148 BEAUTY, COMPOSITION, 



namely, the relative inferiority of art to nature. Incapable 

 of rivalling reality in its own sphere, the arts assert com- 

 pensatory advantages, by the adroit use of their limitations 

 and by the introduction of subjective elements. Among the 

 latter have to be reckoned the controlling sense of beauty 

 and the feeling for composition on which I have already 

 dwelt, together with those qualities of sympathy, reserve, 

 delicacy, self-restraint, those preferences for refinement, those 

 tendencies making for spiritual progress rather than for 

 relapse into bestial conditions, which constitute humanity. 

 It is obvious that no art is capable of adequately imitating 

 the agony depicted on the face of a man dying a slow death 

 by torture, because it cannot follow all the phases of that 

 agony. It dares not represent some of the more revolting 

 details of crucifixion, for example proluvies ventris et vt 

 dislocation of limbs by restless writhing, spasmodic con- 

 vulsion of nerves and muscles. It is both unable and unwill- 

 ing to carry expression to extremity. Here, then, as else- 

 where, lack of power to be literally realistic combines with 

 the display of subjectivity, and we reach the artistic mean ii 

 idealistic representation. 



Characterisation is no longer the expression of a thought 

 or feeling, a passion or a sentiment, intended by the artis 

 and impressed upon his transcript from the model. It implie 

 an effort to penetrate and then to represent the essentif 

 character of his model in the most forcible way. In it 

 highest form it exercises the imaginative faculty possessed 

 the greater portrait painters, which enables them to piei 

 below the surface, and to use the physical as index to 

 spiritual qualities of men and women. It may, however, 

 limited to the vigorous delineation of salient points, and 

 the accentuation of marked peculiarities. In the latter 

 characterisation borders upon caricature. In all cases 

 implies a willing sacrifice of superficial beauty for the sak< 

 of force and uncompromising veracity. Through vigoroi 

 characterisation, through the mental power displayed in it 



