[Art-lover]

Responsibility for the emergence of abstract art should be assigned to women.
Of course, one can not deny guilt in the matter of Plato (see

Сообщение от nikola; 911951"

Plato - a forerunner of abstract art.

- but given the age and merit, the old man can be an amnesty.

First gained worldwide fame masterpiece of abstract painting - "Portrait of Catherine Lesko, courtesans" (completed no later than 1832) - was inspired by the desire to realize on canvas absolute ideal of feminine beauty.
Alas, the result of creative pursuit of the famous French artist Frenhofera before us does not make it.
Why is it so happened we know from the notes of a younger contemporary Frenhofera Honore de Balzac.

- Come in, come in! - Told them the old man, beaming with happiness. - My
work perfectly, and now I can proudly show it. Artist,
paints, brushes, canvas, and light can never create a rival for my Catherine
Lescaut, a beautiful courtesan.
     Overcome with curiosity, impatience, Porbus Poussin and ran into the
middle of a spacious studio, where everything was in disarray and covered with dust,
where here and there, hanging pictures on the walls. Both of them stopped at first before
depicting half-naked woman as a man that led them to
delight.
     - Oh, this thing does not pay attention - said Frenhofer - I did
sketches to explore the pose, the picture is not worth anything. And then my
delusion - he continued, pointing to artists wonderful songs
hung on the walls everywhere.

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At these words Porbus and Poussin, amazed contempt Frenhofera to
such paintings began to look for a portrait, which has been discussed, but were unable to
find.
     - Here, look! - Told them the old man, whose untidy hair,
face was burning some weird animation, his eyes sparkled, and the breast
heaving, as a young man, intoxicated with love. - Aha! - Cried
it - you did not expect such perfection? Here is a woman, but you are looking for
picture. So much depth in this canvas, the air is right handed, that you
can not distinguish it from the air you breathe. Where is art? It
gone, gone. That girl's body. Is it not true color captured, alive
shape, where the air comes into contact with the body, as if enveloped him? Not
is whether the items of the same phenomenon in the atmosphere, like fish in water?
See how the contours are separated from the background. Do not you think that you can
hand to cover this camp? Yes, no wonder I spent seven years studying the impression
created with a combination of light rays from objects. And that hair - how do they
full of light! But she sighed, it seems! .. This chest ... look! Ah, who
before it will not fall on my knees? The body trembles! She now gets up,
wait ...
     - Do you see anything? - Asked Poussin Porbusa.
     - No. And you?
     - Nothing ...
     Giving the old man to admire, both artists have to check, not
destroys the whether all the effects of light falling directly on the canvas, which they Frenhofer
showed. They looked at the picture, moving to the right, left, becoming
on the contrary, the bending, then straightening up.
     - Yes, yes, it's a picture - tell them Frenhofer erred
regarding the purpose of such a thorough inspection. - Look, here frame
easel, but finally my paints and brushes ...
     And they took one of the hands, he naively showed her artists.
     - Old lansquenet laughing at us, - said Poussin, going back to
the so-called pattern .- I see here only a disorderly combination of strokes,
delineated a set of strange lines forming as it were, a wall of paint.
     - We are mistaken, look! .. - Porbus said. Coming closer, they
noticed in the corner of the painting tip bare feet, stands out from the chaos of colors,
tones of indeterminate shades, forming a kind of shapeless nebula -
the tip of the beautiful feet of living legs. They are dumbfounded amazement before this
fragment, the survivors of the incredible, slow, gradual destruction.
Leg in the picture produced the same impression as the torso of some
Venus of Parian marble in the ruins of the burnt city.
     - Under this hidden woman! - Porbus exclaimed, pointing to the Poussin
layers of paint, an old artist superimposed on one another in order to complete
picture.
     Both artists have turned involuntarily toward Frenhofera starting
comprehend, though still vague, the ecstasy, in which he lived.
     - He believes what he says - he said Porbus.
     - Yes, my friend, - said the old man, recovering himself - believe is necessary.
In art one must believe and must get used to their jobs, to create
similar product. Some of these spots is the shadow robbed me a lot
forces. See, here, on the cheek under the eye, is easy penumbra
that in nature, if you pay attention to it, you will find almost
inexpressible. And what do you think, does this effect was not cost me unheard
works? And then, my dear Porbus consider-ka attentively my work, and
you better understand what I told you about roundness and contour.
Look at light on his chest and noticed that with some highlights and
convex, densely superimposed strokes I was able to concentrate here now
light, combining it with the brilliant whiteness of the illuminated body, and how, conversely,
removing the convexity and roughness of the paint, continually smoothing out the contours of my
figures, where it is immersed in the twilight, I achieved that without a trace
destroyed the picture, and every artifice and gave the lines of the body
roundness, existing in nature. Come closer, you'll see what happens
texture. From a distance it does not make out. Here it is, I think, a very worthy
attention.
     And he pointed the tip of the brush artists on a thick layer of bright colors ...
     Porbus patted the old man's shoulder and turned to Poussin, said:
     - Did you know that we believe it is truly a great artist?
     - It is more a poet than a painter - said seriously Poussin.
     - Here here - continued Porbus, touching picture - ends
our art in the world ...
     - And, based here, lost in the skies - said Poussin.
     - How experienced pleasures on this canvas! Absorbed in his
thoughts, the old man did not listen to artists: he smiled at the imaginary woman.
     - But sooner or later he noticed that his canvas is nothing! -
cried Poussin.
     - There is nothing on my canvas? - Frenhofer asked, looking alternately
on the artist, the imaginary picture.
     - What have you done! - Turned Porbus to Poussin. The old man grabbed the force
boy's hand and said to him:
     - You do not see, hillbilly, a robber, a nonentity, yuck!
Why did you come here? .. My good Porbus, - he continued, turning
to the artist - and you, you, too, making fun of me? Answer me! I am your friend.
Tell me, I may be spoiled his picture?
     Porbus, hesitate, hesitate to answer, but the pale face of an old man
sealed was so ill worry that Porbus shown on the canvas
and said:
     - See for yourself!
     Frenhofer some time saw his picture, and suddenly swayed.
     - Nothing! Absolutely nothing! And I worked for ten years! He sat down and wept.
     - So, I'm a fool, fool! I have no talent, no skills, I
Only a rich man who lives in the world is useless. And I became
be, nothing is created!
     He looked at his picture through her tears. Suddenly, he proudly stood up and
Both artists cast a glittering eye.
     - By the flesh and blood of Christ, you're just jealous! Do you want to
convince me that the picture is corrupt to steal it from me! But I do it
I see - he cried - it wondrous beauty!
  
... Frenhofer draw their Katrin Green
serge as calmly and carefully as a jeweler pushes their boxes,
Believing that he is dealing with nimble thieves. He gave both artists moody
eyes full of contempt and incredulity, and then silence, with some
feverish haste led them to the door shop and told them to
the doorstep of his home:
     - Good-bye, my dears!
     This led me melancholy farewell to both artists.

     The next day Porbus, worrying about Frenhofere, went to see him again
to visit him and learned that the old man died in the night, szhegshi all his pictures ..
 
Paris, February 1832

Honore de Balzac. Unknown masterpiece.
(The Human Comedy, Philosophical studies).

Put the above passage on the right should open any anthology of abstract art.
As seen from this sketch, the idea of separation of abstract painting from the realistic from the beginning bore the imprint of the tragedy. Figurativa positions were so steadfastly that has made a radical breakthrough artist could soon doubt his sanity, rather than the dogma of tradition. A eastern wisdom "can not create something great without having to not go crazy" in Balzacian era has not been as now, a guide to action ...