Picture and Text
Picture and Text is a collection of essays by Henry James on the visual arts, published in 1893. The book is most notable for extensive and perceptive essays on John Singer Sargent and Honoré Daumier. Included with the essays on the visual arts is an out-of-place but interesting discussion in dialogue form about the theater called After the Play.
Summary and themes
James' treatment of Daumier was a welcome effort on behalf of an artist many considered little more than a political cartoonist. James found an "impressive depth" in Daumier's portrayal of the peculiar and the sometimes frankly ugly. Many of Daumier's subjects are now remembered only in his often slashing work, but that's appropriate because all art "preserves...consecrates...raises from the dead."
In his essay on Sargent, James marvels at the his complete knowledge of painting and his unfailing technical proficiency. James particularly admires Sargent's portraits of women, such as Miss Burckhardt and Madame G. "There is no greater work of art than a great portrait," James concludes, and Sargent's portraits combine "quick perception" and "brooding reflection."
The other essays in the book commemorate relatively minor artists, who did competent if not particularly memorable work. A couple of interesting biographical notes: Charles Reinhart illustrated some of James' own fiction, and Alfred Parsons designed the sets for James' doomed play Guy Domville and attended its first, raucous performance.
Table of contents
| Black and White |
| Edwin A. Abbey |
| Charles S. Reinhart |
| Alfred Parsons |
| John S. Sargent |
| Honoré Daumier |
| After the Play |
Critical evaluation
A few decades ago some critics held James' enthusiasm for Sargent against him. Now that Sargent's own critical position has improved noticeably, James' appreciation of his fellow expatriate is starting to seem more perceptive and praiseworthy.
Almost all critics have lauded James' for his warm and humorous essay on Daumier, which helped establish the caricaturist as a serious artist. James' essays on the other artists in the book have sometimes been dismissed as little more than cheerful compliments for professional acquaintances.
Reference
- A Henry James Encyclopedia by Robert Gale (New York: Greenwood Press, 1989) ISBN 0313258465