Arizona republican., 1899-09-24

image formed in the mind, fer the
imagination gropes after perfection
and the human means of expression
vainly endeavor to accomplish what
TIE mind sees affair off
Although the artist always falls
short of his ideal, his failure only
spurs him to greater efforts in the
pursuit of the unattainable He also
finds pleasure in seeing the results of
the efforts of others in proportion as
they echo his own struggle after the
ideal; thus all appreciation of the fine
arts is the result of a certain degree of
ideality in the observer, a desire to
see a thing made perfect in all that
appeals to the eye, the ear or the SEN
timent Only by this sort of SYM
pathy can we understand the aims of
the artist or appreciate the arts of
poetry, the drama, literature, archi-
lecture, sculpture and painting.
We have already referred to the use
of the human figure in decoration, and
have emphasized the fact that deco
rative forms in their relation to the
human figure, can only he accessory
to- it, not co-equal with it ncr in any
way approaching it in Importance
With the Introduction of the human
figure the ARTIST experiences a change
of purpose; no longer content with
merely decorating a surface, thus APP
pealing to the eye only. he now strives
to present some mental concept or
idea, appealing 10 the sentiment of
the beholder by a representation of
persons, acts or natural scenes Thus |
originated the art of pictorial paint
ing, in which is attained the double |
object of pleasing the eye and the |
sentiment. Unless the general laws of
decorative art are observed however, |
in the arrangement ;2f the figures and I
accessories of the picture, the eye is
CffenC'ed and only the sentiment is af- /
fecte1; the picture Icses half its
artistic value.
The introduction of pictorial art has
greatly increased the patronage of the
artist, enabling him to appeal to a vast
number Of people that have no per-
cepticn CT decorative qualities in a
picture. Thus the artist has been led
into the field of the pest the dramatist
and the historian, and often to the
neglect of his own distinctive field of
form and color. In the latter case the
picture becomes merely an explana-
tory drawing. Even the photograph,
in general, belongs in this class. To :
be sure, truthful view of scene which
has artistic qualities may also have .
the same qualities. But such condi- :
ions are seldom found in nature. All |.
sorts of eXpedients are resorted to by !
in order to make a
beautiful scene into an artistic pictule .
Nature rarely places elements into ;
such form that the interest CT the pic ?
ure is centralized and the parts we'll
balanced. !
A friend of the writer was taking a
photograph of an old New England :
homestead The best view of the place
made very badly balanced picture, a
or the interesting clements were
mainly at the right side A large bunch 4
If golden-rod was stood up in the Q
5rass in the left foreground, to appear e
IS though it had grown there. The ,
picture was then well balanced.
This incident explains very we'll the
Inference between an artistic picture
md one that is merely illustrative.
We have said nothing of the function
f color in picture making. It is often
hcught that The colors of the picture
must be absolutely true to those of the
ubject, but this does not appear to be
ssantial. True. the impression must
q conveyed to the beholder, but the
rtist has many ways of accomplish
ng this without conhning himself to
bsolute literal truthfulness.