The Gentle Art of Making Enemies Part 3

[Note 5: "I was pleased by a little unpretending modern German picture at Dusseldorf, by Bosch, representing a boy carving a model of his sheep dog in wood."--J. RUSKIN: _Modern Painters_.]

[Note 6: "I have just said that every cla.s.s of rock, earth and cloud must be known by the painter with geologic and meteorologic accuracy."--Slade Prof.

RUSKIN: _Modern Painters_.]

[Sidenote: _REFLECTION:_

"Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself!"

[Ill.u.s.tration]]

Mr. Ruskin entertaining those views, it was not wonderful that his attention should be attracted to Mr. Whistler's pictures. He subjected the pictures, if they chose,[7] to ridicule and contempt. Then Mr.

Ruskin spoke of "the ill-educated[8] conceit of the artist, so nearly approaching the action of imposture." If his pictures were mere extravagances, how could it redound to the credit of Mr. Whistler to send them to the Grosvenor Gallery to be exhibited? Some artistic gentleman from Manchester, Leeds, or Sheffield might perhaps be induced to buy one of the pictures because it was a Whistler, and what Mr. Ruskin meant was that he might better have remained in Manchester, Sheffield, or Leeds, with his money in his pocket. It was said that the term "ill-educated conceit" ought never to have been applied to Mr. Whistler, who had devoted the whole of his life to educating himself in Art;[9] but Mr. Ruskin's views[10] as to his success did not accord with those of Mr. Whistler. The libel complained of said also, "I never expected to hear a c.o.xcomb ask two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face." What was a c.o.xcomb?

He had looked the word up, and found that it came from the old idea of the licensed jester who wore a cap and bells with a c.o.c.k's comb in it, who went about making jests for the amus.e.m.e.nt of his master and family. If that were the true definition, then Mr. Whistler should not complain, because his pictures had afforded a most amusing jest! _He did not know when so much amus.e.m.e.nt had been afforded to the[11]

British Public as by Mr. Whistler's pictures._ He had now finished.

Mr. Ruskin had lived a long life without being attacked, and no one had attempted to control his pen through the medium of a jury. Mr.

Ruskin said, through him, as his counsel, that he did not retract one syllable of his criticism, believing it was right. Of course, if they found a verdict against Mr. Ruskin, he would have to cease writing,[12] but it would be an evil day for Art, in this country, when Mr. Ruskin would be prevented from indulging in legitimate and proper criticism, by pointing out what was beautiful and what was not.[13]

[Note 7: "Vulgarity, dulness, or impiety will indeed always express themselves through art, in brown and gray, as in Rembrandt."--Prof. JOHN RUSKIN: _Modern Painters_.]

[Note 8: "It is physically impossible, for instance, rightly to draw certain forms of the upper clouds with a brush; nothing will do it but the palette knife with loaded white after the blue ground is prepared."--JOHN RUSKIN, Prof. of Painting.]

[Note 9: "And thus we are guided, almost forced, by the laws of nature, to do right in art. Had granite been white and marble speckled (and why should this not have been, but by the definite Divine appointment for the good of man?), the huge figures of the Egyptian would have been as oppressive to the sight as cliffs of snow, and the Venus de Medicis would have looked like some exquisitely graceful species of frog."--Slade Professor JOHN RUSKIN.]

[Note 10: "The princ.i.p.al object in the foreground of Turner's 'Building of Carthage' is a group of children sailing toy boats. The exquisite choice of this incident ... is quite as appreciable when it is told, as when it is seen--it has nothing to do with the technicalities of painting; ... such a thought as this is something far above all art."--JOHN RUSKIN, Art Professor: _Modern Painters_.]

[Note 11: "It is especially to be remembered that drawings of this simple character [Prout's and W.

Hunt's] were made for these same middle cla.s.ses, exclusively; and even for the second order of middle cla.s.ses, more accurately expressed by the term 'bourgeoisie.' They gave an unquestionable tone of liberal-mindedness to a suburban villa, and were the cheerfullest possible decorations for a moderate sized breakfast parlour, opening on a nicely mown lawn."--JOHN RUSKIN, Art Professor: _Notes on S. Prout and W. Hunt_.]

[Note 12: "It seems to me, and seemed always probable, that I might have done much more good in some other way."--Prof. JOHN RUSKIN, Art Teacher: _Modern Painters_, Vol. V.]

[Note 13: "Give thorough examination to the wonderful painting, _as such_, in the great Veronese ...

and then, for contrast with its reckless power, and for final image to be remembered of sweet Italian art in its earnestness ... the Beata Catherine Vigri's St. Ursula, ... I will only say in closing, as I said of the Vicar's picture in beginning, that it would be well if any of us could do such things nowadays--and more especially if our vicars and young ladies could."--JOHN RUSKIN, Prof.

of Fine Art: _Guide to Princ.i.p.al Pictures_, _Academy of Fine Arts_, _Venice_.]

Evidence was then called on behalf of the defendant. Witnesses for the defendant, Messrs. Edward Burne-Jones, Frith, and Tom Taylor.

Mr. EDWARD BURNE-JONES called.

Mr. BOWEN, by way of presenting him properly to the consideration of the Court, proceeded to read extracts of eulogistic appreciation of this artist from the defendant's own writings.

[Sidenote: "Of the estimate which shall be formed of Mr.

Jones's own work....

"His work, first, is simply the only art-work at present produced in England which will be received by the future as 'cla.s.sic' in its kind--the best that has been or could be."--Prof. RUSKIN: _Fors Clavigera_, July 2, 1877.]

The examination of witness then commenced; and in answer to Mr. BOWEN, Mr. JONES said: "I am a painter, and have devoted about twenty years to the study. I have painted various works, including the 'Days of Creation' and 'Venus's Mirror,' both of which were exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1877. I have also exhibited 'Deferentia,'

'Fides,' 'St. George,' and 'Sybil.' I have one work, 'Merlin and Vivian,' now being exhibited in Paris. In my opinion complete finish ought to be the object of all artists. A picture ought not to fall short of what has been for ages considered complete finish."

Mr. BOWEN: "Do you see any art quality in that nocturne, Mr. Jones?"

Mr. JONES: "Yes ... I must speak the truth, you know".... (_Emotion._)

Mr. BOWEN: ... "Yes. Well, Mr. Jones, what quality do you see in it?"

Mr. JONES: "Colour. It has fine colour, and atmosphere."

Mr. BOWEN: "Ah. Well, do you consider detail and composition essential to a work of Art?"

Mr. JONES: "Most certainly I do."

Mr. BOWEN: "Then what detail and composition do you find in this nocturne?"

Mr. JONES: "Absolutely none."[14]

[Note 14: _REFLECTION:_

There is a cunning condition of mind that _requires to know_. On the Stock Exchange this insures safe investment. In the painting trade this would induce certain picture-makers to cross the river at noon, in a boat, before negotiating a Nocturne, in order to make sure of detail on the bank, that honestly the purchaser might exact, and out of which he might have been tricked by the Night!

[Ill.u.s.tration]]

Mr. BOWEN: "Do you think two hundred guineas a large price for that picture?"

Mr. JONES: "Yes. When you think of the amount of earnest work done for a smaller sum."

Examination continued: "Does it show the finish of a complete work of art?"

[Sidenote: "The action of imagination of the highest power in Burne Jones, under the conditions of scholarship, of social beauty, and of social distress, which necessarily aid, thwart, and colour it in the nineteenth century, are alone in art,--unrivalled in their kind; and I _know_ that these will be immortal, as the best things the mid-nineteenth century in England could do, in such true relations as it had, through all confusion, retained with the paternal and everlasting Art of the world."--JOHN RUSKIN, LL.D.: _Fors Clavigera_, July 2, 1877.]

"Not in any sense whatever. The picture representing a night scene on Battersea Bridge, is good in colour, but bewildering in form; and it has no composition and detail. A day or a day and a half seems a reasonable time within which to paint it. It shows no finish--it is simply a sketch. The nocturne in black and gold has not the merit of the other two pictures, and it would be impossible to call it a serious work of art. Mr. Whistler's picture is only one of the thousand failures to paint night. The picture is not worth two hundred guineas."

Mr. BOWEN here proposed to ask the witness to look at a picture of t.i.tian,[15] in order to show what finish was.[16]

[Note 15: "I believe the world may see another t.i.tian, and another Raffaelle, before it sees another Rubens."--Mr. RUSKIN.]

[Note 16: ... "The Butcher's Dog, in the corner of Mr. Mulready's 'b.u.t.t,' displays, perhaps, the most wonderful, because the most dignified, finish ... and a.s.suredly the most perfect unity of drawing and colour which the entire range of ancient and modern art can exhibit. Albert Durer is, indeed, the only rival who might be suggested."--JOHN RUSKIN Slade Professor of Art: _Modern Painters_.]

Mr. SERJEANT PARRY objected.

Mr. BARON HUDDLESTON: "You will have to prove that it is a t.i.tian."

Mr. BOWEN: "I shall be able to do that."

Mr. BARON HUDDLESTON: "That can only be by repute. I do not want to raise a laugh, but there is a well-known case of 'an undoubted'

t.i.tian being purchased with a view to enabling students and others to find out how to produce his wonderful colours. With that object the picture was rubbed down, and they found a red surface, beneath which they thought was the secret, but on continuing the rubbing they discovered a full length portrait of George III. in uniform!"

The witness was then asked to look at the picture, and he said: "It is a portrait of Doge Andrea Gritti, and I believe it is a real t.i.tian.

It shows finish. It is a very perfect sample of the highest finish of ancient art.[17] The flesh is perfect, the modelling of the face is round and good. That is an 'arrangement in flesh and blood!'"

[Note 17: ... "I feel ent.i.tled to point out that the picture by t.i.tian, produced in the case of Whistler _v._ Ruskin, is an early specimen of that master, and does not represent adequately the style and qualities which have obtained for him his great reputation--one obvious point of difference between this and his more mature work being the far greater amount of finish--I do not say completeness--exhibited in it ... and as the picture was brought forward with a view to inform the jury as to the nature of the work of the greatest painter, and more especially as to the high finish introduced in it, it is evident that it was calculated to produce an erroneous impression on their minds, if indeed any one present at the inquiry can hold that those gentlemen were in any way fitted to understand the issues raised therein.--I am, Sir, your obedient servant,