the eye and the mind to concepts superior to the common-
place. Rome and Florence (and in certain cases also
Athens) now supplanted Paris as the place of pilgrimage,
and instead of bringing home from the South the greatest
possible number of little paintings, the pilgrim's object now
possible number of little paintings, the pilgrim's object now
was to bring back the greatest possible number of big im-
pressions. What men hoped for was to be able to restore
one of the marvels of creation, nature, to something of its
majesty, which artistic naturalism had dissolved into triv-
ialities, and to restore the other great marvel of creation,
the human form, to something of its aristocratic dignity,
which democracy, faithful follower of naturalism, had sac-
rificed to mere truthfulness. This hope was sustained by
the realization that line is the essential medium of ex-
pression of an art that aims at style and decorative effect,
whereas color in such an art is only a means and not
an end in itself.

A profound distaste for oils became widespread under
these circumstances. It was the use of oils, so men thought
then, as they have thought before under corresponding con-
ditions, that had led art astray from its great task. The sal-
vation of art was commonly sought in the media of the old
masters, in tempera or fresco. As fresco postulates walls,
and it was necessary to rest content with canvas for the time
being, painters made use either of the prevailing oils, adding
a dull finish, or of the new tempera colors which enterpris-
ing firms began to keep in stock. The application of gold
was likewise revived--in fact, in despair at their inability
to find means of expression which improved sufficiently on
the mere reproduction of nature, either in decorative or in
symbolical effect, the painters had recourse to untried and
ill-chosen means. There was one who embossed a golden
corn-field in copper and painted in a sky in ordinary oils.
There was another who cut his whole picture in wood, then
painted it, and picked out details in bronze. Many other
expedients might be described, showing the desperation of
those who were anxious to express the new gospel but who
could not utter it in sufficiently eloquent form.

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