essays and lectures-第32章

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golden　than　gold。



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

people？



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

understand　their　art？　　The　Athenians　could　do　neither。



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

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

use　of　the　living　model。



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

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

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

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

in　your　designs　for　sacred　pictures？



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

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

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

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

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

paint　the　Madonna；　the　purest　girl　one　knows？



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

that　such　a　thing　was　without　parallel　in　history？



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

was　raised　by　the　Athenian　people　against　every　great　poet　and

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

same　with　Florence　in　the　thirteenth　century。　　Good　handicrafts　are

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

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



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

a　thing。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

stupid　architecture　that　the　world　has　ever　seen；　architecture；

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

lovely　Gothic　form　defiled　and　desecrated；　reducing　three…fourths

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

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

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

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

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

to　look　at　but　chimney…pot　hats；　men　with　sandwich　boards；

vermilion　letter…boxes；　and　do　that　even　at　the　risk　of　being　run

over　by　an　emerald…green　omnibus。



Is　not　art　difficult；　you　will　say　to　me；　in　such　surroundings　as

these？　　Of　course　it　is　difficult；　but　then　art　was　never　easy；　you

yourselves　would　not　wish　it　to　be　easy；　and；　besides；　nothing　is

worth　doing　except　what　the　world　says　is　impossible。



Still；　you　do　not　care　to　be　answered　merely　by　a　paradox。　　What

are　the　relations　of　the　artist　to　the　external　world；　and　what　is

the　result　of　the　loss　of　beautiful　surroundings　to　you；　is　one　of

the　most　important　questions　of　modern　art；　and　there　is　no　point

on　which　Mr。　Ruskin　so　insists　as　that　the　decadence　of　art　has

come　from　the　decadence　of　beautiful　things；　and　that　when　the

artist　cannot　feed　his　eye　on　beauty；　beauty　goes　from　his　work。



I　remember　in　one　of　his　lectures；　after　describing　the　sordid

aspect　of　a　great　English　city；　he　draws　for　us　a　picture　of　what

were　the　artistic　surroundings　long　ago。



Think；　he　says；　in　words　of　perfect　and　picturesque　imagery；　whose

beauty　I　can　but　feebly　echo；　think　of　what　was　the　scene　which

presented　itself；　in　his　afternoon　walk；　to　a　designer　of　the

Gothic　school　of　Pisa　…　Nino　Pisano　or　any　of　his　men　（22）：





On　each　side　of　a　bright　river　he　saw　rise　a　line　of　brighter

palaces；　arched　and　pillared；　and　inlaid　with　deep　red　porphyry；

and　with　serpentine；　along　the　quays　before　their　gates　were　riding

troops　of　knights；　noble　in　face　and　form；　dazzling　in　crest　and

shield；　horse　and　man　one　labyrinth　of　quaint　colour　and　gleaming

light　…　the　purple；　and　silver；　and　scarlet　fringes　flowing　over

the　strong　limbs　and　clashing　mall；　like　sea…waves　over　rocks　at

sunset。　　Opening　on　each　side　from　the　river　were　gardens；　courts；

and　cloisters；　long　successions　of　white　pillars　among　wreaths　of

vine；　leaping　of　fountains　through　buds　of　pomegranate　and　orange：

and　still　along　the　garden…paths；　and　under　and　through　the　crimson

of　the　pomegranate　shadows；　moving　slowly；　groups　of　the　fairest

women　that　Italy　ever　saw　…　fairest；　because　purest　and

thoughtfullest；　trained　in　all　high　knowledge；　as　in　all　courteous

art　…　in　dance；　in　song；　in　sweet　wit；　in　lofty　learning；　in

loftier　courage；　in　loftiest　love　…　able　alike　to　cheer；　to

enchant；　or　save；　the　souls　of　men。　　Above　all　this　scenery　of

perfect　human　life；　rose　dome　and　bell…tower；　burning　with　white

alabaster　and　gold：　　beyond　dome　and　bell…tower　the　slopes　of

mighty　hills　hoary　with　olive；　far　in　the　north；　above　a　purple　sea

of　peaks　of　solemn　Apennine；　the　clear；　sharp…cloven　Carrara

mountains　sent　up　their　steadfast　flames　of　marble　summit　into

amber　sky；　the　great　sea　itself；　scorching　with　expanse　of　light；

stretching　from　their　feet　to　the　Gorgonian　isles；　and　over　all

these；　ever　present；　near　or　far　…　seen　through　the　leaves　of　vine；

or　imaged　with　all　its　march　of　clouds　in　the　Arno's　stream；　or　set

with　its　depth　of　blue　close　against　the　golden　hair　and　burning

cheek　of　lady　and　knight；　…　that　untroubled　and　sacred　sky；　which

was　to　all　men；　in　those　days　of　innocent　faith；　indeed　the

unquestioned　abode　of　spirits；　as　the　earth　was　of　men；　and　which

opened　straight　through　its　gates　of　cloud　and　veils　of　dew　into

the　awfulness　of　the　eternal　world；　…　a　heaven　in　which　every　cloud

that　passed　was　literally　the　chariot　of　an　angel；　and　every　ray　of

its　Evening　and　Morning　streamed　from　the　throne　of　God。



What　think　you　of　that　for　a　school　of　design？





And　then　look　at　the　depressing；　monotonous　appearance　of　any

modern　city；　the　sombre　dress　of　men　and　women；　the　meaningless　and

barren　architecture；　the　colourless　and　dreadful　surroundings。

Without　a　beautiful　national　life；　not　sculpture　merely；　but　all

the　arts　will　die。



Well；　as　regards　the　religious　feeling　of　the　close　of　the　passage；

I　do　not　think　I　nee