The Fortnightly Review: No. CCCCLXIII, New Series [‎590v] (71/239)

40
A MORNING IN THE GALLERIES.
“Well ! I said, “ the story is an Idyll, you know. Pharaoh’s
daughter was a gracious Princess, not a bloodthirsty tyrant, and
Moses at four months had not grown to be the Prophet of Israel.
The Plagues of Egypt had not yet begun. And we may imagine
an Idyll if we please by way of contrast.”
“Imagination is the foe of truth,” said he.
Sir Visto then led us up to the President’s Cup of Tantalus,
which he called on us to admire. “ Poynter,” he said, “ is always
graceful, learned, correct, classical ”
“Conventional ” interrupted Van Dyke.
“ See how thoughtfully every detail is studied,” said Visto, not
noticing his young friend, “the drawing firm, true, natural; the
composition subtle; the whole atmosphere one of harmony and
charm ? ’ ’
“ Why does the child in the transparent shift stretch up on her
toes when it is plain she can’t reach the other’s hand by twelve
inches at least? And why doesn’t the long girl, in the dark robe
with a palm-branch fan, step down to the fountain herself?”
grumbled Van Dyke.
“ My dear boy,” said I, “ you might as well ask why did Keats
see charm in a ‘ Grecian urn,’ you don’t forget how it ends, do
you? —
Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all
^ e know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
I can see neither beauty nor truth,” said the painter, ” in
these Hebes, Ariadnes, Nymphs, Sapphos, Pindars, and other
machine-made Hellenisms which the Academy seems to en
courage They are crude ' academies,’ as the French say, and
the local colour and staging is cheap enough.”
,, " Good work to ° often ieads to poor imitation,” I suggested
as we saw with Eaphael himself; but weak copies do not spoil’
tne value of a true master’s work.”
” This is what the ‘ ideal' lands us in,” said the painter, with
a chuckle, as he pointed to Frank Dicksee’s picture in Room I.
s there anything ideal m those ten fingers stuck out like a
a gaut S scmen ? ’” eaChmg after a ^ ° f kallet -® irl
said yiL^Vf 1 ? ked in the air seem a11 the ra s e thi3 y ear >”
to veiti’cks rt any ra * e S fell ° W ' S thl « hs are not
toned sticks as those in the wax-work in Regent Street.”
he troubled'abouMdeals'^there/’ 2 POrtrait3 ’” ^ ^ " W6 Shan
womlmlnot 1 ™^ Said Van Dyke; “ some ° f th ^
women look as if their portraits had been commissioned not by