友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
恐怖书库 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

lavengro-第74部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!



painter glisten。  'Really;' said he; when my brother had concluded; 

'it was very kind to think of me。  I am not very fond of painting 

portraits; but a mayor is a mayor; and there is something grand in 

that idea of the Norman arch。  I'll go; moreover; I am just at this 

moment confoundedly in need of money; and when you knocked at the 

door; I don't mind telling you; I thought it was some dun。  I don't 

know how it is; but in the capital they have no taste for the 

heroic; they will scarce look at a heroic picture; I am glad to 

hear that they have better taste in the provinces。  I'll go; when 

shall we set off?'



Thereupon it was arranged between the painter and my brother that 

they should depart the next day but one; they then began to talk of 

art。  'I'll stick to the heroic;' said the painter; 'I now and then 

dabble in the comic; but what I do gives me no pleasure; the comic 

is so low; there is nothing like the heroic。  I am engaged here on 

a heroic picture;' said he; pointing to the canvas; 'the subject is 

〃Pharaoh dismissing Moses from Egypt;〃 after the last plague … the 

death of the first…born; it is not far advanced … that finished 

figure is Moses':  they both looked at the canvas; and I; standing 

behind; took a modest peep。  The picture; as the painter said; was 

not far advanced; the Pharaoh was merely in outline; my eye was; of 

course; attracted by the finished figure; or rather what the 

painter had called the finished figure; but; as I gazed upon it; it 

appeared to me that there was something defective … something 

unsatisfactory in the figure。  I concluded; however; that the 

painter; notwithstanding what he had said; had omitted to give it 

the finishing touch。  'I intend this to be my best picture;' said 

the painter; 'what I want now is a face for Pharaoh; I have long 

been meditating on a face for Pharaoh。'  Here; chancing to cast his 

eye upon my countenance; of whom he had scarcely taken any manner 

of notice; he remained with his mouth open for some time。  'Who is 

this?' said he at last。  'Oh; this is my brother; I forgot to 

introduce him。' 。 。 。



We presently afterwards departed; my brother talked much about the 

painter。  'He is a noble fellow;' said my brother; 'but; like many 

other noble fellows; has a great many enemies; he is hated by his 

brethren of the brush … all the land and water scape painters hate 

him … but; above all; the race of portrait…painters; who are ten 

times more numerous than the other two sorts; detest him for his 

heroic tendencies。  It will be a kind of triumph to the last; I 

fear; when they hear he has condescended to paint a portrait; 

however; that Norman arch will enable him to escape from their 

malice … that is a capital idea of the watchmaker; that Norman 

arch。'



I spent a happy day with my brother。  On the morrow he went again 

to the painter; with whom he dined; I did not go with him。  On his 

return he said; 'The painter has been asking a great many questions 

about you; and expressed a wish that you would sit to him as 

Pharaoh; he thinks you would make a capital Pharaoh。'  'I have no 

wish to appear on canvas;' said I; 'moreover he can find much 

better Pharaohs than myself; and; if he wants a real Pharaoh; there 

is a certain Mr。 Petulengro。'  'Petulengro?' said my brother; 'a 

strange kind of fellow came up to me some time ago in our town; and 

asked me about you; when I inquired his name; he told me 

Petulengro。  No; he will not do; he is too short; by the bye; do 

you not think that figure of Moses is somewhat short?'  And then it 

appeared to me that I had thought the figure of Moses somewhat 

short; and I told my brother so。  'Ah!' said my brother。



On the morrow my brother departed with the painter for the old 

town; and there the painter painted the mayor。  I did not see the 

picture for a great many years; when; chancing to be at the old 

town; I beheld it。



The original mayor was a mighty; portly man; with a bull's head; 

black hair; body like that of a dray horse; and legs and thighs 

corresponding; a man six foot high at the least。  To his bull's 

head; black hair; and body the painter had done justice; there was 

one point; however; in which the portrait did not correspond with 

the original … the legs were disproportionably short; the painter 

having substituted his own legs for those of the mayor; which when 

I perceived I rejoiced that I had not consented to be painted as 

Pharaoh; for; if I had; the chances are that he would have served 

me in exactly a similar way as he had served Moses and the mayor。



Short legs in a heroic picture will never do; and; upon the whole; 

I think the painter's attempt at the heroic in painting the mayor 

of the old town a decided failure。  If I am now asked whether the 

picture would have been a heroic one provided the painter had not 

substituted his own legs for those of the mayor … I must say; I am 

afraid not。  I have no idea of making heroic pictures out of 

English mayors; even with the assistance of Norman arches; yet I am 

sure that capital pictures might be made out of English mayors; not 

issuing from Norman arches; but rather from the door of the 

'Checquers' or the 'Brewers Three。'  The painter in question had 

great comic power; which he scarcely ever cultivated; he would fain 

be a Rafael; which he never could be; when he might have been 

something quite as good … another Hogarth; the only comic piece 

which he ever presented to the world being something little 

inferior to the best of that illustrious master。  I have often 

thought what a capital picture might have been made by my brother's 

friend; if; instead of making the mayor issue out of the Norman 

arch; he had painted him moving under the sign of the 'Checquers;' 

or the 'Three Brewers;' with mace … yes; with mace; … the mace 

appears in the picture issuing out of the Norman arch behind the 

mayor; … but likewise with Snap; and with whiffler; quart pot; and 

frying…pan; Billy Blind and Owlenglass; Mr。 Petulengro and 

Pakomovna; … then; had he clapped his own legs upon the mayor; or 

any one else in the concourse; what matter?  But I repeat that I 

have no hope of making heroic pictures out of English mayors; or; 

indeed; out of English figures in general。  England may be a land 

of heroic hearts; but it is not; properly; a land of heroic 

figures; or heroic posture…making。  Italy 。 。 。 what was I going to 

say about Italy?







CHAPTER XXXIX







No authority whatever … Interference … Wondrous farrago … Brandt 

and Struensee … What a life! … The hearse … Mortal relics … Great 

poet … Fashion and fame … What a difference … Oh; beautiful … Good 

for nothing。



AND now once more to my pursuits; to my Lives and Trials。  However 

partial at first I might be to these lives and trials; it was not 

long before they became regular trials to me; owing to the whims 

and caprices of the p
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 2
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!