the soul of the far east-第15章

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　and　to　a　horticulture　ably　carried　on；　if　somewhat　eccentrically　applied。

From　the　passing　of　the　chrysanthemum　dates　the　dead　season。　But　it　is　suitably　short…lived。　　Sometimes　as　early　as　November；　the　plum…tree　is　already　blossoming　again。

Even　from　so　imperfectly　gathered　a　garland　it　will　be　seen　that　the　Japanese　do　not　lack　for　opportunities　to　admire；　nor　do　they　turn　coldly　away　from　what　they　are　given。　　Indeed；　they　may　be　said　to　live　in　a　chronic　state　of　flower…fever；　but　in　spite　of　the　vast　amount　of　admiration　which　they　bestow　on　plants；　it　is　not　so　much　the　quantity　of　that　admiration　as　the　quality　of　it　which　is　remarkable。　　The　intense　appreciation　shown　the　subject　by　the　Far　Oriental　is　something　whose　very　character　seems　strange　to　us；　and　when　in　addition　we　consider　that　it　permeates　the　entire　people　from　the　commonest　coolie　to　the　most　aesthetic　courtier；　it　becomes　to　our　comprehension　a　state　of　things　little　short　of　inexplicable。　To　call　it　artistic　sensibility　is　to　use　too　limited　a　term；　for　it　pervades　the　entire　people；　rather　is　it　a　sixth　sense　of　a　natural；　because　national　description；　for　the　trait　differs　from　our　corresponding　feeling　in　degree；　and　especially　in　universality　enough　to　merit　the　distinction。　　Their　care　for　tree　flowers　is　not　confined　to　a　cultivation；　it　is　a　cult。　　It　approaches　to　a　sort　of　natural　nature…worship；　an　adoration　in　which　nothing　is　personified。　　For　the　emotion　aroused　in　the　Far　Oriental　is　just　as　truly　an　emotion　as　it　was　to　the　Greek；　but　whereas　the　Greek　personified　its　object；　the　Japanese　admires　that　object　for　what　it　is。　To　think　of　the　cherry…tree；　for　instance；　as　a　woman；　would　be　to　his　mind　a　conception　transcending　even　the　limits　of　the　ludicrous。


Chapter　6。　　Art。

That　nature；　not　man；　is　their　beau　ideal；　the　source　of　inspiration　to　them；　is　evident　again　on　looking　at　their　art。　　The　same　spirit　that　makes　of　them　such　wonderful　landscape　gardeners　and　such　wonder…full　landscape　gazers　shows　itself　unmistakably　in　their　paintings。

The　current　impression　that　Japanese　pictorial　ambition；　and　consequent　skill；　is　confined　to　the　representation　of　birds　and　flowers；　though　entirely　erroneous　as　it　stands；　has　a　grain　of　truth　behind　it。　　This　idea　is　due　to　the　attitude　of　the　foreign　observers；　and　was　in　fact　a　tribute　to　Japanese　technique　rather　than　an　appreciation　of　Far　Eastern　artistic　feeling。　　The　truth　is；　the　foreigners　brought　to　the　subject　their　own　Western　criteria　of　merit；　and　judged　everything　by　these　standards。　　Such　works　naturally　commended　themselves　most　as　had　least　occasion　to　deviate　from　their　canons。　　The　simplest　pictures；　therefore；　were　pronounced　the　best。　　Paintings　of　birds　and　flowers　were　thus　admitted　to　be　fine；　because　their　realism　spoke　for　itself。　　Of　the　exquisite　poetic　feeling　of　their　landscape　paintings　the　foreign　critics　were　not　at　first　conscious；　because　it　was　not　expressed　in　terms　with　which　they　were　familiar。

But　first　impressions；　here　as　elsewhere；　are　valuable。　　One　is　very　apt　to　turn　to　them　again　from　the　reasoning　of　his　second　thoughts。　Flora　and　fauna　are　a　conspicuous　feature　of　Far　Asiatic　art；　because　they　enter　as　details　of　the　subject…matter　of　the　artist's　thoughts　and　day…dreams。　　These　birds　and　flowers　are　his　sujets　de　genre。　　Where　we　should　select　a　phase　of　human　life　for　effective　isolation；　they　choose　instead　a　bit　of　nature。　　A　spray　of　grass　or　a　twig　of　cherry…blossoms　is　motif　enough　for　them。　　To　their　thought　its　beauty　is　amply　suggestive。　　For　to　the　Far　Oriental　all　nature　is　sympathetically　sentient。　　His　admiration；　instead　of　being　centred　on　man；　embraces　the　universe。　　His　art　reflects　it。

Leaving　out　of　consideration；　for　the　moment；　minor　though　still　important　distinctions　in　tone；　treatment；　and　technique；　the　great　fundamental　difference　between　Western　and　Far　Eastern　art　lies　in　its　attitude　toward　humanity。

With　us；　from　the　time　of　the　Greeks　to　the　present　day；　man　has　been　the　cynosure　of　artistic　eyes；　with　them　he　has　never　been　vouchsafed　more　than　a　casual；　not　to　say　a　cursory　glance；　even　woman　failing　to　rivet　his　attention。　　One　of　our　own　writers　has　said　that；　without　passing　the　bounds　of　due　respect；　a　man　is　permitted　two　looks　at　any　woman　he　may　meet；　one　to　recognize；　one　to　admire。　　A　Japanese　ordinarily　never　dreams　of　taking　but　one；　if　indeed　he　goes　so　far　as　that；the　first。　　It　is　the　omitting　to　take　that　second　look　that　has　left　him　what　he　is。　　Not　that　Fortune　has　been　unpropitious；　only　blind。　　Fate　has　offered　him　opportunity　enough；　too　much；　perhaps。　　　For　in　Japan　the　exposure　of　the　female　form　is　without　a　parallel　in　latitude。　　Never　nude；　it　is　frequently　naked。　　The　result　artistically　is　much　the　same；　though　the　cause　be　different。　　For　it　is　a　fatal　mistake　to　suppose　the　Japanese　an　immodest　people。　　According　to　their　own　standards；　they　are　exceedingly　modest。　　No　respectable　Japanese　woman　would；　for　instance；　ever　for　a　moment　turn　out　her　toes　in　walking。　It　is　considered　immodest　to　do　so。　Their　code　is；　however；　not　so　whimsical　as　this　bit　of　etiquette　might　suggest。　　The　intent　is　with　them　the　touchstone　of　propriety。　In　their　eyes　a　state　of　nature　is　not　a　state　of　indecency。　　Whatever　exposure　is　required　for　convenience　is　right；　whatever　unnecessary；　wrong。　　Such　an　Eden…like　condition　of　society　would　seem　to　be　the　very　spot　for　a　something　like　the　modern　French　school　of　art　to　have　developed　in。　　And　yet　it　is　just　that　study　of　the　nude　which　has　from　immemorial　antiquity　been　entirely　neglected　in　the　Far　East。　　An　ancient　Greek；　to　say　nothing　of　a　modern　Parisian；　would　have　shocked　a　Japanese。　　Yet　we　are　shocked　by　them。　　We　are　astounded　at　the　sights　we　see　in　their　country　villages；　while　they　in　their　turn　marvel　at　the　exhibitions　they　witness　in　our　city　theatres。　　At　their　watering…places　the　two　sexes　bathe　promiscuously　together　in　all　the　simplicity　of　nature；　but　for　a　Japanese　woman　to　appear　on　the　stage　in　any　character；　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