The Moon And Sixpence

410 Pages·1919·0.61 MB·English

by  W. Somerset Maugham

THE MOON AND SIXPENCE
byW.SomersetMaugham
StyledbyLimpidSoft
Contents
ChapterI 4 ChapterVIII 43
ChapterII 14 ChapterIX 54
ChapterIII 19 ChapterX 58
ChapterIV 24 ChapterXI 68
ChapterV 31 ChapterXII 75
ChapterVI 35 ChapterXIII 88
ChapterVII 40 ChapterXIV 93
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CONTENTS
ChapterXV 99 ChapterXXVIII 189
ChapterXVI 110 ChapterXXIX 200
ChapterXVII 113 ChapterXXX 206
ChapterXVIII 117 ChapterXXXI 212
ChapterXIX 122 ChapterXXXII 217
ChapterXX 133 ChapterXXXIII 221
ChapterXXI 139 ChapterXXXIV 226
ChapterXXII 150 ChapterXXXV 233
ChapterXXIII 154 ChapterXXXVI 237
ChapterXXIV 161 ChapterXXXVII 239
ChapterXXV 169 ChapterXXXVIII 242
ChapterXXVI 178 ChapterXXXIX 248
ChapterXXVII 185 ChapterXL 258
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CONTENTS
ChapterXLI 263 ChapterL 339
ChapterXLII 277 ChapterLI 347
ChapterXLIII 285 ChapterLII 355
ChapterXLIV 295 ChapterLIII 358
ChapterXLV 299 ChapterLIV 366
ChapterXLVI 304 ChapterLV 373
ChapterXLVII 311 ChapterLVI 387
ChapterXLVIII 327 ChapterLVII 391
ChapterXLIX 333 ChapterLVIII 400
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Chapter I
I confess that when first I made acquaintance with
CharlesStricklandIneverforamomentdiscernedthat
there was in him anything out of the ordinary. Yet now
fewwillbefoundtodenyhisgreatness.Idonotspeakof
that greatness which is achieved by the fortunate politi-
cianorthesuccessfulsoldier; thatisaqualitywhichbe-
longstotheplaceheoccupiesratherthantotheman;and
achangeofcircumstancesreducesittoverydiscreetpro-
portions. The Prime Minister out of office is seen, too
often, to have been but a pompous rhetorician, and the
Generalwithoutanarmyisbutthetameheroofamarket
town. ThegreatnessofCharlesStricklandwasauthentic.
It may be that you do not like his art, but at all events
6
CHAPTER I
you can hardly refuse it the tribute of your interest. He
disturbs and arrests. The time has passed when he was
anobjectofridicule,anditisnolongeramarkofeccen-
tricitytodefendorofperversitytoextolhim. Hisfaults
are accepted as the necessary complement to his merits.
Itisstillpossibletodiscusshisplaceinart,andtheadu-
lation of his admirers is perhaps no less capricious than
the disparagement of his detractors; but one thing can
neverbedoubtful,andthatisthathehadgenius. Tomy
mindthemostinterestingthinginartisthepersonalityof
theartist;andifthatissingular,Iamwillingtoexcusea
thousandfaults.IsupposeVelasquezwasabetterpainter
thanElGreco,butcustomstalesone’sadmirationforhim:
theCretan,sensualandtragic,proffersthemysteryofhis
soullikeastandingsacrifice. Theartist,painter,poet,or
musician, by his decoration, sublime or beautiful, satis-
fies the aesthetic sense; but that is akin to the sexual in-
stinct, and shares its barbarity: he lays before you also
thegreatergiftofhimself.Topursuehissecrethassome-
thingofthefascinationofadetectivestory. Itisariddle
which shares with the universe the merit of having no
answer.ThemostinsignificantofStrickland’sworkssug-
gestsapersonalitywhichisstrange,tormented,andcom-
plex;anditisthissurelywhichpreventseventhosewho
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CHAPTER I
donotlikehispicturesfrombeingindifferenttothem;it
isthiswhichhasexcitedsocuriousaninterestinhislife
andcharacter.
It was not till four years after Strickland’s death that
MauriceHuretwrotethatarticleinthe MercuredeFrance
which rescued the unknown painter from oblivion and
blazed the trail which succeeding writers, with more
or less docility, have followed. For a long time no
critichasenjoyedinFranceamoreincontestableauthor-
ity, and it was impossible not to be impressed by the
claimshemade;theyseemedextravagant;butlaterjudg-
mentshaveconfirmedhisestimate,andthereputationof
CharlesStricklandisnowfirmlyestablishedonthelines
which he laid down. The rise of this reputation is one
of the most romantic incidents in the history of art. But
I do not propose to deal with Charles Strickland’s work
except in so far as it touches upon his character. I can-
notagreewiththepainterswhoclaimsuperciliouslythat
thelaymancanunderstandnothingofpainting,andthat
he can best show his appreciation of their works by si-
lenceandacheque-book. Itisagrotesquemisapprehen-
sionwhichseesinartnomorethanacraftcomprehensi-
bleperfectlyonlytothecraftsman: artisamanifestation
ofemotion,andemotionspeaksalanguagethatallmay
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CHAPTER I
understand. But I will allow that the critic who has not
apracticalknowledgeoftechniqueisseldomabletosay
anythingonthesubjectofrealvalue,andmyignoranceof
paintingisextreme. Fortunately,thereisnoneedforme
torisktheadventure,sincemyfriend,Mr. EdwardLeg-
gatt, an able writer as well as an admirable painter, has
exhaustivelydiscussedCharlesStrickland’sworkinalit-
tle book<note>"A Modern Artist: Notes on the Work of
Charles Strickland," by Edward Leggatt, A.R.H.A. Mar-
tinSecker,1917.</note>whichisacharmingexampleof
astyle,forthemostpart,lesshappilycultivatedinEng-
landthaninFrance.
Maurice Huret in his famous article gave an outline
of Charles Strickland’s life which was well calculated
to whet the appetites of the inquiring. With his dis-
interested passion for art, he had a real desire to call
the attention of the wise to a talent which was in the
highest degree original; but he was too good a journal-
ist to be unaware that the "human interest" would en-
able him more easily to effect his purpose. And when
such as had come in contact with Strickland in the past,
writers who had known him in London, painters who
had met him in the cafes of Montmartre, discovered to
theiramazementthatwheretheyhadseenbutanunsuc-
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CHAPTER I
cessful artist, like another, authentic genius had rubbed
shoulderswiththemtherebegantoappearinthemaga-
zinesofFranceandAmericaasuccessionofarticles, the
reminiscencesofone,theappreciationofanother,which
added to Strickland’s notoriety, and fed without satisfy-
ingthecuriosityofthepublic. Thesubjectwasgrateful,
and the industrious Weitbrecht-Rotholz in his imposing
monograph<note>"KarlStrickland:seinLebenundseine
Kunst," by Hugo Weitbrecht-Rotholz, Ph.D. Schwingel
undHanisch.Leipzig,1914.</note>hasbeenabletogive
aremarkablelistofauthorities.
The faculty for myth is innate in the human race. It
seizes with avidity upon any incidents, surprising or
mysterious, in the career of those who have at all dis-
tinguished themselves from their fellows, and invents a
legend to which it then attaches a fanatical belief. It is
the protest of romance against the commonplace of life.
Theincidentsofthelegendbecomethehero’ssurestpass-
porttoimmortality. Theironicphilosopherreflectswith
asmilethatSirWalterRaleighismoresafelyinshrinedin
thememoryofmankindbecausehesethiscloakforthe
VirginQueentowalkonthanbecausehecarriedtheEn-
glishnametoundiscoveredcountries.CharlesStrickland
livedobscurely. Hemadeenemiesratherthanfriends. It
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