按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
lts he does。 In his drawings； man is shown； not as he might look in the primitive； or privitive； simplicity of his ancestral Garden of Eden； but as he does look in the ordinary wear and tear of his present garments。 Civilization has furnished him with clothes； and he prefers； when he has his picture taken； to keep them on。
In dealing with man； the Far Oriental artist is emphatically a realist； it is when he turns to nature that he becomes ideal。 But by ideal is not meant here conventional。 That term of reproach is a misnomer； founded upon a mistake。 His idealism is simply the outcome of his love； which； like all human love； transfigures its object。 The Far Oriental has plenty of this； which； if sometimes a delusion； seems also second sight； but it is peculiarly impersonal。 His color…blindness to the warm； blood…red end of the spectrum of life in no wise affects his perception of the colder beauty of the great blues and greens of nature。 To their poetry he is ever sensitive。 His appreciation of them is something phenomenal； and his power of presentation worthy his appreciation。
A Japanese painting is a poem rather than a picture。 It portrays an emotion called up by a scene； and not the scene itself in all its elaborate complexity。 It undertakes to give only so much of it as is vital to that particular feeling； and intentionally omits all irrelevant details。 It is the expression caught from a glimpse of the soul of nature by the soul of man； the mirror of a mood； passing； perhaps； in fact； but perpetuated thus to fancy。 Being an emotion； its intensity is directly proportional to the singleness with which it possesses the thoughts。 The Far Oriental fully realizes the power of simplicity。 This principle is his fundamental canon of pictorial art。 To understand his paintings； it is from this standpoint they must be regarded； not as soulless photographs of scenery； but as poetic presentations of the spirit of the scenes。 The very charter of painting depends upon its not giving us charts。 And if with us a long poem be a contradiction in terms； a full picture is with them as self…condemnatory a production。 From the contemplation of such works of art as we call finished； one is apt； after he has once appreciated Far Eastern taste； to rise with an unpleasant feeling of satiety； as if he has eaten too much at the feast。
Their paintings； by comparison； we call sketches。 Is not our would…be slight unwittingly the reverse？ Is not a sketch； after all； fuller of meaning； to one who knows how to read it； than a finished affair； which is very apt to end with itself； barren of fruit？ Does not one's own imagination elude one's power to portray it？ Is it not forever flitting will…o'…the…wisp…like ahead of us just beyond exact definition？ For the soul of art lies in what art can suggest； and nothing is half so suggestive as the half expressed； not even a double entente。 To hint a great deal by displaying a little is more vital to effect than the cleverest representation of the whole。 The art of partially revealing is more telling； even； than the ars celare artem。 Who has not suspected through a veil a fairer face than veil ever hid？ Who has not been delightedly duped by the semi…disclosures of a dress？ The principle is just as true in any one branch of art as it is of the attempted developments by one of the suggestions of another。 Yet who but has thus felt its force？ Who has not had a shock of day…dream desecration on chancing upon an illustrated edition of some book whose story he had lain to heart？ Portraits of people； pictures of places； he does not know； and yet which purport to be his！ And I venture to believe that to more than one of us the exquisite pathos of the Bride of Lammermoor is gone when Lucia warbles her woes； be it never so entrancingly； to an admiring house。 It almost seems as if the garish publicity of using her name for operatic title were a special intervention of the Muse； that we might the less connect song with story；two sensations that； like two lights； destroy one another by mutual interference。
Against this preference shown the sketch it may be urged that to appreciate such suggestions presupposes as much art in the public as in the painter。 But the ability to appreciate a thing when expressed is but half that necessary to express it。 Some understanding must exist in the observer for any work to be intelligible。 It is only a question of degree。 The greater the art…sense in the person addressed； the more had better be left to it。 Now in Japan the public is singularly artistic。 In fact； the artistic appreciation of the masses there is something astonishing to us； accustomed to our immense intellectual differences between man and man。 Sketches are thus peculiarly fitting to such a land。
Besides； there is a quiet modesty about the sketch which is itself taking。 To attempt the complete even in a fractional bit of the cosmos； like a picture； has in it a difficulty akin to the logical one of proving a universal negative。 The possibilities of failure are enormously increased； and failure is less forgiven for the assumption。 Art might perhaps not unwisely follow the example of science in such matters where an exhaustive work； which takes the better part of a lifetime to produce； is invariably entitled by its erudite author an Elementary Treatise on the subject in hand。
To aid the effect due to simplicity of conception steps in the Far Oriental's wonderful technique。 His brush…strokes are very few in number； but each one tells。 They are laid on with a touch which is little short of marvelous； and requires heredity to explain its skill。 For in his method there is no emending； no super…position； no change possible。 What he does is done once and for all。 The force of it grows on you as you gaze。 Each stroke expresses surprisingly much； and suggests more。 Even omissions are made significant。 In his painting it is visibly true that objects can be rendered conspicuous by their very absence。 You are quite sure you see what on scrutiny you discover to be only the illusion of inevitable inference。 The Far Oriental artist understands the power of suggestion well； for imagination always fills in the picture better than the brush； however perfect be its skill。
Even the neglect of certain general principles which we consider vital to effect； such as the absence of shadows and the lack of perspective； proves not to be of the importance we imagine。 We discover in these paintings how immaterial； artistically； was Peter Schlimmel's sad loss； and how perfectly possible it is to make bits of discontinuous distance take the place effectively of continuous space。
Far Eastern pictures are epigrams rather than descriptions。 They present a bit of nature with the terseness of a maxim of La Rochefoucault； and they delight as aphorisms do by their insight and the happy conciseness of its expression。 Few aphorisms are absolutely true； but then boldness more than makes up for what they lack in verity。 So complex a subject is life that to state a truth with all its accompanying limitations is to weaken it at once。 Exceptions； while demonstrating the rule； do not tend to emphasize it。 And though the whole truth is essential to science； such exhaustiveness is by no means a canon of art。
Parallels are not wanting at home。 What they do with space in their paintings do we not with time in the case of our comedies； those acted pictures of life？ Should we not refuse to tolerate a play that insisted on furnishing us with a full perspective of its characters' past？ And yet of the two； it is far perferable； artistically； to be given too much in sequence than too much at once。 The Chinese； who put much less into a painting than what we deem indispensable； delight in dramas that last six weeks。
To give a concluding touch of life to my necessarily skeleton…like generalities； memory pictures me a certain painting of Okio's which I fell in love with at first sight。 It is of a sunrise on the coast of Japan。 A long line of surf is seen tumbling in to you from out a bank of mist； just piercing which shows the blood…red disk of the rising sun； while over the narrow strip of breaking rollers three cranes are slowly sailing north。 And that is all you see。 You do not see the shore； you do not see the main； you are looking but at the border…land of that great unknown； the heaving ocean still slumbering beneath its chilly coverlid of mist； out of which come the breakers； and the sun； and the cranes。
So much for the more serious side of Japanese fancy； a look at the lighter leads to the same conclusion。
Hand in hand with his keen poetic sensibility goes a vivid sense of humor；two traits that commonly； indeed； are found Maying together over the meadows of imagination。 For； as it might be put；
〃The heart that is soonest awake to the flowers Is also the first to be touched by the fun。〃
The Far Oriental well exemplifies this fact。 His art； wherever fun is possible； fairly bubbles over with laughter。 From the oldest masters down to Hokusai； it is constantly welling up in the drollest conceits。 It is of all descriptions； too。 Now it lurks in merry ambush； like the faint suggestion of a smile on an ot