large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb_24
large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb
English
803
It is a bad thing for an age to be always looking in art for its own reflection. It is well that, now and then, we are given work that is nobly imaginative in its method and purely artistic in its aim. IT IS A BAD THING FOR AN AGE TO BE ALWAYS LOOKING IN ART FOR ITS OWN REFLECTION IT IS WELL THAT NOW AND THEN WE ARE GIVEN WORK THAT IS NOBLY IMAGINATIVE IN ITS METHOD AND PURELY ARTISTIC IN ITS AIM
t forth recalls the antique dignity and directness of our English tongue four centuries ago. From an artistic point of view it may be described as an attempt to return by a self-conscious effort to the conditions of an earlier and a fresher age. Attempts of this kind are not uncommon in the history of art. From some such feeling came the Pre-Raphaelite movement of our own day and the archaistic movement of later Greek sculpture. When the result is beautiful the method is justified, and no shrill insistence upon a supposed necessity for absolute modernity of form can prevail against the value of work that has the incomparable excellence of style. Certainly, Mr. Morris's work possesses this excellence. His fine harmonies and rich cadences create in the reader that spirit by which alone can its own spirit be interpreted, awake in him something of the temper of romance and, by taking him out of his own age, place him in a truer and more vital relation to the great masterpieces of all time.  IT IS SET FORTH RECALLS THE ANTIQUE DIGNITY AND DIRECTNESS OF OUR ENGLISH TONGUE FOUR CENTURIES AGO FROM AN ARTISTIC POINT OF VIEW IT MAY BE DESCRIBED AS AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN BY A SELF CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO THE CONDITIONS OF AN EARLIER AND A FRESHER AGE ATTEMPTS OF THIS KIND ARE NOT UNCOMMON IN THE HISTORY OF ART FROM SOME SUCH FEELING CAME THE PRE RAPHAELITE MOVEMENT OF OUR OWN DAY AND THE ARCHAISTIC MOVEMENT OF LATER GREEK SCULPTURE WHEN THE RESULT IS BEAUTIFUL THE METHOD IS JUSTIFIED AND NO SHRILL INSISTENCE UPON A SUPPOSED NECESSITY FOR ABSOLUTE MODERNITY OF FORM CAN PREVAIL AGAINST THE VALUE OF WORK THAT HAS THE INCOMPARABLE EXCELLENCE OF STYLE CERTAINLY MISTER MORRIS'S WORK POSSESSES THIS EXCELLENCE HIS FINE HARMONIES AND RICH CADENCES CREATE IN THE READER THAT SPIRIT BY WHICH ALONE CAN ITS OWN SPIRIT BE INTERPRETED AWAKE IN HIM SOMETHING OF THE TEMPER OF ROMANCE AND BY TAKING HIM OUT OF HIS OWN AGE PLACE HIM IN A TRUER AND MORE VITAL RELATION TO THE GREAT MASTERPIECES OF ALL TIME
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