The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-03
LITERARY LEAVES.
WHAT IS THE TRUE FUNCTION
OF CRITICISM.

fh'tNN aiF 'fN'f
sidney smiths Question Repeated
Notes.
E--The highest criticism, then. rs more
creative than creation. and the primary
aim Of the critic is to see the OH ct as
in itself it really is not; thai rs your
theory. believer
G.-Yes, that H. my theory. To the
critic the work Of art Is simply sug-
gestion for new work of his own that
need not necessarily bear any obvious
resemblance o. the thing it criticises.
The one characteristic # a beautiful
form is thai one can put into il what
ever one wishes. and see IN it whatever
one chooses 10 see: aud the beauty
which gives 10 creation its universal
and aesthetic element makes the critic
creator i'm his turn. and whispers of
thousand different things which are
not present in the mind of him who
carved the statue or painted the panel
or graved the gem.
lis sometimes said by those who
understand neither the nature OF the
highcs. criticism nor toe charm Of the
highest art. that the pictures that the
critic loves most 20 write about are
those that belong % the auecGotage OF
painting, ana that deal wi,h scencs
taken out of literature and history.
But this Is not so. Indeed. pictures Of
this kind are far TOO ineligible. Asa
class. they rank with illustrations. and
20 t.f..
are failures. as they do not stir the im
aginatiOn. but set definite bounds 90 it.
For the domain Of the painter Is. as /
suggested before. widely different from
that OF the poet TO the latter belongs
life in lis iu.l and absolute entirety:
not only the beauty that men look at,
but the beauty That men listen 90 also.|
not merely the m0meDtary grace or
form or the transient glajness OF color.
but the whole sphere of feeling. the
perfect cycle of thought. Toe painter
- so far limited that it D. only through
the mask Ut tine body that he can show
Us the mystery Of the soul. Ouly through
conventional images that he can handle
IDEAS only through It's physical eQUiya-
Tents that he can deal with psychology.
And how inadoqultely does he 30 1t
then. asking us tOaccept the torn turban
of the Moor for the noble rage OF
Othell0. or d0taid ia storm
for the wild madness of Lear,
Yet it seems as If nothing could
stop him Most # our elderly English
printers spend their wicked aud wasted
lives in p,achiug upon the domain Of
the poets. marrllg their motives by
clumsy treatment. and striving 10 rou-
der. bv visible form or color the marvel
of wlat H. invisible. the sp,endor If
what Is not seen. Their pictures are.
us q uaturdl consequence. lusuiierably
tedious. They have degraded the visible
arts into the obvious arts. and the one
thing not worth l1ONng 40 j. the OJyi-
Gus. do not say tnHt poetAud painter
may not treat al The same subj act.
They have alwaye done So. and Will
always DO $50. Bur while the poet can
be pictorial or NOT. aa bic chooses. the
painter must De pictorial always. Tie
Is limited not tO what ne s..- In nature.
but tO what 90 cIuyls may b. seen.
And 80. my dear Ernest, pictures Of
this kind Will not really fa.cnate tine
,.orl,. OPS. r,ela INN bro.f ami dro,r,
ami for.v IN work. tno+ ,o..o.s tns
subtle quality of suggestion. and seem
10 tell one chat even from them there ls
au escape INTO wider void. Ii I-
some time, said that tGo tragedy oi AN
artist 5 'ilc 's tuat he cannot rtaNI, Ei- /
ideal. Bat the true tragedy Tat dogs
tl,e ..o,.. of ,,,.t arfIst..is man fha., ,,. /
eliz. fhnir IDEAL 10, ab-olutelv far
,vheu tho ideal * ra4liz.i rlhl.i I
of H.. wonder and a.. mystery. and bee
como. .irnrlv s uaQy -f4rtia.c r..int far
an ',l..f .i.3t d.. ofhcr than r-alf Vh,.
!, tL. r.,-,, civ ,,Ds,,. e.. t,,. ,,,-e..t
rom. of,ft ,Il-icc.,n rayar reveal H..
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I'm bnaufy ami .. al i,a.-as if..lf ,,t
~. fn@' f,cnItv If r.r,,.,. Inn mr. totbsI
,,crltv of r-a.o. bYt H., ina ...tbot'c
.ons, aione which while acc.rting
,orb reason a.,5 r.,..,.nlfiDn NJ s,a.os If
hmm. heu.on. s..5otd,na,e, tbem bo,h
10 a pure synthetic impre--isD ~
.he work of mn as a vhole and
.,kipg whatever alien emotional
dement's the work may POSSESS n-4,
heir very c9mpteAitv a. 4 means by
which "a richer unity ma, Doe added ~
he ultimate imprc.-iOa itself. You
,ee. then. how IL l., chat the asthetlc
critic rejects those Obvious modes of
art that have but one message 90 de-
liver. aud having delivered IL become
lumb and sterile. ard seeks rather for
such modes as suggest revere and
mood. and by their imaginative beauty
make all interpretations true and no in
expectation final some resemblance.
lo doubt, the creative work OF tne
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