The senses and the intellect.

  • Bain, Alexander, 1818-1903.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The senses and the intellect. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    ceiving as I do that the first object of an artist is to gratify the feelings of taste, or the proper gesthetic emotions, I cannot assent to the current maxim that nature is his standard, or truth his chief end. On the contrary, I believe that these are precisely the conditions of the scientific man; he it is that should never deviate from nature, and who should care for truth before all other things. The artist's standard is feeling, his end is refined pleasure ; he goes to nature and selects what chimes in with his feelings of artistic effect, and passes by the rest. He is not even bound to adhere to nature in her very choicest displays; his own taste being the touchstone, he alters the originals at his will. The scientific man, on the other hand, must embrace every fact with open arms ; the most nauseous fungus, the most loathsome reptile, the most pestilential vapour, must be scanned and set forth in all its details. The amount of regard that the artist owes to truth, so far as I am able to judge, is nearly as follows. In the purely effusive arts, such as music or the dance, truth and nature are totally irrelevant; the artist's feeling and the gratification of the senses of mankind generally are the sole criterion of the effect. So in the fancies of decorative art, nature has very little place; suggestions are occasionally derived from natural objects, but no one is bound to adopt more of these than good taste may allow. Nobody talks of the design of a calico as being true to nature; it is enough if it please the eye. 'Art is art because it is not nature/ The artist provides dainties not to be found in nature. There are, however, certain departments of art that differ considerably from music and fanciful decoration, in this respect, namely, that the basis of the composition is generally something actual, or something derived from the existing realities of nature or life. Such are painting, poetry, and romance. In these, nature gives the subject, and the artistic genius the adornment. Now, although in this case also the gratification of the senses and the aesthetic sensibilities is still the aim of the artist, he has to show a certain decent respect to our experience of reality in the management of his subject, that not being purely imaginary,