378 The Evolution of Painting. 



sis, or a many-colored corruption. But even this is not all. 

 As art seems thus, in its delicate form, to be one of the 

 chief promoters of indolence and sensuality so I need 

 hardly remind you, it hitherto has appeared only in ener- 

 getic manifestation, when it was in the service of supersti- 

 tion. The four greatest manifestations of the human intel- 

 lect which founded the four principal kingdoms of art 

 Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Italians were devel- 

 oped by the strong excitement of active superstition in the 

 worship of Osiris, Belus, Minerva, and the Queen of Heaven. 

 Therefore, to speak briefly, it may appear very difficult to 

 show that art has ever yet existed in a consistent and thor- 

 oughly energetic school, unless it was engaged in the propa- 

 gation of falsehood or the encouragement of vice." 



Perhaps we may charitably assume that when Ruskin 

 wrote this he was suffering from an attack of dyspepsia. 

 At least, on another occasion, he took pains to show the fal- 

 lacy in this argument. He showed that the decline of mor- 

 als in Greece and Italy was not caused by art, but was mere- 

 ly a concomitant circumstance. The rainbow which is seen 

 at Niagara is not the cause of the cataract. 



There is doubtless more reason for saying that a decline, 

 in morals has a destructive influence upon art than tor say- 

 ing that a perfect art has an injurious effect upon morals. 

 It is admitted that some paintings, like some books, have a 

 bad influence, but it is also true that paintings, like books, 

 have on the whole done much to promote the advancement 

 of the race, both intellectually and morally. 



It will not be denied that the Christian religion has been 

 pre-eminent as a teacher of morals ; and yet, before the in- 

 vention of printing in Europe, painting was one of the chief 

 mediums of instruction in religion. 



Unquestionably the fine arts have added to the sum of 

 human happiness, have made the world better. The influ- 

 ence of a beautiful picture is like that of a beautiful flower. 

 It appeals to the better elements in man's nature. It calls 

 him to a higher life than that of sense. In the language of 

 Parry, " Art is truly a divine seed, whose fruit is for the 

 sweetness of man's life." 





