New-York tribune., 1910-05-25

does it. But we associate the artistic
te,nperament with failure and vague dis
satisfaction, with those who would al
WAYS rather be doing something different
from what they are doing; in fact, with
the man who has a soul above his work
and who cannot satisfy his temperament
in his work Those who regard all art
as a bv-product Of disease and try TO
forget its origin when they enjoy 1t, as
they try to forget geese with diseased
livers when they eat pate de fole gras
are of course ready enough to associate
art with the artistic temperament: and
this aesthetic epicurism is mainly ac-
countabIe for the fact that the artistic
tep1perament is now very fashionable
complaint For there must be scmetnlns
fine about it If it produces art. and those
who have it, even if they are not artists,
must he of the same nature with artists,
mute. ingiorious Millions perhaps, but
still Millions only mute by some trick or
fate Therefore, they indulge themselves
in the artistic temperament. whereas
thev ought to try to cure it like indiges-
ton. For vague unhappiness does no
good to any one, least of all to the man
who is unhappy. There is noble un-
fappiness which knows Its own cause
and endures it on principle. the ,unhap-
piness of a man who sacrlhceS all that
he loves best to some splendid impossl-
bilitv. But that is not the unhappiness
who has a soul above his work. He has
two remedies. or at least he can attempt
to cure himself in two, different ways.
Either he can resolve to be reconc1Ied 70
his work or he can rebel against IL ana
seek for task better suited to MS soui.
Whichever he does. he has some chance
of curing himself of the artistic tempera
ment and of becoming more like real
artist.
Great artists. no doubt. are often un-
happy: but it is seldom the unha pplness
of the artistic temperament tnat tney
express in their art. For When great ar.
expresses unhappiness 1t never seems
70 he causeless or irrational. Beethoven.
we know. suffered many things; but now
f,1lI his music is of Joy and the passion
for ioy: and when he expresses sorrow
it is always as if he expected some sredt
thing to come OF it. So 1t is Win tIie
fgures of Michael Angelo. They may De
.e,5,a iestic in their sadness at the doubt
fnI doom of human kind but that is not
the sadness of the artistic temperament.
Vet MANY would take Michae1 Angelo
and Beethoven as signal examples Oh tlle
artistic temperament, because they Weie
often irritable and capricious, fuii OF
snen;cion and despondency. These are
only the weaknesses of overworked men.
fhe effect not the cause, of their art anu
weaknesses which they did not express
in their art They performed mighty
feats and suffered from them, just as d
man of business may suffer from over
work: but the weaknesses of the artlstic
temnera ment are usually not the result
of overwork. but the cause of an 1ncapac-
ity for any good work Whatever me
rt;stic ten,perament is weary not De
oa,,se n has done too much but because
If does not know what to do. The artist
n NAV be dissatisfied with what ne has
done: but the artistic tempera ment is is
dissatisfied with what it has to do. In
fact. we ought rather to- call II the m
artistic temperament; for lts chleI enc
H,bereas the artist. whether we call him
a noet or not, is always a maker.