THE PICTURE AND THE TEXT 273 



picture is placed on the wall, because it has a beauty in itself. An illus- 

 trated book is more attractive to casual inspection than one which lacks 

 such an adjunct. One likes to look at pictures even when dissociated 

 from sustained interest and lacking a common thread of connection. 

 The occupation makes little demand upon mental energy and is accom- 

 panied by a sense of ease, while the vivid or novel aspects of the world 

 which are passed in review give rise to a pleasurable state of conscious- 

 ness through the mild and equitable stimulation which they afford. 



The picture thus becomes in a way correlative with the text, each 

 adding an independent element of value to the whole. Within its own 

 field each then seeks a characteristic excellence, and a set of canons is 

 developed in regard to the making of such illustrations. In the first 

 place, they are enriched in their positive values as pictures. They must 

 be well composed and correctly drawn ; they must have vigor and refine- 

 ment in their execution; if colored, the tones must have splendor and 

 harmony ; and so on. In the second place, as in literary art dignity in 

 the surroundings, noble birth, beauty and virtue in the characters are 

 invoked to deepen the impression, so in this use of book-illustration the 

 backgrounds must be rich, the scenery beautiful, the figures of either 

 dignified age or noble youth. The men are all handsome, according to 

 the illustrator's individual conception of good looks, the women in a like 

 manner beautiful ; the dress worn is irreproachable in fit and of the latest 

 pattern. All the accessories of success, luxury and style reinforce the 

 more direct values of health, vigorous action and beauty. Or, if this 

 special class of effects be not involved, the esthetic appeal is still to some 

 equally general and elementary sense, such as that of romantic pity in 

 which a certain stereotyped pathos affords the underlying motive of 

 treatment. 



The illustrations, in such a case, become a gallery of pictures by a 

 single artist who commonly emphasizes, in a highly conventional way, a 

 particular style of treatment or specific human type. When such an 

 illustrator has achieved a vogue his work is likely to be sought by pub- 

 lishers for the meretricious excellence of these features, however poor his 

 illustrative capacity may be. 



The high degree of mechanical development which process reproduc- 

 tion has attained tends to foster this use of illustration. One can not 

 imagine a book overloaded with mere diagrams which in no way help in 

 the elucidation of the text, for such drawings have no other value which 

 can be substituted for this primary service. So long also as the illus- 

 trator's art is crude, or the process of reproduction difficult and expen- 

 sive, pictures will be introduced only where there is an evident purpose 

 to be served, and little abuse of illustration will arise. Photographic, 

 chromo-lithographic and other processes, however, have made possible 

 such a high degree of success in transferring to a prepared surface of 



VOL. LXXXV. — 19. 



