Show 104 STUDENT LIFE simply because it is not nature” and the artist is an artist because he sees more than the most perfect camera can register Haying seen it it is his aim to make that which floated before his “inward eye” but was invisible to the multitude visible to them Because the artist produces that which he seeswith his“inward eye” the most perfect pictures cannot be reproduced and preserve the ideal features It is for this reason that copies of the great masters are as a rule so disappointing A work of art may be radiant with expression and suggestion (with idealism) as it issues from the artist’s mind but a3 soon as it is reproduced it sinks to the level of the actual In the strictest sense however a purely realistic as also a purely idealistic art is impossible Pure realism would have no meaning to appeal to the mind and pure idealism if interpreted to mean that sen-- u ous material shall not be used is impossible for an ideal unembodied would have no meaning whatever Mrs Browning expresses this thought in “Aurora Leigh:” “Without the spritual observe The natural’s impossible: no form No motion! Without sensuous spiritual Is inappreciable: — no beauty or power: And in this two-fol- d man sphere the two-fol- d Holds firmly by the natural to reach The spiritual beyond it— fixes still The type with mortal vision to pierce through With eyes immortal to the ante-typ- e Some call the ideal better called the real’’ Thus we see that the realistic and idealistic features in art are so necessary cacli to the other In an artistic production that it may be difficult to understand how one class of paint- ers should be considered as realistic and another class as idealistic This further distinction between the two might be made The realistic class of painters make a special study of the mental and mechanical aids to their profession They otbain a complete knowledge of the human form and study to imitate the various effects cf nature in color and in light and shade with no other motive than that of giving pleasure by the representation of beauty The idealistic class of painters use art as a sacred vocation and the representation of beauty as a means not an end A thorough study of nature is made and used only as the embodiment of the highest holiest and purest ideas in heaven and in To the former class belonged Fra earth Lippo Lippi to the latter Fra Angelico who according to the poem was regarded as one of the “true painters” whose method of painting the Priors wished Fra Lippo to adopt Fra Lippo Lippi’s first art productions were purely realistic He painted “every srtlt of monk the black and white the fat and lean then folks at church—from the good old gossips waiting to confessto the breathless fellow at the altar foot fresh from his murder” This manner of painting brought forth loud praise from the monks in such words as these which show how true to life were the paintings “That’s the very man! Look at the boy who stops to pat the dog! That woman’s like the Prior’s niece who comes To care about his asthma: it’s the life” This loud praise was soon stopped by the learned prior who instructed Fra Lippo not to makehis figures true to life to use figure only to express the Idea lie urges that art must have an ulterior aim —an ethical purpose and yokes Idealism with morals According to the poem the prior says “now? What’s here? Quite from the mark of painting bless us all! Faces arms legs and bodies like the true As much as pea and pea! it’s devil’s game! Your business is not to catch men with show With homage to the perishable clay But lift them over it ignore it all Make them forget there’s such a thing as flesh Your business is to paint the souls of men Give us no more of body than shows soul:” Fra Lippo answers observing first that the Prior’s theory defeats its own end In other words to repeat a statement already made an idea unembodied would have no meaning to appeal to the mind He further observes the possibility of reconciling the two stand points “Why can’t a painter lift each foot in turn Left foot and right foot go a double step Make his flesh liker and his soul more like Both in their order? Take the prettiest face |