hich reason, by the way, they
also never look at a picture with any sense of nature, but,
unconsciously from habit, with reference to what they have seen in
other pictures.

Now, in the usual "pictures of the year" there is but one flesh, that
shall do service under all circumstances, whether the person painted
be in the soft light of the room or out in the glare of the open. The
one aim of the unsuspecting painter is to make his man "stand out"
from the frame--never doubting that, on the contrary, he should
really, and in truth absolutely does, stand _within_ the frame--and at
a depth behind it equal to the distance at which the painter sees
his model. The frame is, indeed, the window through which the painter
looks at his model, and nothing could be more offensively inartistic
than this brutal attempt to thrust the model on the hither-side of
this window!

Yet this is the false condition of things to which all have become
accustomed, and in the stupendous effort to bring it about,
exaggeration has been exhausted--and the traditional means of the
incompetent can no further go.

Lights have been heightened until the white of the tube alone
remains--shadows have been deepened until black alone is left.
Scarcely a feature stays in its place, so fierce is its intention of
"firmly" coming forth; and in the midst of this unseemly struggle for
prominence, the gentle truth has but a sorry chance, falling flat and
flavourless, and without force.

The Master from Madrid, himself, beside this monster success of
mediocrity, would be looked upon as mild: _beau bien sure, mais pas
"dans le mouvement"_!

Whereas, could the people be induced to turn their eyes but for a
moment, with the fresh power of comparison, upon their fellow-creatures
as they pass in the gallery, they might be made dimly to perceive
(though I doubt it, so blind is their belief in the bad), how
little they resemble the impudent images on the walls! how "quiet" in
colour they are! how "grey!" how "low in tone." And then it might be
explained to their riveted intelligence how they had mistaken
meretriciousness for mastery, and by what mean methods the imposture
had been practised upon them.

[Illustration]

_An Opportunity_

Cher Monsieur--M. ---- m'a remis votre petite planche--port d'Amsterdam
avec une epreuve. Elle est charmante et je serais fort heureux de la
faire paraitre dans l'article consacre a vos eaux fortes. Seulement,
je crois que