cousin betty-第60部分

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from　the　exertions　which　exhaust　a　sculptor's　frame　and　arms　and　hands
Hortense　thought　the　result　admirable。　Her　father；　who　knew　nothing
of　sculpture；　and　her　mother；　no　less　ignorant；　lauded　it　as　a
triumph；　the　War　Minister　came　with　them　to　see　it；　and；　overruled　by
them；　expressed　approval　of　the　figure；　standing　as　it　did　alone；　in　a
favorable　light；　thrown　up　against　a　green　baize　background。

Alas！　at　the　exhibition　of　1841；　the　disapprobation　of　the　public　soon
took　the　form　of　abuse　and　mockery　in　the　mouths　of　those　who　were
indignant　with　the　idol　too　hastily　set　up　for　worship。　Stidmann　tried
to　advise　his　friend；　but　was　accused　of　jealousy。　Every　article　in　a
newspaper　was　to　Hortense　an　outcry　of　envy。　Stidmann；　the　best　of
good　fellows；　got　articles　written；　in　which　adverse　criticism　was
contravened；　and　it　was　pointed　out　that　sculptors　altered　their　works
in　translating　the　plaster　into　marble；　and　that　the　marble　would　be
the　test。

〃In　reproducing　the　plaster　sketch　in　marble；〃　wrote　Claude　Vignon；　〃a
masterpiece　may　be　ruined；　or　a　bad　design　made　beautiful。　The　plaster
is　the　manuscript；　the　marble　is　the　book。〃

So　in　two　years　and　a　half　Wenceslas　had　produced　a　statue　and　a　son。
The　child　was　a　picture　of　beauty；　the　statue　was　execrable。

The　clock　for　the　Prince　and　the　price　of　the　statue　paid　off　the
young　couple's　debts。　Steinbock　had　acquired　fashionable　habits；　he
went　to　the　play；　to　the　opera；　he　talked　admirably　about　art；　and　in
the　eyes　of　the　world　he　maintained　his　reputation　as　a　great　artist
by　his　powers　of　conversation　and　criticism。　There　are　many　clever　men
in　Paris　who　spend　their　lives　in　talking　themselves　out；　and　are
content　with　a　sort　of　drawing…room　celebrity。　Steinbock；　emulating
these　emasculated　but　charming　men；　grew　every　day　more　averse　to　hard
work。　As　soon　as　he　began　a　thing；　he　was　conscious　of　all　its
difficulties；　and　the　discouragement　that　came　over　him　enervated　his
will。　Inspiration；　the　frenzy　of　intellectual　procreation；　flew
swiftly　away　at　the　sight　of　this　effete　lover。

Sculpturelike　dramatic　artis　at　once　the　most　difficult　and　the
easiest　of　all　arts。　You　have　but　to　copy　a　model；　and　the　task　is
done；　but　to　give　it　a　soul；　to　make　it　typical　by　creating　a　man　or　a
womanthis　is　the　sin　of　Prometheus。　Such　triumphs　in　the　annals　of
sculpture　may　be　counted；　as　we　may　count　the　few　poets　among　men。
Michael　Angelo；　Michel　Columb；　Jean　Goujon；　Phidias；　Praxiteles；
Polycletes；　Puget；　Canova；　Albert　Durer；　are　the　brothers　of　Milton；
Virgil；　Dante；　Shakespeare；　Tasso；　Homer；　and　Moliere。　And　such　an
achievement　is　so　stupendous　that　a　single　statue　is　enough　to　make　a
man　immortal；　as　Figaro；　Lovelace；　and　Manon　Lescaut　have　immortalized
Beaumarchais；　Richardson；　and　the　Abbe　Prevost。

Superficial　thinkersand　there　are　many　in　the　artist　worldhave
asserted　that　sculpture　lives　only　by　the　nude；　that　it　died　with　the
Greeks；　and　that　modern　vesture　makes　it　impossible。　But；　in　the　first
place；　the　Ancients　have　left　sublime　statues　entirely　clothedthe
/Polyhymnia/；　the　/Julia/；　and　others；　and　we　have　not　found　one…tenth
of　all　their　works；　and　then；　let　any　lover　of　art　go　to　Florence　and
see　Michael　Angelo's　/Penseroso/；　or　to　the　Cathedral　of　Mainz；　and
behold　the　/Virgin/　by　Albert　Durer；　who　has　created　a　living　woman
out　of　ebony；　under　her　threefold　drapery；　with　the　most　flowing；　the
softest　hair　that　ever　a　waiting…maid　combed　through；　let　all　the
ignorant　flock　thither；　and　they　will　acknowledge　that　genius　can　give
mind　to　drapery；　to　armor；　to　a　robe；　and　fill　it　with　a　body；　just　as
a　man　leaves　the　stamp　of　his　individuality　and　habits　of　life　on　the
clothes　he　wears。

Sculpture　is　the　perpetual　realization　of　the　fact　which　once；　and
never　again；　was；　in　painting　called　Raphael！

The　solution　of　this　hard　problem　is　to　be　found　only　in　constant
persevering　toil；　for；　merely　to　overcome　the　material　difficulties　to
such　an　extent；　the　hand　must　be　so　practised；　so　dexterous　and
obedient；　that　the　sculptor　may　be　free　to　struggle　soul　to　soul　with
the　elusive　moral　element　that　he　has　to　transfigure　as　he　embodies
it。　If　Paganini；　who　uttered　his　soul　through　the　strings　of　his
violin；　spent　three　days　without　practising；　he　lost　what　he　called
the　/stops/　of　his　instrument；　meaning　the　sympathy　between　the　wooden
frame；　the　strings；　the　bow；　and　himself；　if　he　had　lost　this
alliance；　he　would　have　been　no　more　than　an　ordinary　player。

Perpetual　work　is　the　law　of　art；　as　it　is　the　law　of　life；　for　art　is
idealized　creation。　Hence　great　artists　and　perfect　poets　wait　neither
for　commission　nor　for　purchasers。　They　are　constantly　creating
to…day；　to…morrow；　always。　The　result　is　the　habit　of　work；　the
unfailing　apprehension　of　the　difficulties　which　keep　them　in　close
intercourse　with　the　Muse　and　her　productive　forces。　Canova　lived　in
his　studio；　as　Voltaire　lived　in　his　study；　and　so　must　Homer　and
Phidias　have　lived。

While　Lisbeth　kept　Wenceslas　Steinbock　in　thraldom　in　his　garret；　he
was　on　the　thorny　road　trodden　by　all　these　great　men；　which　leads　to
the　Alpine　heights　of　glory。　Then　happiness；　in　the　person　of
Hortense；　had　reduced　the　poet　to　idlenessthe　normal　condition　of
all　artists；　since　to　them　idleness　is　fully　occupied。　Their　joy　is
such　as　that　of　the　pasha　of　a　seraglio；　they　revel　with　ideas；　they
get　drunk　at　the　founts　of　intellect。　Great　artists；　such　as
Steinbock；　wrapped　in　reverie；　are　rightly　spoken　of　as　dreamers。
They；　like　opium…eaters；　all　sink　into　poverty；　whereas　if　they　had
been　kept　up　to　the　mark　by　the　stern　demands　of　life；　they　might　have
been　great　men。

At　the　same　time；　these　half…artists　are　delightful；　men　like　them　and
cram　them　with　praise；　they　even　seem　superior　to　the　true　artists；
who　are　taxed　with　conceit；　unsociableness；　contempt　of　the　laws　of
society。　This　is　why：　Great　men　are　the　slaves　of　their　work。　Their
indifference　to　outer　things；　their　devotion　to　their　work；　make
simpletons　regard　them　as　egotists；　and　they　are　expected　to　wear　the
same　garb　as　the　dandy　who　fulfils　the　trivial　evolutions　called
social　duties。　These　men　want　the　lions　of　the　Atlas　to　be　combed　and
scented　like　a　lady's　poodle。

These　artists；　who　are　too　rarely　matched　to　meet　their　fellows；　fall
into　habits　of　solitary　exclusiveness；　they　are　inexplicable　to　the
majority；　which；　as　we　know；　consists　mostly　of　foolsof　the　envious；
the　ignorant；　and　the　superficial。

Now　you　may　imagine　what　part　a　wife　should　play　in　the　life　of　these
glorious　and　exceptional　beings。　She　ought　to　be　what；　for　five　years；
Lisbeth　had　been；　but　with　the　added　offering　of　love；　humble　and
patient　love；　always　ready　and　always　smiling。

Hortense；　enlightened　by　her　anxieties　as　a　mother；　and　driven　by　dire
necessity；　had　discovered　too　late　the　mistakes　she　had　been
involuntarily　led　into　by　her　excessive　love。　Still；　the　worthy
daughter　of　her　mother；　her　heart　ached　at　the　thought　of　worrying
Wenceslas；　she　loved　her　dear　poet　too　much　to　become　his　torturer；
and　she　could　foresee　the　hour　when　beggary　awaited