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they keep the more purely pictorial art of landscape。 What of Japanese
landscape？ Assuredly it is too far reduced to a monotonous convention
to merit the serious study of races that have produced Cotman and Corot。
Japanese landscape… drawing reduces things seen to such fewness as must
have made the art insuperably tedious to any people less fresh…spirited and
more inclined to take themselves seriously than these Orientals。 A
preoccupied people would never endure it。 But a little closer attention
from the Occidental student might find for their evasive attitude towards
landscape … it is an attitude almost traitorously evasive … a more significant
reason。 It is that the distances； the greatness； the winds and the waves of
the world； coloured plains； and the flight of a sky； are all certainly alien to
the perceptions of a people intent upon little deformities。 Does it seem
harsh to define by that phrase the curious Japanese search for accidents？
Upon such search these people are avowedly intent； even though they
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THE COLOUR OF LIFE
show themselves capable of exquisite appreciation of the form of a normal
bird and of the habit of growth of a normal flower。 They are not in
search of the perpetual slight novelty which was Aristotle's ideal of the
language poetic （〃a little wildly； or with the flower of the mind；〃 says
Emerson of the way of a poet's speech） … and such novelty it is； like the
frequent pulse of the pinion； that keeps verse upon the wing； no； what the
Japanese are intent upon is perpetual slight disorder。 In Japan the man in
the fields has eyes less for the sky and the crescent moon than for some
stone in the path； of which the asymmetry strikes his curious sense of
pleasure in fortunate accident of form。 For love of a little grotesque
strangeness he will load himself with the stone and carry it home to his
garden。 The art of such a people is not liberal art； not the art of peace；
and not the art of humanity。 Look at the curls and curves whereby this
people conventionally signify wave or cloud。 All these curls have an
attitude which is like that of a figure slightly malformed； and not like that
of a human body that is perfect； dominant； and if bent； bent at no lowly or
niggling labour。 Why these curves should be so charming it would be hard
to say； they have an exquisite prankishness of variety； the place where the
upward or downward scrolls curl off from the main wave is delicately
unexpected every time； and … especially in gold embroideries … is
sensitively fit for the material； catching and losing the light； while the
lengths of waving line are such as the long gold threads take by nature。
A moment ago this art was declared not human。 And； in fact； in no
other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling。 The Japanese
have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake
of perpetual slight deformity。 Their beauty is remote from our sympathy
and admiration； and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial
presentation； and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty
where we do not recognise it。 But if it is not easy to recognise； it is
certainly not difficult to guess at。 And； accordingly； you are generally
aware that the separate beauty of the race； and its separate dignity； even …
to be very generous … has been admired by the Japanese artist； and is
represented here and there occasionally； in the figure of warrior or
mousme。 But even with this exception the habit of Japanese figure…
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drawing is evidently grotesque； derisive； and crooked。 It is curious to
observe that the search for slight deformity is so constant as to make use；
for its purposes； not of action only； but of perspective foreshortening。
With us it is to the youngest child only that there would appear to be mirth
in the drawing of a man who； stooping violently forward； would seem to
have his head 〃beneath his shoulders。〃 The European child would not
see fun in the living man so presented； but … unused to the same effect 〃in
the flat〃 … he thinks it prodigiously humorous in a drawing。 But so only
when he is quite young。 The Japanese keeps； apparently； his sense of this
kind of humour。 It amuses him； but not perhaps altogether as it amuses
the child； that the foreshortened figure should； in drawing and to the
unpractised eye； seem distorted and dislocated； the simple Oriental
appears to find more derision in it than the simple child。 The distortion is
not without a suggestion of ignominy。 And； moreover； the Japanese
shows derision； but not precisely scorn。 He does not hold himself
superior to his hideous models。 He makes free with them on equal terms。
He is familiar with them。
And if this is the conviction gathered from ordinary drawings； no need
to insist upon the ignoble character of those that are intentional
caricatures。
Perhaps the time has hardly come for writing anew the praises of
symmetry。 The world knows too much of the abuse of Greek decoration；
and would be glad to forget it； with the intention of learning that art afresh
in a future age and of seeing it then anew。 But whatever may be the phases
of the arts； there is the abiding principle of symmetry in the body of man；
that goes erect； like an upright soul。 Its balance is equal。 Exterior
human symmetry is surely a curious physiological fact where there is no
symmetry interiorly。 For the centres of life and movement within the
body are placed with Oriental inequality。 Man is Greek without and
Japanese within。 But the absolute symmetry of the skeleton and of the
beauty and life that cover it is accurately a principle。 It controls； but not
tyrannously； all the life of human action。 Attitude and motion disturb
perpetually；