New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-13
some Old Masters
Out of China

pictures poems. 4 Droverbial saving
I about the two arts embodies the same
conception, which the Chinese regard
as ideal. To interpret a mood, not TO
record facts, has been for them the
essence Of landscape painting" There
. IN so Ear as II can be concisely indi-
= ca-eo, lies the key 10 the whole bust
ness always assuming that one keeps
IN mind the rectitude of craftsmanship
enforced by Hsieh Ho. The painter
must seek the truth; he must keep his
eye on the object; in drawing, IN color,
IN perspective he must be correct. But,
as We would put II in our Western
terms, he must have something to say,
he must express an idea. II must be
an idea inalienable, too, from the sub
Jet approached. It must be extorted
from nature, not arbitrarily imposed
upon her.
Chinese painting has thus q dual
function to record the fact and TO lift
the fact 10 a higher power. Il does
both with resultant effect that has
a curious simplicity about il. An ex-
ample of special force is provided in
the LISTENING TO the Fountain" by
Ma Yuan. a court painter Of the thir-
teenth century. The title is justly
employed. Some account is doubtless
=
in the foreground. But il would be
even more suggestive to call this sim
ply "A Mountain Scene" for as mat
ter OF fact we ignore the traveller af-
ter we have once noticed him, and
think only of the majesty of the com
position, the vast walls raised into the
sky, the wandering mIsts and the
subtle atmosphere. quite indefnably
expressed, of a primeval yet friendly
world. Color, IN our Western sense. is
hardly present in the scheme; masses
Of tawny brown and a multitude of
touches of soft tea greens are Writ
ually all that we observe. Line rather
than color defines the forms. Here is
where we have TO meet the East half
way, to adjust ourselves 10 an exotic
idiom. But really great art has an odd
way of solving these difficulties. Emo
ton is a universal language. Ma
Yuan's poetry, in some strange, mas
terful fashion. makes itself felt. We
wonder. as we yield to his spell, if
he is so exotic after all. His con-
vention may differ immeasurably from
ours. but his central idea breaks
through. This is true even when some
detail Of technical habit threatens 70
come aggressively between US and the
effect sought. There is a Sung picture
here. the SNOWY Hills" no. 16). N
which tiny golden dots sprinkled over
the scene are supposed TO represent
snow. The illusion fails. so far as this
eypedient is concerned. But there is no
mistaking the cold Alpine nature Of
the theme. The great rocky lamina-
lions studied in this picture with
touch, by the way, Interestingly sug-
gestive of the sort of thing we know
g 10 Mou+acrpa and
John Bellini) wildly proclaim the ar
fists essential purpose.
There is one aspect Of that purpose
10 which we would draw particular at
tention. In the matter Of mood. so i'm
portant TO the Oriental master. the
KEYS are past counting. lie can be
blithe. when it suits him. Witness the
sparkling color in the "Seven Sages II
a Bamboo Grove" painted by Liza
Sung-nien in the twelfth century. The
blues he uses give a positive gayety 20
the work, and amid his slender BAN
boos we feel, despite the priest-like fg-
ures. as though in some happy fairy
land. There is a SAVIOR OF romance, as
in a picture by Altdorfer, in the beau
tiful PHILOSOPHY in the Pine Hills" by
Cheny Hua-yuan, design saturated IN
mystery. But the prevailing note IN
this. or any, collection OF Chlnese
paintings is one OF a kind OF solemn
repose. Oriental drama, as II finds us
way into Oriental painting, IS the stlli
drama of the philosophic soul. It's
txpes are meditative, and the intel
lectual drift of the school affects It's
vision of nature. Violent movement
amongst figures or animals-especlally
animals adequately rendered ou'