The Ever-Varying Aspects Of Nature, Of Earth And Sea And
Cloud, Are A Perpetual Joy To The Artist, Who Waits And Watches
For Their Appearance, Who Knows That Sun And Atmosphere Have
For Him Revelations Without End.
They come and go and mock
his best efforts; he knows that his striving is in vain - that
his
Weak hands and earthy pigments cannot reproduce these
effects or express his feeling - that, as Leighton said, "every
picture is a subject thrown away." But he has his joy none
the less; it is in the pursuit and in the dream of capturing
something illusive, mysterious, and inexpressibly beautiful.
Chapter Two: On Going Back
In looking over the preceding chapter it occurred to me that I
had omitted something, or rather that it would have been well
to drop a word of warning to those who have the desire to
revisit a place where they have experienced a delightful
surprise. Alas! they cannot have that sensation a second
time, and on this account alone the mental image must always
be better than its reality. Let the image - the first sharp
impression - content us. Many a beautiful picture is spoilt by
the artist who cannot be satisfied that he has made the best
of his subject, and retouching his canvas to bring out some
subtle charm which made the work a success loses it
altogether. So in going back, the result of the inevitable
disillusionment is that the early mental picture loses
something of its original freshness.
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