exciting subjects less will
be necessary, but some amount should exist in every picture, no matter
how turbulent its motive; as in good tragedy the horror of the situation
is never allowed to overbalance the beauty of the treatment.

[Sidenote: Between Straight Lines and Curves]

Let us consider in the first place the balance between straight lines
and curves. The richer and fuller the curves, the more severe should be
the straight lines that balance them, if perfect repose is desired. But
if the subject demands excess of movement and life, of course there will
be less necessity for the balancing influence of straight lines. And on
the other hand, if the subject demands an excess of repose and
contemplation, the bias will be on the side of straight lines. But a
picture composed entirely of rich, rolling curves is too disquieting a
thing to contemplate, and would become very irritating. Of the two
extremes, one composed entirely of straight lines would be preferable to
one with no squareness to relieve the richness of the curves. For
straight lines are significant of the deeper and more permanent things
of life, of the powers that govern and restrain, and of infinity; while
the rich curves (that is, curves the farthest removed from the straight
line) seem to be expressive of uncontrolled energy and the more
exuberant joys of life. Vice may be excess in any direction, but
asceticism has generally been accepted as a nobler vice than
voluptuousness. The rococo art of the eighteenth century is an instance
of the excessive use of curved forms, and, like all excesses in the joys
of life, it is vicious and is the favourite style of decoration in
vulgar places of entertainment. The excessive use of straight lines and
square forms may be seen in some ancient Egyptian architecture, but this
severity was originally, no doubt, softened by the use of colour, and in
any case it is nobler and finer than the vicious cleverness of rococo
art.

We have seen how the Greeks balanced the straight lines of their
architectural forms with the rich lines of the sculpture which they used
so lavishly on their temples. But the balance was always kept on the
side of the square forms and never on the side of undue roundness. And
it is on this side that the balance would seem to be in the finest art.
Even the finest curves are those that approach the straight line rather
than the circle, that err on the side of flatnesses rather than
roundnesses.