The Mind of the Artist | Page 2

tracing what was often by no means easy
to find, I wish to acknowledge the kind assistance, especially, of M.
Raphael Petrucci, M. Louis Dimier, and Mr. Tancred Borenius. I have
also to thank Lady Burne-Jones, Miss Birnie Philip, Mrs. Watts, Mrs. C.
W. Furse, Mr. W. M. Rossetti, Mr. J. G. Millais, Mr. Samuel Calvert,
and Mr. Sydney Cockerell, for permission to make quotations from
Burne-Jones, Whistler, Watts, Furse, D. G. Rossetti, Madox Brown,
Millais, Edward Calvert, and William Morris; also Sir Martin Conway,
Sir Charles Holroyd, Mrs. Herringham, Mr. E. McCurdy, and Mr.
Everard Meynell, for allowing me to use their translations from Duerer,
Francisco d'Ollanda (conversations with Michael Angelo), Cennino
Cennini, Leonardo, and Corot, respectively.
Thankful acknowledgment is also made to the authors of any other
quotations whose names may inadvertently have been omitted.
Above all, I thank my husband for his advice and help.
C. M. B.

ILLUSTRATIONS
THE POLISH RIDER. Rembrandt Frontispiece Tarnowski Collection,
Dzikow
FACING PAGE
THE CASTLE IN THE PARK. Rubens. (Detail) 28 Vienna
LOVE. Millais 48 The Victoria and Albert Museum
THE MUSIC OF PAN. Signorelli 74 Berlin
PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST'S WIFE. J. Van Eyck 96 Bruges
HOPE. Puvis de Chavannes 102 By permission of Messrs.
Durand-Revel

THE MASS OF BOLSENA. Raphael. (Detail) 118 The Vatican
THE CHILDREN AND THE BUTTERFLY. Gainsborough 134
National Gallery

THE MIND OF THE ARTIST
I
An able painter by his power of penetration into the mysteries of his art
is usually an able critic.
Alfred Stevens.[1]
[Footnote 1: The Belgian painter, not the English sculptor.]
II
Art, like love, excludes all competition, and absorbs the man.
Fuseli.
III
A good painter has two chief objects to paint, namely, man, and the
intention of his soul. The first is easy, the second difficult, because he
has to represent it through the attitudes and movements of the limbs.
This should be learnt from the dumb, who do it better than any other
sort of person.
Leonardo da Vinci.
IV
In my judgment that is the excellent and divine painting which is most
like and best imitates any work of immortal God, whether a human
figure, or a wild and strange animal, or a simple and easy fish, or a bird
of the air, or any other creature. And this neither with gold nor silver

nor with very fine tints, but drawn only with a pen or a pencil, or with a
brush in black and white. To imitate perfectly each of these things in its
species seems to me to be nothing else but to desire to imitate the work
of immortal God. And yet that thing will be the most noble and perfect
in the works of painting which in itself reproduced the thing which is
most noble and of the greatest delicacy and knowledge.
Michael Angelo.
V
The art of painting is employed in the service of the Church, and by it
the sufferings of Christ and many other profitable examples are set
forth. It preserveth also the likeness of men after their death. By aid of
delineations the measurements of the earth, the waters, and the stars are
better to be understood; and many things likewise become known unto
men by them. The attainment of true, artistic, and lovely execution in
painting is hard to come unto; it needeth long time and a hand practised
to almost perfect freedom. Whosoever, therefore, falleth short of this
cannot attain a right understanding (in matters of painting) for it
cometh alone by inspiration from above. The art of painting cannot be
truly judged save by such as are themselves good painters; from others
verily is it hidden even as a strange tongue. It were a noble occupation
for ingenious youths without employment to exercise themselves in this
art.
Duerer.

AIMS AND IDEALS
VI
Give thou to God no more than he asketh of thee; but to man also, that
which is man's. In all that thou doest, work from thine own heart,
simply; for his heart is as thine, when thine is wise and humble; and he
shall have understanding of thee. One drop of rain is as another, and the
sun's prism in all: and shalt not thou be as he, whose lives are the breath

of One? Only by making thyself his equal can he learn to hold
communion with thee, and at last own thee above him. Not till thou
lean over the water shalt thou see thine image therein: stand erect, and
it shall slope from thy feet and be lost. Know that there is but this
means whereby thou mayst serve God with man.... Set thine hand and
thy soul to serve man with God....
Chiaro, servant of God, take now thine Art unto thee, and paint me thus,
as I am,