4 ,he said he would turn to ,shakespeare for the best history of ,england because of his 7,shakespeare's7 absolute truth to character and event4 8,we wonder10 ,froude wrote1 8at the grandeur1 the moral majesty1 of some of ,shakespeare's characters1 so far beyond what the noblest among ourselves can imitate1 and at first thought we attribute it to the genius of the poet1 who has outstripped ,nature in his creations4 ,but we are misunderstanding the power and the meaning of poetry in attributing creativeness to it in any such sense4 ,shakespeare created1 but only as the spirit of ,nature created around him1 working in him as it worked abroad in those among whom he lived4 ,the men whom he draws were such men as he saw and knew2 the words they utter were such as he heard in the ordinary conversations in which he joined4 ,at the ,mermaid with ,raleigh and with ,sidney1 and at a thousand unnamed ,english firesides1 he found the living originals for his ,prince ,hals1 his ,orlandos1 his ,antonios1 his ,portias1 his ,isabellas4 ,the closer personal acquaintance which we can form with the ,english of the age of ,elizabeth1 the more we are satisfied that ,shakespeare's great poetry is no more than the rhythmic echo of the life which it depicts40 ,,sn3 ,baumgarten ,baumgarten concluded1 from ,leibnitz' theory of a pre-established harmony and its consequence1 that the world is the best possible1 that nature is the highest embodiment of beauty1 and that art must seek as its highest function the strictest possible imitation of nature4 ,,sn3 ,leibnitz ,bosanquet says3 8,the greatest degree of perfection was to be found1 according to ,leibnitz1 in the existing universe1 every other possible system being as a whole less perfect40 ,,sn3 ,kant ,kant deals with a phase of this subject which is of great interest4 ,in many strong works of art there remain incomplete and often unsatisfactory details4 ,these are permitted to remain because the artist knows that to remove them would weaken or affect the strength of the whole4 ,these1 ,kant says1 are 8only of necessity suffered to remain1 because they could hardly be removed without loss of force to the idea4 ,this courage has merit only in the case of a genius4 ,a certain boldness of expression1 and1 in general1 many a deviation from the common rule becomes him well2 but in no sense is it a thing worthy of imitation4 ,on the contrary it remains all through intrinsically a blemish which one is bound to try to remove1 but for which the genius is1 as it were1 allowed to plead a privilege1 on the ground that a scrupulous carefulness would spoil what is inimitable in the impetuous ardor of his soul40 ,the genius here referred to by ,kant is well understood and his power is fully recognized1 but he is not separated from his fellow craftsmen except in the degree of his knowledge and ability4 ,he is a man of superior ability and power who1 driving straight to the object of his labor1 represents character in a direct and forceful way4 ,to this end he brings to his assistance his superior technical skill1 but often in the very impetuosity of his ardor1 as ,kant suggests1 he leaves unfinished parts because he well understands that to labor over these parts would be to reduce the force or power of the whole4 ,this impetuous manner which strives to render the character of the object or person1 or of the scene1 or of the ephemeral effects of nature1 quickly and directly1 is well understood by the painter4 ,i recall a large sketch of ,daubigny's owned by ,mesdag1 probably purchased from the painter4 ,this sketch represents a green hillside with a canal and horses in the foreground4 ,for absolute power and truth of beautiful quality and colour it was probably never surpassed by ,daubigny1 but it is what the public would call an unfinished picture4 ,in truth1 force1 and beauty1 it might fairly be considered 8inspired0 as compared with ,daubigny's finished or carefully painted pictures so widely known4 ,in this painting there are many unsatisfactory parts1 such as are referred to by ,kant as 8deformities10 but ,daubigny well understood that to remove them or to work over this sketch1 which was doubtless made rapidly in the presence of nature and under the influence of the particular mood expressed by nature1 would have weakened its power4 ,i recall another painting that will illustrate this point--a study by ,anton ,mauve4 ,this study was found among ,mauve's possessions after his death1 and was probably never offered for sale during his lifetime because1 in minor parts1 it is incomplete4 ,rough lines of the original drawing were permitted to remain4 ,these are the kind of blemishes to which ,kant refers1 but they do not detract from the supreme beauty and power of the study4 ,indeed1 this picture is considered by many painters to be one of ,mauve's masterpieces1 so true and just is it in the representation of a momentary effect in nature4 ,mauve doubtless recognized the importance of the study and refused to make corrections of minor defects4 ,i have been told that he replied to ,weissenbrouck1 a fellow painter who urged him to finish this work3 8,i will leave it as ,god made it in nature4 ,it is finished40 ,mauve had secured the broad1 essential truth of nature and with this he was content4 ,,sn3 ,maeterlinck ,maurice ,maeterlinck tersely expressed the same thought when he said3 8,i myself have now for a long time ceased to look for anything more beautiful in this world1 or more interesting1 than the truth44440 ,the reader will not have failed to observe the significant note of agreement running through these opinions touching the importance of selection1 the power to perceive and select from among the multitude of forms those which are exceptional or dominant4 8,pure perception02 8the faculty of perceiving and expressing the leading character of objects02 8,in nature this essential character is simply dominant2 it is the aim of art to render it predominant 44402 these expressions of philosophers are in perfect accord with the expressions of painters1 as for instance1 8,the only thing is to see02 or 8our only chance lies in selection and combination40 ,symmetry ,if what has been written is true1 if art is but the revelation of grace and beauty inherent in nature1 the making plain that which is revealed to the artist and obscure to the less observant1 or to those with less power1 it still remains to account for the universal distinction in form which characterizes all great works of art4 ,reference has been made to the common factor of truth1 but there is a second factor or quality possessed by works of art1 that of symmetry4 ,this attribute lifts a work above the commonplace and1 combined with truth1 places it among the masterpieces of art4 ,there are certain fundamental laws of symmetry existing in nature and these1 consciously or unconsciously1 govern the masters of art in the production of their works4 ,these undefined laws have been recognized from the earliest time1 and the artist who is governed by them in the selection of his subjects and controlled by them in the execution of his work makes a universal appeal to which the aesthetic sense in man responds4 ,these laws are not of man's creation4 ,they belong to nature4 ,they exist in form and colour4 ,they also exist in sound4 ,whether or not the ,greeks had reduced these laws to definite principles or rules1 and were governed by them in the construction of their temples and in the creation of their masterly works in sculpture1 is a doubtful question2 but certain it is that ,hambidge has shown quite conclusively that certain fundamental proportions existing in natural forms are repeated in the ,parthenon and in other great architectural structures belonging to the ,grecian period4 ,this does not mean that every great work of art must of necessity be based upon clearly defined1 rigid rules of proportion1 on what is called ,dynamic ,symmetry1 but rather that works made to conform to these rules do possess a degree of distinction and that the result is an orderliness of arrangement or an agreeable disposition of spaces with relation to each other which produces an aesthetic effect upon the human mind4 ,therefore1 while truth is essential1 it is conceded that symmetry must be added to secure distinction4 ,commonplace expressions of nature1 while satisfying the ignorant1 have never been accepted as art by those who have given this subject serious thought4 ,the quality of design1 of pattern1 of appropriate and harmonious arrangement1 must be taken into account in any discussion touching the philosophy of art4 ,the universal appreciation and enjoyment of design as revealed in rugs1 in tapestries1 and in a hundred other art forms1 may only be accounted for upon the theory of the existence of a universal law of nature governing the judgment of man with reference to these things4 ,this law is found in nature just as certainly as is found the law of gravitation4 ,the art of design when not literally transcribed from the beautiful forms presented by nature herself is found to rest upon some adaptation of this universal law of symmetry and harmony4 ,with symmetrical forms in nature we become familiar even in our childhood4 ,take for instance the symmetrical forms of leaves4 ,the grace and symmetry of the leaf of the elm tree is well known1 as is also the character of the oak leaf and its almost invariable symmetrical form4 ,when a form that is not symmetrical appears1 such1 for instance1 as that of the leaf of the sassafras tree--one of the three leaf forms borne by this tree being shaped like a mitten--we instantly recognize this exception to the almost universal rule and reject it as unsymmetrical and inharmonious4 ,illustrations of symmetry might be multiplied1 because they are found in flower and animal forms everywhere4 ,with harmony and colour we are made familiar by the passing seasons4 ,spring1 summer1 autumn1 and winter are successive expressions of harmony4 ,how far this universal law of symmetry extends throughout nature and what influence it has upon the human mind in its appreciation of the beautiful in nature it would be difficult to estimate4 ,it is sufficient for our purpose to know that it is universal and far reaching in its application and influence4 ,,sn3 ,j4 ,henri ,fabre ,it is interesting in this connection to note that ,j4 ,henri ,fabre1 the eminent ,french naturalist1 makes reference to this law in describing the uniformity with which certain bees act1 their actions seeming to be governed by a mysterious law4 ,in his book on 8,bramble ,bees and ,others0 ,fabre says3 8,the first time that ,i prepared one of these horizontal tubes for bramble bees open at both ends1 ,i was greatly struck by what happened4 ,the series consisted of ten cocoons4 ,it was divided into two equal batches4 ,the five on the left went out on the left1 the five on the right went out on the right1 reversing1 when necessary1 their original direction in the cell4 ,it was very remarkable from the point of view of symmetry2 moreover1 it was a very unlikely arrangement among the total number of possible arrangements1 as mathematics will show us40 ,fabre elucidates this fact by mathematical calculation proving that there had been a spontaneous decision1 one half in favor of the exit on the left1 one half in favor of that on the right1 when the tube was horizontal and gravity ceased to interfere4 ,this law of harmony has been recognized and to some extent defined by early philosophers and writers as well as by those of recent date4 ,,sn3 ,plato ,it was recognized and referred to by ,plato1 who said that the world offers the material in graceful and beautiful forms2 or again that there is no difficulty in seeing that grace or the absence of grace is an effect of good or bad rhythm 444 that beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity4 ,he also refers to art as representing proportion1 harmony1 or unity among the parts4 ,his thought is that there is an absolute principle of beauty which reveals itself in natural objects4 ,,sn3 ,aristotle ,aristotle expressed the opinion that the essential qualities of beauty are order and symmetry4 ,,sn3 ,knight ,knight refers to the appreciation of symmetry and proportion on the part of the ,greek people and he concludes that the knowledge of this same law of symmetry and its appreciation was doubtless the basis of ,greek art4 ,,sn3 ,kant ,kant in his philosophy refers to this same law of symmetry1 grace1 and beauty in nature4 ,he says3 8,the beautiful forms displayed in the organic world all plead eloquently on the side of the realism of the aesthetic finality of nature in support of the plausible assumption that beneath the production of the beautiful there must lie a preconceived idea in the producing cause--that is to say1 an end acting in the interest of our imagination4 ,flowers1 blossoms1 even the shapes of plants as a whole1 the elegance of animal formations of all kinds1 unnecessary for the discharge of any function on their part1 but chosen as it were with an eye to our taste2 and1 beyond all else1 the variety and harmony in the array of colours 7in the pheasant1 in crustacea1 in insects1 down even to the meanest flowers7 so pleasing and charming to the eye1 but which1 inasmuch as they touch the bare surface and do not even here in any way affect the structure of these creatures--a matter which might have a necessary bearing on their internal ends--seem to be planned entirely with a view to outward appearance3 all these lend great weight to the mode of explanation which assumes actual ends of nature in favor of our aesthetic judgment40 ,,sn3 ,blackie ,john ,stuart ,blackie refers to qualities in nature which create spontaneously in the mind a degree of pleasure because of their symmetry and beauty4 ,he says3 8,there must be1 therefore1 in nature and in the constitution of things certain qualities which1 being superinduced upon the useful1 or mere fitness to achieve a practical end1 create in the mind the pleasant sensations which arise spontaneously on the perception of a beautiful object40 ,it would seem1 therefore1 that nature has furnished those forms and colours which are symmetrical and harmonious1 and that familiarity with these has created in man1 in varying degrees1 a love for the beautiful and an appreciation of the symmetrical and orderly4 ,this law of symmetry and proportion not only appeals to our own consciousness but has become a part of our daily life4 ,it frequently happens that the repetition of beautiful forms results in what comes to be recognized as a conventional or national expression of art4 ,this is especially true of ,chinese and ,japanese art4 ,conventional forms adopted by one generation of ,chinese or ,japanese artists were often handed down to succeeding generations of artists4 ,not only was this true1 but the repetition of these conventional forms1 generation after generation1 resulted in the adoption of certain arbitrary rules governing the composition and construction of their works of art4 ,,sn3 ,sei-ichi ,taki ,sei-ichi ,taki in his 8,three ,essays on ,oriental ,painting0 noted eighteen rules for the painting of 8mountain wrinkles40 ,among these rules the following may be mentioned3 8,wrinkled like eddying water40 8,wrinkled like a horse's tooth40 8,wrinkled like bullock's hair40 8,wrinkled like the veins of a lotus leaf40 ,notwithstanding these conventions1 the fundamental or underlying qualities in ,chinese and ,japanese art do not differ from those characterizing works by artists of other nations4 ,there was the same reliance upon nature and insistence upon selection and the expression of essential character4 ,,sn3 ,kuo ,hsi ,for instance1 ,kuo ,hsi1 himself a landscape painter1 in his work on art criticism1 8,noble ,features of the ,forest and ,stream10 wrote as follows3 8,observe widely and comprehensively40 ,and again3 8,take in the essentials of a scene and discard the trivialities40 ,,sn3 ,lafcadio ,hearn ,with ,chinese and ,japanese artists it was always a question of discriminating selection4 ,lafcadio ,hearn1 a keen observer and a charming writer upon ,japanese life and art1 referred with unusual penetration to the importance of selection when he wrote3 8,the artist looked for dominant laws of contrast and colour1 for the general character of nature's combinations1 for the order of the beautiful4 ,he drew actualities but not repellent or meaningless actualities1 proving his rank even more by his refusal than by his choice of subjects40 ,it will be seen from these expressions that ,chinese and ,japanese art was in fact based upon an intimate and thorough knowledge of nature1 influenced by certain conventions which were clearly defined and understood4 ,,sn3 ,la ,farge ,john ,la ,farge1 the ,american artist who was a profound student of oriental art1 suggests this undefined law of harmony in the universe when he says3 8,i might acknowledge that ,i have far within me a belief that art is the love of certain balanced proportions and relations which the mind likes to discover and to bring out in what it deals with1 be it thought1 or the action of man1 or the influences of nature1 or the material things in which the necessity makes it to work4 ,i should then expand this idea until it stretched from the patterns of earliest pottery to the harmony of the lines of ,homer4 ,then ,i should say that in our plastic arts the relations of lines and spaces are1 in my belief1 the first and earliest desires4 ,and again1 ,i should have to say that1 in my unexpressed faith1 these needs are as needs of the soul and echoes of the laws of the universe1 seen and unseen1 reflections of the universal mathematics1 cadences of the ancient music of the spheres40 8,for ,i am forced to believe that there are laws for our eyes as well as for our ears1 and that when1 if ever1 these shall have been deciphered1 as has been the good fortune with music1 then shall we find that all best artists have carefully preserved their instinctive obedience to these1 and have all cared together for this before all40 8,for the arrangements of line and balances of spaces which meet these underlying needs are indeed the points through which we recognize the answer to our natural love and sensitiveness for order1 and through this answer1 we feel1 clearly or obscurely1 the difference between what we call great men and what we call the average1 whatever the personal charm may be40 ,conclusion ,it may seem ruthless to destroy the old conception which attributed to the works of the painter and sculptor a place superior to or above the works of men in the field of science or in other spheres of activity1 but this1 ,i think1 is rapidly being done4 ,the idea that man is capable of adding anything to or improving upon the supreme qualities of beauty as these exist in nature is disappearing4 ,the spirit of a scientific age is dispelling the old conception of art4 ,men now realize in art as in science that the quality of truth is the sole object to be sought4 ,,sn3 ,lord ,james ,bryce ,lord ,james ,bryce1 the eminent ,english statesman and author1 recently called attention to the dominating influence of the scientific spirit as felt in the various activities of our time4 ,he referred to the effect which the enormous increase in knowledge in the scientific world has had upon our intellectual life and upon the ideas1 the habits and ways of thought of mankind4 ,he said that the scientific investigations during the past century and a half have occupied a larger proportion of the energetic intellects of the world than ever before4 ,the results of these investigations have been more read than they ever were before1 and by a widening circle4 ,they have more affected men's minds and become part of our thinking--part of the mental furniture of educated men and women4 ,lord ,bryce pointed out that through the everlasting searching after truth and the facts of nature 8the methods and the spirit of science have undoubtedly affected such subjects as metaphysical and ethical philosophy1 as economic science and history1 as political theory1 as oratory1 as philology1 as literature40 ,and he added that for some reason 7he would not call it inscrutable1 because he said that everything is more or less discoverable by sufficient study and attention--everything in the human sphere at least7 he believed that there did1 in the ,eighteenth ,century1 begin to come over the human mind a change1 the results of which are seen in all these fields4 ,the novelty of this method1 ,lord ,bryce said1 8lies in the scrupulous care which we bestow upon phenomena1 in the determination to examine the minutest details and to record exactly what we see1 that and nothing more40 ,lord ,bryce had also expressed the thought that with all careful study we must strive to communicate an impression1 which is much more difficult than merely to state facts4 ,for example1 he says1 the historian's general impression of a people is no less an expression of truth and no less accurate than is the presentation of many minor facts4 ,lord ,bryce here states a profound truth1 namely1 that the impression of the whole is of greater importance than the literal representation of detail4 ,this truth applies to art4 ,the elimination of trifling details but emphasizes the power and beauty of the whole4 ,i think it is this scientific spirit which has influenced modern art and which is very clearly exemplified in the history of the ,school of ,impressionists4 ,this school has exerted a powerful influence upon the art of painting of the present day4 ,i know that the general opinion has been that the so-called ,impressionist painters have departed from the representation of the truths of nature and that their paintings are not faithful representations of nature2 but ,i believe the very reverse of this to be true4 ,i think1 in their search for the essential truth of nature1 or the essential fact1 that they have1 in their very intensity of effort1 departed from the representation of minute details and of many forms1 in order that they might the more fully and perfectly represent the less obvious and more subtle truth4 ,take1 for instance1 the purpose which actuated ,monet1 probably the leader of this group of painters1 in his effort to represent the very truth of nature by a few masses of vibrating colour4 ,for example1 his haycock series of pictures was but an effort to represent the most essential qualities of the subjects which he had chosen for his experiment4 ,i recall very well the first painting by ,monet which ,i had the opportunity to see1 some thirty years ago1 and the impression ,i received then remains fresh in my memory4 ,it was not the pleasurable or childish sensation created by recognizing the forms of familiar objects1 but rather the delight created by an impression of vibrating1 sunlit atmosphere4 ,this effect was the result of scientific research4 ,monet simply applied his power and his wealth of technical ability to reproduce another kind of truth1 the truth of nature as broadly represented by beautiful colours in relation to each other4 ,i mention ,monet in this connection because he seems to represent1 in an important sense1 the influence of a scientific age upon the art of the painter4 ,this view of ,claude ,monet's art and the art of the so-called ,impressionists is the very opposite of that entertained by many writers who have attributed to these painters careless rather than scientific methods4 ,if the principles laid down in this work are true1 they become of vital importance4 ,we will not think less of art1 but we will be inspired by a new devotion to nature and the great laws which govern her4 ,we will seek more diligently after the subtle harmonies and beauties in nature1 those qualities which have been discovered by the great masters and translated with measurable success4 ,we will go to nature with more intelligence and devotion1 that we may there enjoy these things for ourselves at the source of all beauty4 ,the student may lay aside all preconceived notions with reference to inspiration and creation1 and address himself to his task as would any other workman4 ,the result should be a more profound appreciation of all beauty and more joy in a world too often made commonplace by man4 ,references ,,aristotle p4 #fa ,william ,angus ,knight1 8,philosophy of the ,beautiful10 ,part #a1 p4 #bh4 ,,baumgarten1 ,,alexander ,,gottlieb p4 #eb ,enc4 ,brit4 #ith ,ed41 ,vol4 #a1 8,aesthetics40 ,,blackie1 ,,john ,,stuart p4 #fb-fc ,the ,contemporary ,review1 ,vol4 #dc1 ,june1 #ahhc1 pp4 #hba-hbb4 ,,bryce1 ,,lord ,,james p4 #fg-fi ,founder's ,day ,book1 ,carnegie ,institute1 #aijh1 pp4 #ab-af4 ,,constable1 ,,john p4 #ag-ah ,c4 ,r4 ,leslie1 ,r4 ,a41 8,memoirs of the ,life of ,john ,constable1 ,esq41 ,r4 ,a410 #ahdc1 pp4 #adg-adh4 p4 #bc-be ,c4 ,r4 ,leslie1 ,r4 ,a41 8,memoirs of the ,life of ,john ,constable1 ,esq41 ,r4 ,a410 #ahdc1 p4 #ff4 p4 #cd ,c4 ,j4 ,holmes1 8,constable and ,his ,influence on ,landscape ,painting10 #aijb1 p4 #aca4 ,,corot1 ,,jean-,,baptiste ,,camille p4 #be ,mrs4 ,schuyler ,van ,rensselaer1 8,six ,portraits10 p4 #afj4 ,d,,rer1 ,,albrecht p4 #bj-ba ,wm4 ,angus ,knight1 8,philosophy of the ,beautiful10 ,part #a1 p4 #dh1 and ,moriz ,thausing1 8,albert ,drer1 ,his ,life and ,works10 #ahhb1 p4 #cai4 ,,fabre1 ,,jean ,,henri p4 #fj-fa ,j4 ,henri ,fabre1 8,bramble ,bees and ,others10 p4 #db4 ,,froude1 ,,james ,,anthony p4 #ea-eb ,james ,anthony ,froude1 8,england's ,forgotten ,worthies10 pub4 in 8,short ,studies on ,great ,subjects10 ,vol4 #a1 ,first ,series1 #ahid1 p4 #cfj4 ,,hambidge1 ,,jay p4 #eh ,jay ,hambidge1 8,dynamic ,symmetry3 ,the ,greek ,vase40 ,,hearn1 ,,lafcadio p4 #fd-fe ,atlantic ,monthly1 ,vol4 #gh1 ,august1 #ahif1 p4 #bbd4 ,,hegel1 ,,georg ,,wilhelm ,,friedrich p4 #ac-ae 8,the ,german ,classics of the ,nineteenth and ,twentieth ,centuries10 trans4 by ,kuno ,francke and ,wm4 ,g4 ,howard1 ,vol4 #g1 pp4 #aab-aac4 p4 #ae 8,philosophy of ,fine ,art10 trans4 by ,bernard ,bosanquet1 p4 #aje4 ,,hogarth1 ,,william p4 #bb ,william ,hogarth1 8,anecdotes of ,william ,hogarth10 #ahcc1 p4 #dg4 ,,homer1 ,,winslow p4 #cg-ci ,author's ,notebook4 ,,kant1 ,,immanuel p4 #eb-ee ,immanuel ,kant1 8,critique of ,aesthetic ,judgment10 trans4 by ,james ,creed ,meredith1 #aiaa1 p4 #aha4 p4 #fb ,immanuel ,kant1 8,critique of ,aesthetic ,judgment10 trans4 by ,james ,creed ,meredith1 #aiaa1 pp4 #baf-bag4 ,,knight1 ,,william ,,angus p4 #fa-fb ,wm4 ,angus ,knight1 8,philosophy of the ,beautiful10 ,part #a1 pp4 #dj-da and page #ai4 ,,kuo ,,hsi p4 #fd ,sei-ichi ,taki1 8,three ,essays on ,oriental ,painting10 pp4 #dc-de1 quoting from ,kuo ,hsi1 8,noble ,features of the ,forest and ,stream40 ,,la ,,farge1 ,,john p4 #db ,john ,la ,farge1 8,an ,artist's ,letters ,from ,japan10 p4 #ada4 p4 #fe-ff ,john ,la ,farge1 8,an ,artist's ,letters ,from ,japan10 p4 #ade4 ,,lawrence1 ,,sir ,,thomas p4 #be ,c4 ,r4 ,leslie1 ,r4 ,a41 8,memoirs of the ,life of ,john ,constable1 ,esq41 ,r4 ,a410 #ahdc1 p4 #adh4 ,,leibnitz1 ,,baron ,,gottfried ,,wilhelm ,,von p4 #eb ,bernard ,bosanquet1 8,a ,history of ,aesthetics10 #ahib1 p4 #ahe4 ,,leonardo ,,da ,,vinci p4 #ba 8,leonardo da ,vinci's ,notebooks10 trans4 by ,edward ,mc,curdy1 p4 #aef and p4 #afj4 ,,maeterlinck1 ,,maurice p4 #ee-ef ,maurice ,maeterlinck1 8,the ,life of the ,bee10 p4 #e4 ,,mauve1 ,,anton p4 #dd-df ,author's ,notebook4 ,,michelangelo ,,buonarotti p4 #ai-bj ,francisco ,d',ollanda1 8,third ,dialogue on ,painting10 pub4 in 8,michael ,angelo ,buonarotti10 by ,charles ,holroyd1 ,appendix1 p4 #cbc4 ,,millet1 ,,jean ,,fran,,ois p4 #be-bf ,romain ,rolland1 8,millet10 trans4 by ,clementina ,black1 pp4 #chc-che1 #afb1 and #ahj4 ,,plato p4 #fa ,plato's ,republic1 pub4 in 8,dialogues of ,plato10 trans4 by ,b4 ,jowett1 ,vol4 #c1 pp4 #hf-hg1 and ,enc4 ,brit4 #ith ,ed41 ,vol4 #a1 8,aesthetics40 ,,ranger1 ,,henry ,,ward p4 #ci-da ,author's ,notebook4 ,,reynolds1 ,,sir ,,joshua p4 #bb-bc ,henry ,william ,beechy1 8,the ,literary ,works of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds10 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #che and #cag1 and ,g4 ,clausen1 8,royal ,academy ,lectures on ,painting10 p4 #acg4 ,,rodin1 ,,auguste p4 #df-dg ,auguste ,rodin1 8,art10 trans4 from the ,french of ,paul ,gsell by ,mrs4 ,romilly ,fedden1 pp4 #cj-cc1 and ,literary ,digest1 ,june #d1 #aiaj1 p4 #aabg4 ,,schopenhauer1 ,,arthur p4 #dh-di 8,the ,german ,classics of the ,nineteenth and ,twentieth ,centuries10 trans4 by ,kuno ,francke and ,wm4 ,g4 ,howard1 ,vol4 #ae1 p4 #dh4 ,,segantini1 ,,giovanni p4 #dc-dd ,author's ,notebook4 ,,socrates p4 #ae-af ,enc4 ,brit4 #ith ,ed41 ,vol4 #a1 8,aesthetics40 ,,stuart1 ,,gilbert p4 #be ,george ,c4 ,mason1 8,the ,life and ,works of ,gilbert ,stuart10 #ahid1 pp4 #fh-fi4 ,,taine1 ,,hippolyte ,,adolphe p4 #ej-ea ,h4 ,taine1 8,philosophy of ,art10 trans4 by ,durand1 #ahfe1 pp4 #da1 #eg1 #gc1 and ,h4 ,taine1 8,lectures on ,art10 ,vol4 #a1 #ahhi1 pp4 #afc1 #aig1 and #cec4 ,,taki1 ,,sei-,,ichi p4 #fd ,sei-ichi ,taki1 8,three ,essays on ,oriental ,painting10 p4 #dh4 ,,thayer1 ,,abbott ,,handerson p4 #cj-cb ,carnegie ,institute ,catalogue1 ,abbott ,h4 ,thayer ,exhibition1 #aiai1 p4 #i4 ,,tolstoi1 ,l4 ,n4 p4 #ci ,l4 ,n4 ,tolstoi1 8,what is ,art10 p4 #dc4 ,,whistler1 ,,james ,,abbott ,,mcneill p4 #bf-cj ,author's ,notebook1 and ,james ,mc,neill ,whistler1 8,the ,gentle ,art of ,making ,enemies10 pp4 #adb-adc1 and ,james ,mc,neill ,whistler1 8,ten ,o'clock10 pp4 #ac-ad4 ,,wordsworth1 ,,william p4 #cd ,wm4 ,wordsworth1 8,upon the ,sight of a ,beautiful ,picture10 lines #ab-ad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,nine ,,hundred ,,and ,,fifty ,,copies ,,printed ,,at ,,the ,,press ,,of ,,william ,,edwin ,,rudge ,,mount ,,vernon1 ,,new ,,york ,,typography ,,by ,,bruce ,,rogers 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,punctuation has been made consistent4 ,variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in the original publication1 except that obvious typographical errors have been corrected4