LESSON 120

“WITH BRAINS, SIR”

“要用脑子，先生”

John Brown, 1810-1882, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and graduated at the University of Edinburgh. His father was John Brown, an eminent clergyman and the author of several books. Dr. Brown’s literary reputation rests largely upon a series of papers contributed to the “North British Review.” “Rab and his Friends,” a collection of papers published in book form, is the most widely known of all his writings.

“Pray, Mr. Opie, may I ask you what you mix your colors with?” said a brisk dilettante student to the great painter. “With brains, sir,” was the gruff reply—and the right one. It did not give much of information; it did not expound the principles and rules of the art; but, if the inquirer had the commodity referred to, it would awaken him; it would set him agoing, athinking, and a-painting to good purpose. If he had not the wherewithal, as was likely enough, the less he had to do with colors and their mixture the better.

Many other artists, when asked such a question, would have either set about detailing the mechanical composition of such and such colors, in such and such proportions, rubbed up so and so; or perhaps they would (and so much the better, but not the best) have shown him how they laid them on; but even this would leave him at the critical point. Opie preferred going to the quick and the heart of the matter: “With brains, sir.”

Sir Joshua Reynolds was taken by a friend to see a picture. He was anxious to admire it, and he looked it over with a keen and careful but favorable eye. “Capital composition; correct drawing; the color, tone, chiaroscuro excellent; but—but—it wants—hang it, it wants—that!” snapping his fingers; and, wanting “that,” though it had everything else, it was worth nothing.

Again, Etty was appointed teacher of the students of the Royal Academy, having been preceded by a clever, talkative, scientific expounder of aesthetics, who delighted to tell the young men how everything was done, how to copy this, and how to express that. A student came up to the new master, “How should I do this, sir?” “Suppose you try.” Another, “What does this mean, Mr. Etty?” “Suppose you look.” “But I have looked.” “Suppose you look again.”

And they did try, and they did look, and looked again; and they saw and achieved what they never could have done had the how or the what (supposing this possible, which it is not, in full and highest meaning) been told them, or done for them; in the one case, sight and action were immediate, exact, intense, and secure; in the other, mediate, feeble, and lost as soon as gained.

【中文阅读】

“求求你了，欧派先生，我能问一下你想上什么色彩吗？”那位活泼的半吊子学生对大画家说。“要用脑子，先生。”得到的是如此生硬的回答。显然，这是正确的回答。这句话里并没有包括太多的信息，也没有对艺术原理和原则做出详细解释。如果询问者指的是商品的话，就会令他警醒；就会令他的大脑飞速运转，琢磨画画有很好的用途。如果他没有为绘画而需要的钱，最有可能的情形是，他对色彩考虑的越少，效果反而更好。

许多其他艺术家，当问到同样的问题时，要么会详细解释色彩的动力学合成原理，构成比例，一遍一遍地温故知新；要么他们也许（越多越好，但不是最好）会向提问者演示如何进行色彩配比。但是即便这样，他们还是忘记了重点。欧派喜欢直接切中要害。“要用脑子，先生。”

约书亚•雷诺兹爵士受一位朋友之邀观赏一幅画。他欣赏之情溢于言表，用热切而称许的目光仔细打量。“构图堪称完美，画法精湛。用色、色调和明暗对比都完美无瑕。可是——可是——要挂起来，挂起来看才好！”说着，他猛地张开手指；他想表达的是“挂起来才好，”可是显然还有别的意思。

艾蒂再次被任命为皇家学院的教师，他是一位聪明、能言善谈的美学阐释者，他乐于告诫年轻人如何做事情，如何复制完美，如何描述美的事物。一位学生走到这位新老师面前。“我该怎么做呢，先生？”“你要尝试啊。”另一个学生问道：“这是什么意思，艾蒂先生？”“你自己看啊。”“可是我已经看了啊。”“再看一遍。”

他们都尝试了，他们都看了，看了又看。他们发现自己绝对不可能按老师告诉他们的来做。一方面，看到的东西和行为是直接、准确、紧张和确定的；另一方面，一旦获得就成了间接、无力和容易失去的印象。