按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
is dominant note。 Nothing can be more seductive than the suave flow of his line； his feeling for costume； his gentle and chastened humour。 Many of his women and children are models of purity and innocence。 But he works at ease only within the limits of his special powers； he is happier in the pastoral and domestic than the heroic and supernatural； and his style is better fitted to the formal salutations of 〃Clarissa〃 and 〃Sir Charles Grandison；〃 than the rough horseplay of 〃Peregrine Pickle。〃 Where Rowlandson would have revelled； Stothard would be awkward and constrained； where Blake would give us a new sensation； Stothard would be poor and mechanical。 Nevertheless the gifts he possessed were thoroughly recognised in his own day； and brought him； if not riches； at least petence and honour。 It is said that more than three thousand of his drawings have been engraved； and they are scattered through a hundred publications。 Those to the 〃Pilgrim's Progress〃 and the poems of Rogers are monly spoken of as his best； though he never excelled some of the oldfashioned plates （with their pretty borders in the style of Gravelot and the Frenchmen） to Richardson's novels； and such fotten 〃classics〃 as 〃Joe Thompson〃； 〃Jessamy；〃 〃Betsy Thoughtless；〃 and one or two others in Harrison's very miscellaneous collection。
Stothard was fortunate in his engravers。 Besides James Heath； his best interpreter； Schiavoti； Sharp； Finden； the Cookes； Bartolozzi； most of the fashionable translators into copper were busily employed upon his inventions。 Among the rest was an artist of powers far greater than his own； although scarcely so happy in turning them to profitable account。 The genius of William Blake was not a marketable modity in the same way as Stothard's talent。 The one caught the trick of the time with his facile elegance； the other scorned to make any concessions； either in conception or execution； to the mere popularity of prettiness。
〃Give pensions to the learned pig； Or the hare playing on a tabor； Anglus can never see perfection But in the journeyman's labour；〃
he wrote in one of those roughhewn and bitter epigrams of his。 Yet the work that was then so lukewarmly receivedif； indeed； it can be said to have been received at allis at present far more sought after than Stothard's； and the prices now given for the 〃Songs of Innocence and Experience；〃 the 〃Inventions to the Book of Job；〃 and even 〃The Grave；〃 would have brought affluence to the struggling artist； who （as Cromek taunted him） was frequently 〃reduced so low as to be obliged to live on half a guinea a week。〃 Not that this was entirely the fault of his contemporaries。 Blake was a visionary； and an untuneable man； and； like others who work for the select public of all ages； he could not always escape the consequence that the select public of his own； however willing； were scarcely numerous enough to support him。 His most individual works are the 〃Songs of Innocence；〃 1789； and the 〃Songs of Experience；〃 1794。 These； afterwards united in one volume； ethod of production； indeed； they do not perhaps strictly e within the category of what is generally understood to be copperplate engraving。 The drawings were outlined and the songs written upon the metal with some liquid that resisted the action of acid； and the remainder of the surface of the plate was eaten away with aquafortis； leaving the design in bold relief； like a rude stereotype。 This was then printed off in the predominant tone blue； brown； or yellow； as the case might beand delicately tinted by the artist in a prismatic and ethereal fashion peculiarly his own。 Stitched and bound in boards by Mrs。 Blake； a certain number of these leafletstwentyseven in the case of the first issuemade up a tiny octavo of a wholly exceptional kind。 Words indeed fail to exactly describe the flowerlike beautythe fascination of these 〃fairy missals；〃 in which； it has been finely said； 〃the thrilling music of the verse； and the gentle bedazzlement of the lines and colours so intermingle； that the mind hangs in a pleasant uncertainty as to whether it is a picture that is singing； or a song which has newly budded and blossomed into colour and form。〃 The acpanying woodcut； after one of the illustrations to the 〃Songs of Innocence；〃 gives some indication of the general position； but it can convey no hint of the geous purple； and crimson； and orange of the original。
Of the 〃Illustrations to the Book of Job；〃 1826； there are excellent reduced facsimiles by the recentlydiscovered photointaglio process； in the new edition of Gilchrist's 〃Life。〃 The originals were engraved by Blake himself in his strong decisive fashion； and they are his best work。 A kind of deisidaimoniaa sacred awe falls upon one in turning over these wonderful productions of the artist's declining years and failing hand。
〃Leaving the old； both worlds at once they view； That stand upon the threshold of the new；〃
sings Waller； and it is almost possible to believe for a moment that their creator was （as he said） 〃under the direction of messengers from Heaven。〃 But his designs for Blair's 〃Grave；〃 1808； popularised by the burin of Schiavoti； attracted greater attention at the time of publication； and； being less rare； they are even now perhaps better known than the others。 The facsimile here given is from the latter book。 The worn old man； the trustful woman； and the guileless child are sleeping peacefully； but the king with his sceptre； and the warrior with his hand on his swordhilt； lie openeyed； waiting the summons of the trumpet。 One cannot help fancying that the artist's long vigils among the Abbey tombs； during his apprenticeship to James Basire； must have been present to his mind when he selected this impressive monumental subject。
To one of Blake's few friendsto the 〃dear Sculptor of Eternity；〃 as he wrote to Flaxman from Felphamthe world is indebted for some notable book illustrations。 Whether the greatest writersthe Homers； the Shakespeares； the Dantescan ever be 〃illustrated〃 without loss may fairly be questioned。 At all events； the showy dexterities of the Dores and Gilberts prove nothing to the contrary。 But now and then there es to the graphic interpretation of a great author an artist either so reverential； or so strongly sympathetic at some given point； that； in default of any relation more narrowly intimate； we at once accept his conceptions as the best attainable。 In this class are Flaxman's outlines to Homer and AEschylus。 Flaxman was not a Hellenist as men are Hellenists to day。 Nevertheless； his Roman studies had saturated him with the spirit of antique beauty； and by his grand knowledge of the nude； his calm； his restraint； he is such an illustrator of Homer as is not likely to arise again。 For whowith all our added knowledge of classical antiquitywho； of our modern artists； could hope to rival such thoroughly Greek positions as the ballplay of Nausicaa in the 〃Odyssey；〃 or that lovely group from AEschylus of the tender hearted； womanly Oceanides； cowering like flowers beaten by the storm under the terrible anger of Zeus？ In our day Flaxman's drawings would have been reproduced by some of the modern facsimile processes； and the gain would have been great。 As it is； something is lost by their transference to copper； even though the translators be Piroli and Blake。 Blake； in fact； did more than he is usually credited with； for （beside the acknowledged and later 〃Hesiod；〃 1817） he really engraved the whole of the 〃Odyssey；〃 Piroli's plates having been lost on the voyage to England。 The name of the Roman artist； nevertheless； appears on the titlepage （1793）。 But Blake was too original to be a successful copyist of other men's work； and to appreciate the full value of Flaxman's drawings； they should be studied in the collections at University College； the Royal Academy； and elsewhere。 ｛9｝
Flaxman and Blake had few imitators。 But a host of clever designers； such as Cipriani； Angelica Kauffmann； Westall； Uwins； Smirke； Burney； Corbould； Dodd； and others； vied with the popular Stothard in 〃embellishing〃 the endless 〃Poets；〃 〃novelists；〃 and 〃essayists〃 of our forefathers。 Some of these； and most of the recognised artists of the period； lent their aid to that boldly planned but unhappilyexecuted 〃Shakespeare〃 of Boydell；〃black and ghastly gallery of murky Opies； glum Northcotes； straddling Fuselis；〃 as Thackeray calls it。 They are certainly not enlivening those cumbrous 〃atlas〃 folios of 18035； and they helped to ruin the worthy alderman。 Even courtly Sir Joshua is clearly ill at ease among the pushing Hamiltons and Mortimers； and； were it not for the whimsical discovery that Westall's 〃Ghost of Caesar〃 strangely resembles Mr。 Gladstone； there would be no restingplace for the modern student of these dismal masterpieces。 The truth is； Reynolds excepted； there were no contemporary painters strong enough for the task； and the honours of the enterprise belong almost exclusively to Smirke's 〃Seven Ages〃 and one or two plates from the lighter edies。 The great 〃Bible〃 of Macklin； a rival and even more incongruous publication； upon which some of the same designers were employed； has fallen into pleter oblivion。 A rather better fate attend