WHEN I BUY PICTURES
or what is closer to the truth, when I look atthat of which I may regard myself as theimaginary possessor, I fix upon that which wouldgive me pleasure in my average moments: the satire upon curiosity,in which no more is discernible than the intensity of the mood;or quite the opposite—the old thing, the medi-æval decorated hat box, in which thereare hounds with waists diminishing like the waist of the hour-glassand deer, both white and brown, and birds and seated people; it may be nomore than a squareof parquetry; the literal biography perhaps—in letters stand-ing well apart upon a parchment-like expanse;or that which is better without words, which meansjust as much or just as little as it is understood tomean by the observer—the grave of Adam, prefigured by himself; a bed ofbeansor artichokes in six varieties of blue; the snipe-legged hiero—glyphic in three parts; it may be anything. Toostern an intellectual emphasis, i-ronic or other—upon this quality or that, detractsfrom one’s enjoyment; it must not wish to disarm anything; nor may theapproved tri-umph easily be honoured—that which is great because something elseis small.It comes to this: of whatever sort it is, itmust make known the fact that it has been displayedto acknowledge the spiritual forces which have made it;and it must admit that it is the work of X, if X produced it; of Y, if madeby Y. It must be a voluntary gift with the name written on it.
or what is closer to the truth, when I look atthat of which I may regard myself as theimaginary possessor, I fix upon that which wouldgive me pleasure in my average moments: the satire upon curiosity,in which no more is discernible than the intensity of the mood;or quite the opposite—the old thing, the medi-æval decorated hat box, in which thereare hounds with waists diminishing like the waist of the hour-glassand deer, both white and brown, and birds and seated people; it may be nomore than a squareof parquetry; the literal biography perhaps—in letters stand-ing well apart upon a parchment-like expanse;or that which is better without words, which meansjust as much or just as little as it is understood tomean by the observer—the grave of Adam, prefigured by himself; a bed ofbeansor artichokes in six varieties of blue; the snipe-legged hiero—glyphic in three parts; it may be anything. Toostern an intellectual emphasis, i-ronic or other—upon this quality or that, detractsfrom one’s enjoyment; it must not wish to disarm anything; nor may theapproved tri-umph easily be honoured—that which is great because something elseis small.It comes to this: of whatever sort it is, itmust make known the fact that it has been displayedto acknowledge the spiritual forces which have made it;and it must admit that it is the work of X, if X produced it; of Y, if madeby Y. It must be a voluntary gift with the name written on it.
or what is closer to the truth, when I look atthat of which I may regard myself as theimaginary possessor, I fix upon that which wouldgive me pleasure in my average moments: the satire upon curiosity,in which no more is discernible than the intensity of the mood;
or quite the opposite—the old thing, the medi-æval decorated hat box, in which thereare hounds with waists diminishing like the waist of the hour-glassand deer, both white and brown, and birds and seated people; it may be nomore than a squareof parquetry; the literal biography perhaps—in letters stand-
ing well apart upon a parchment-like expanse;or that which is better without words, which meansjust as much or just as little as it is understood tomean by the observer—the grave of Adam, prefigured by himself; a bed ofbeansor artichokes in six varieties of blue; the snipe-legged hiero—
glyphic in three parts; it may be anything. Toostern an intellectual emphasis, i-ronic or other—upon this quality or that, detractsfrom one’s enjoyment; it must not wish to disarm anything; nor may theapproved tri-umph easily be honoured—that which is great because something elseis small.
It comes to this: of whatever sort it is, itmust make known the fact that it has been displayedto acknowledge the spiritual forces which have made it;and it must admit that it is the work of X, if X produced it; of Y, if madeby Y. It must be a voluntary gift with the name written on it.