A NOTE ON THE DRAWING OF MOVEMENT 



15 



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most practical way of working, whereas in the case of 

 drawing movement the artist must work from memory, 

 because he has no choice. For the movement which 

 was the subject that roused his interest is only perceived 

 as an idea formed in his mind out of impressions of 

 phenomena which have already disappeared ; just as 

 the idea of an air in music is formed of impressions pre- 

 served of sounds that are no longer heard. His subject, 

 then, is not like a fugitive effect, which, however short 

 its duration, is in principle stationary, being formed 

 of parts simultaneously present, and so simultaneously 

 to be observed. For his subject is an idea formed 

 of impressions of successive phases which cannot be 



received simultaneously, and consequently can only be 

 combined through recollection. 



Instantaneous photography is to many people a 

 great obstacle to the proper understanding of how we 

 perceive movement and what is involved in expressing 

 it. The camera analyses and records for us passing 

 phases of action which the eye cannot perceive, but 

 which can be proved to occur ; and being an unemo- 

 tional machine free from the frailties of excitable human 

 beings such as artists, in general opinion it " cannot 

 lie." Many people therefore prefer what the camera 

 offers them to what they are offered by their own senses, 

 and in time even come to beheve that they ought to see 



