Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-04-29
Art Impressions.

Art impressions.
l. The chief impression which a
work of art makes upon the solid mind
whether of savage or of an unsuscep-
tible child, is that of surprise. To the
mcultured person a picture of the
strains of music is mere curious
thing, something odd, apart from the
familiar order. He stares aud wonders,
but does not legitimately enjoy: his
impressions belong to a lower level
than that from which the art-faculty
builds itself up, and SO do not concern
the present purpose. One grade above
this dumb sentiment the capacity for
culture begins: it beg ms when the mind
gets an impression of beauty, rather
than of o.adity, from the art-object.
Nearly all sensitive children commence
their agriculture in this way. An ele-
mentary delight seizes the yonng soul
in the contemplation of work of art;
a sweet strain of sound or brilliant flash
of colors thrills the child. The sounds
of an eolian harp, the wandering har-
monies of an unstopped pianoforte
string, the glowing hues of some in
different painting, are enough to awak-
en- in such mind the master-passion
for the beauty of mans handiwork-
thing more lovely than aught which
that fresh dewdrop, the soul, has yet
reflected in the shining world of enter
prise.
This love of arts beauty is common
'ly an earlier love than that of Nature.
Art draws the child more strongly than
skies or landscapes; it facinates him
with it's usually less habitual influence;
it gives him new JOY in color, sound, or
form.
But soon this love leads the growing
mind back to Nature, teaching it to
find delight in the grandeur of bays
and mountains, In mystical-colored
sunrises, in the winds blowing hoarse-
ly amoug the hills, in the silence of
vast plains or forests.
Does aesthetic growth necessarily
pass beyond this admiration? By no
means! the agriculture of a large part
of the public stops with the acquisition
of the sense of beauty.
Far from making any further advance
in intelligence, people lose the crude
but vivid perceptions they had once
acquired. The intrinsic charms of
form, sound, color, play upon their I'M
glutted senses yet their keen CESSATION
of their pleasures lessons their with
experience, like other enjoyments.
The natural fondness for music is per-
haps retained the longest. We hear
persons say that they enjoy music bet
ter than they should if they knew more
abont it, and as regards that primitive
enjoyment the remark is probably true.
IF it we're also true that knowledge and
culture are only to be valued by their
power to give pleasure, we might advise
all such persons to remain Ignorant,
and not to disturb their Pierian spring
of feeling with little knowledge. But
without the higher complex pleasure
there can be no intelligent enjoyment.
2. But this love of beauty, when it is
deeply planted, leads to other things
than delight. Those in whom it is
vitality rooted grow by natural law of it's
growth. Il they have opportunity of
study, of access to works of art, they
soon reach a second stage of develop
ment-the point at which art-produc-
ton and sound criticism first become
possible. The developing art-lover
begins to see that love and enthusiasm
are not enough-that he must bring
himself into fuller relations with what
he has been content 10 admire. He
begins to reason about beauty, to in
quire respecting its foundations in truth.
to revise his enthusiasts. He asks,
first of all, whether the painting or the
statue is faithful record. He is no
longer contented to stand in childllke
pleasure before beautiful work. He
begins to occupy himself with the
question, els it true?'
At this point the realistic schools of
art and criticism spring into being.
Painters begin to copy Nature carefully
and conscientiously, Critics reduce the
whole mystery Of art to the most en-
gaging simplicity: cts object is truth. .
They are experts upon the moral pur-
poses of statues and of symphonies:
they remind one of theologians who are
al .foit respecting the intention of
Deity. Henceforth, they tell us, the
artist is to have no other business than
the delineation of realities
Upon this subject two theses are con-
tested The more dogmatic theorists
argue that all truth is admirable in