TEXT5Stuffofdreams梦想的精粹Feb16th2006|CORKANDLONDONFromTheEconomistprintedition(译者注:本文是关于画展的评论。)Twoexhibitionsshowhowapairof18th-centurypainters,JamesBarryandHenryFuseli,inspiredthemodernvisual★romancewith[1]thegothic两个画展展示的是,两位18世纪画家——詹姆斯•巴里和亨利•富塞利——如何唤起了现代人从视觉上对哥特式艺术的憧憬。THISspringthebadboysofBritishartare★makingacomeback[2].NotDamienHirstandhisfriends,buttheoriginal★enfantsterribles[3]—★HenryFuseli[4](1741-1825)andJamesBarry(1741-1806)—whoaimed,aboveall,todepictextremesofpassionandterrorinwhattheycalledthenewartoftheSublime.今春,英国艺术界的坏孩子再次粉墨登场了。我们说的不是达米恩•赫斯特和他的朋友们,而是亨利•富塞利(1741-1825)和詹姆斯•巴里(1741-1806),这两位“莽撞少年”的始作俑者,他们的首要目标就是要用所谓的“新派高尚艺术”去描绘极度激情与恐怖。BarryandFuseliarehardlyhouseholdnames;indeedsinceVictoriantimestheyhavebeenvirtuallyignored.Butinthelate18thcentury,Fuseli,andforashorttimeBarryalso,wereprominentmembersoftheyoungRoyalAcademyofArts(RA)andinfluentialprofessorsofpaintingthere.Barry's★fallfromgrace[5]wasthemostdramatic,butthereismuchtoadmireinthisirascibleIrishartistwho,likeFuseli,oncetaughtWilliamBlake.Barry'sprolifichistoricalpaintingsdemonstratehisambitiontorivalthepaintersofantiquityandtheRenaissanceandtopractisewhatthethenpresidentoftheRA,SirJoshuaReynolds,alwayspreached—thathistorypaintingwasthenoblestformofart.(1)ButBarryfoundithardtobeboundbyrules,andheturnedhistoryandmythintoaseriesof★tableaux[6]thatwereatonceoddlyexpressionisticanddeeplypersonal.巴里和富塞利这两个名字算不上家喻户晓,实际上自维多利亚时代以来,世人对他们已经不闻不问。不过,在18世纪晚期,富塞利曾经是早期皇家美术学院(RA)的杰出会员和颇具影响力的画师,巴里曾一度也是如此。巴里的失宠于众最富于戏剧性,但跟富塞利一样曾给威廉•布莱克传授过技艺的这位性情暴躁的爱尔兰艺术家,还是拥有许多让人敬佩的地方。他的众多历史性画作都表明,他热望与古代以及文艺复兴时期的画家相抗衡,始终信奉历史画乃是最为尊贵的艺术形式,而这恰恰也是皇家美术学院当时的院长约书亚•雷诺兹爵士所一直倡导的。但是历史画受制于过多约束让巴里感到难以接受,遂将史实与神话融为一体,并用一系列舞台造型加以表现,随即成为与主流格格不入的表现派,并打上了深深的个人主义烙印。Hismelodramatic“KingLearWeepingovertheBodyofCordelia”andhissexuallycharged“★JupiterandJunoonMountIda[7]”,nowbothpartofaretrospectiveoftheartist'sworkinCork,(2)provedtoofulloffeelingforaBritishaudienceraisedonportraitsandlandscapepaintings.HisonlyloyalpatronwasEdmundBurke,whohad★coined[8]atheoryoftheSublime.巴里的情景画《泪洒科蒂利亚亡体的李尔王》以及他那幅洋溢着性爱的《艾达峰上的朱庇特和朱诺》,现已成为科克城(爱尔兰南部港口城市)艺术家作品回顾展的一部分。这两幅画作表明英国观众对肖像画和风景画投注了极大的热情。埃德蒙•伯克是唯一自始至终资助巴里的人,正是他创立了“高尚艺术”理论。Barryfelthewasapersecutedsoul,andhepaintedhimselfasvariousill-fatedcharacters,mostbizarrely★Philoctetes[9],thesailorwhomOdysseusabandonedontheislandofLemnosbecausehesmelledsobad.Asifthatweren'tenough,BarryalsoincitedhisRAstudentstorevoltandthenallegedlyaccusedReynoldsoffinancialimpropriety.Whenhebecametoounbearable,Barrybecamethefirstartisttobeexpelledbytheacademy.巴里认为自己的灵魂受到了戕害,便将自己画成形形色色充满晦气的人物,其中最为怪异的是菲罗克忒忒斯,那位由于臭气熏天而被奥德修斯抛弃在利姆诺斯岛上...