the soul of the far east-第21章

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racter；　however　proper；　would　be　deemed　indecent。　The　difference　between　the　two　hemispheres　may　be　said　to　consist　in　an　artless　liberty　on　the　one　hand；　and　artistic　license　on　the　other。　　Their　unwritten　code　of　propriety　on　the　subject　seems　to　be；　〃You　must　see；　but　you　may　not　observe。〃

These　people　live　more　in　accordance　with　their　code　of　propriety　than　we　do　with　ours。　　All　classes　alike　conform　to　it。　　The　adjective　〃respectable；〃　used　above　as　a　distinction　in　speaking　of　woman；　was　in　reality　superfluous；　for　all　women　there；　as　far　as　appearance　goes；　are　respectable。　　Even　the　most　abandoned　creature　does　not　betray　her　status　by　her　behavior。　　The　reason　of　this　uniformity　and　its　psychological　importance　I　shall　discuss　later。

This　form　of　modesty；　a　sort　of　want　of　modesty　of　form；　has　no　connection　whatever　with　sex。　　It　applies　with　equal　force　to　the　male　figure；　which　is　even　more　exposed　than　the　female；　and　offers　anatomical　suggestions　invaluable　alike　to　the　artistic　and　medical　professions；suggestions　that　are　equally　ignored　by　both。　The　coolies　are　frequently　possessed　of　physiques　which　would　have　delighted　Michael　Angelo；　and　as　for　the　phenomenal　corpulency　of　the　wrestlers；　it　would　have　made　of　the　place　a　very　paradise　for　Rubens。　　In　regard　to　the　doctors；for　to　call　them　surgeons　would　be　to　give　a　name　to　what　does　not　exist；a　lack　of　scientific　zeal　has　been　the　cause　of　their　not　investigating　what　tempts　too　seductively；　we　should　imagine；　to　be　ignored。　　Acupuncture；　or　the　practice　of　sticking　long　pins　into　any　part　of　the　patient's　body　that　may　happen　to　be　paining　him；　pretty　much　irrespective　of　anatomical　position；　is　the　nearest　approach　to　surgery　of　which　they　are　guilty；　and　proclaims　of　itself　the　in　corpore　vili　character　of　the　thing　operated　upon。

Nor　does　the　painter　owe　anything　to　science。　　He　represents　humanity　simply　as　he　sees　it　in　its　every…day　costume；　and　it　betokens　the　highest　powers　of　generalized　observation　that　he　produces　the　results　he　does。　　In　his　drawings；　man　is　shown；　not　as　he　might　look　in　the　primitive；　or　privitive；　simplicity　of　his　ancestral　Garden　of　Eden；　but　as　he　does　look　in　the　ordinary　wear　and　tear　of　his　present　garments。　　Civilization　has　furnished　him　with　clothes；　and　he　prefers；　when　he　has　his　picture　taken；　to　keep　them　on。

In　dealing　with　man；　the　Far　Oriental　artist　is　emphatically　a　realist；　it　is　when　he　turns　to　nature　that　he　becomes　ideal。　But　by　ideal　is　not　meant　here　conventional。　　That　term　of　reproach　is　a　misnomer；　founded　upon　a　mistake。　　His　idealism　is　simply　the　outcome　of　his　love；　which；　like　all　human　love；　transfigures　its　object。　The　Far　Oriental　has　plenty　of　this；　which；　if　sometimes　a　delusion；　seems　also　second　sight；　but　it　is　peculiarly　impersonal。　　His　color…blindness　to　the　warm；　blood…red　end　of　the　spectrum　of　life　in　no　wise　affects　his　perception　of　the　colder　beauty　of　the　great　blues　and　greens　of　nature。　　To　their　poetry　he　is　ever　sensitive。　His　appreciation　of　them　is　something　phenomenal；　and　his　power　of　presentation　worthy　his　appreciation。

A　Japanese　painting　is　a　poem　rather　than　a　picture。　　It　portrays　an　emotion　called　up　by　a　scene；　and　not　the　scene　itself　in　all　its　elaborate　complexity。　　It　undertakes　to　give　only　so　much　of　it　as　is　vital　to　that　particular　feeling；　and　intentionally　omits　all　irrelevant　details。　　It　is　the　expression　caught　from　a　glimpse　of　the　soul　of　nature　by　the　soul　of　man；　the　mirror　of　a　mood；　passing；　perhaps；　in　fact；　but　perpetuated　thus　to　fancy。　　Being　an　emotion；　its　intensity　is　directly　proportional　to　the　singleness　with　which　it　possesses　the　thoughts。　　The　Far　Oriental　fully　realizes　the　power　of　simplicity。　　This　principle　is　his　fundamental　canon　of　pictorial　art。　　To　understand　his　paintings；　it　is　from　this　standpoint　they　must　be　regarded；　not　as　soulless　photographs　of　scenery；　but　as　poetic　presentations　of　the　spirit　of　the　scenes。　The　very　charter　of　painting　depends　upon　its　not　giving　us　charts。　And　if　with　us　a　long　poem　be　a　contradiction　in　terms；　a　full　picture　is　with　them　as　self…condemnatory　a　production。　　From　the　contemplation　of　such　works　of　art　as　we　call　finished；　one　is　apt；　after　he　has　once　appreciated　Far　Eastern　taste；　to　rise　with　an　unpleasant　feeling　of　satiety；　as　if　he　has　eaten　too　much　at　the　feast。

Their　paintings；　by　comparison；　we　call　sketches。　　Is　not　our　would…be　slight　unwittingly　the　reverse？　　Is　not　a　sketch；　after　all；　fuller　of　meaning；　to　one　who　knows　how　to　read　it；　than　a　finished　affair；　which　is　very　apt　to　end　with　itself；　barren　of　fruit？　Does　not　one's　own　imagination　elude　one's　power　to　portray　it？　　Is　it　not　forever　flitting　will…o'…the…wisp…like　ahead　of　us　just　beyond　exact　definition？　　For　the　soul　of　art　lies　in　what　art　can　suggest；　and　nothing　is　half　so　suggestive　as　the　half　expressed；　not　even　a　double　entente。　　To　hint　a　great　deal　by　displaying　a　little　is　more　vital　to　effect　than　the　cleverest　representation　of　the　whole。　The　art　of　partially　revealing　is　more　telling；　even；　than　the　ars　celare　artem。　　Who　has　not　suspected　through　a　veil　a　fairer　face　than　veil　ever　hid？　　Who　has　not　been　delightedly　duped　by　the　semi…disclosures　of　a　dress？　　The　principle　is　just　as　true　in　any　one　branch　of　art　as　it　is　of　the　attempted　developments　by　one　of　the　suggestions　of　another。　　Yet　who　but　has　thus　felt　its　force？　　Who　has　not　had　a　shock　of　day…dream　desecration　on　chancing　upon　an　illustrated　edition　of　some　book　whose　story　he　had　lain　to　heart？　Portraits　of　people；　pictures　of　places；　he　does　not　know；　and　yet　which　purport　to　be　his！　　And　I　venture　to　believe　that　to　more　than　one　of　us　the　exquisite　pathos　of　the　Bride　of　Lammermoor　is　gone　when　Lucia　warbles　her　woes；　be　it　never　so　entrancingly；　to　an　admiring　house。　　It　almost　seems　as　if　the　garish　publicity　of　using　her　name　for　operatic　title　were　a　special　intervention　of　the　Muse；　that　we　might　the　less　connect　song　with　story；two　sensations　that；　like　two　lights；　destroy　one　another　by　mutual　interference。

Against　this　preference　shown　the　sketch　it　may　be　urged　that　to　appreciate　such　suggestions　presupposes　as　much　art　in　the　public　as　in　the　painter。　　But　the　ability　to　appreciate　a　thing　when　expressed　is　but　half　that　necessary　to　express　it。　　Some　understanding　must　exist　in　the　observer　for　any　work　to　be　intelligible。　　It　is　only　a　question　of　degree。　　The　greater　the　art…sense　in　the　person　addressed；　the　more　had　better　be　left　to　it。　Now　in　Japan　the　public　is　singularly　artistic。　　In　fact；　the　artistic　appreciation　of　the　masses　there　is　something　astonishing　to　us；　accustomed　to　our　immense　intellectual　differences　between　man　and　man。　　Sketches　are　thus　peculiarly　fitting　to　such　a　land。

Besides；　there　is　a　quiet　modesty　about　the　sketch　which　is　itself　taking。　　To　attempt　the　complete　even　in　a　fractional　bit　of　the　cosmos；　like　a　picture；　has　in　it　a　difficulty　akin　to　the　logical　one　of　proving　a　universal　negative。　　The　possibilities　of　failure　are　enormously　increased；　and　failure　is　less　forgiven　for　the　assumption。　　Art　might　perhaps　not　unwisely　follow　the　example　of　science　in　such　matters　where　an　exhaustive　work；　which　takes　the　better　part　of　a　lifetime　to　produce；　is　invariably　entitled　by　its　erudite　author　an　Elementary　Treatise　on　the　subject　in　hand。

To　aid　the　effect　due　to　simplicity　of　conception　steps　in　the　Far　Oriental's　wonderful　technique。　　His　brush…strokes　are　very　few　in　number；　but　each　one　tells。　　They　are　laid　on　with　a　touch　which　is　little　short　of　marvelous；　and　requires　heredity　to　explain　its　skill。　　For　in　his　method　there　is　no　emending；　no　super…position；　no　change　possible。　　What　he　does　is　done　once　and　for　all。　The　force　of　it　grows　on　you　as　you　gaze。　　Each　stroke　expresses　surprisingly　much；　and　suggests　more。　　Even　omissions　are　made　significant。　　In　his　painting　it　is　visibly　true　that　objects　can　be　rendered　conspicuous　by　their　very　absence。　　You　are　quite　sure　you　see　what　on　scrutiny　you　discover　to　be　only　the　illusion　of　inevitable　inference。　　The　Far　Oriental　artist　understands　the　power　of　suggestion　well；　for　imagination　a