Ivory, Apes and Peacocks

In Short

This book is a wide-ranging anthology of critical essays that surveys the cultural landscape of the early 1900s. Through a series of focused profiles, it examines the work of giants like Joseph Conrad, Dostoevsky, and Walt Whitman, while simultaneously championing avant-garde figures such as Arnold Schoenberg and the Italian Futurists. Its enduring value lies in its singular, energetic perspective; it acts as a time capsule of a critic who was fiercely engaged with the new, the challenging, and the transformative movements shaping the modern creative consciousness.

The Story

The narrative arc of the book is not one of a linear plot, but rather a deliberate, intellectual journey through the halls of high culture and the fringes of the avant-garde. It opens with a defense of Joseph Conrad, positioning him as a "dynamic masculine bass" in literature, and immediately follows with a personal, nostalgic visit to Walt Whitman in Camden. This establishes the critic’s core methodology: he does not merely analyze works; he visits the men behind the pages, seeking to understand the temperament of the artist as much as the art itself.

As the essays progress, the focus shifts to the psychological depths of Russian literature, particularly the tragic, tension-filled worlds of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. From these heavy, foundational subjects, the book pivots abruptly toward the experimental and the "hallucinatory." The reader is led through the discordant, complex music of Arnold Schoenberg, the provocative, rule-breaking theater of Frank Wedekind, and the haunting, dreamlike visions of painters like Gauguin and Kubin. The author moves through these disparate subjects with a consistent, restless curiosity, always asking how these creators define their own "eternities."

Midway through, the tone becomes more meditative, examining the quiet, enigmatic brilliance of Vermeer before plunging into the loud, brash manifestos of the Italian Futurists. The critic grapples with the tension between the "melancholy of masterpieces"—the weight of tradition—and the violent, machine-age speed demanded by the new century. In the final movements, the book deepens its inquiry into the workshop of Zola and the psychological complexities of de Maupassant, before closing with an exploration of the mural art of Puvis de Chavannes. The overarching story here is the struggle for originality in an age of imitation. The critic observes, critiques, and ultimately celebrates the "ivory, apes, and peacocks"—the exotic, the rare, and the beautiful—that gifted artists bring back from the far reaches of their own imaginations. It ends with a quiet acknowledgment of the fleeting nature of time, emphasizing that while artistic movements may dissolve like "vanishing seconds," the act of creation remains a profound necessity of the human spirit.

How It Unfolds

The literary foundation The journey begins by establishing the necessity of the "romantic realist" in fiction, specifically highlighting Joseph Conrad as a master of the craft. It juxtaposes this with an intimate, firsthand account of a meeting with Walt Whitman, framing the poet as a "nonchalant workman" and a visceral force of nature.

The descent into psyche The focus turns to the Russian masters, exploring Dostoevsky’s acute dramatic tension and his belief in non-resistance. The author examines how these writers, while deeply flawed, captured the "gloomy imaginings" of the human condition with unmatched intensity.

The modern dissonance The narrative then accelerates into the avant-garde, analyzing the complex polyphony of Arnold Schoenberg and the "bitter" social critiques found in the plays of Frank Wedekind. Here, the author acknowledges the listener's and viewer's initial repulsion, arguing that such discomfort is the price of encountering true, original genius.

The painter’s vision The essays traverse the spectrum of visual art, from the quiet, light-filled interiors of Vermeer to the dark, hallucination-heavy woodcuts of Kubin. The author contrasts these with the aggressive, war-glorifying manifestos of the Italian Futurists, who seek to burn the very museums that hold their predecessors.

The final synthesis The book concludes by examining the lives and methods of established masters like Zola and de Maupassant, alongside the serene, mural-scale work of Puvis de Chavannes. It leaves the reader with a final reflection on the "serenity" that art offers against the backdrop of an increasingly feverish, modern world.

The People

Joseph Conrad emerges as a sturdy, masculine force of literature, standing against the "sugar-coated" tendencies of his peers. Walt Whitman is portrayed as a contradictory figure—a "good grey poet" who combined earthy, Bowery-boy poses with a profound, mystical depth. Fyodor Dostoevsky is presented as a man of deep, paradoxical humanity, capable of both immense empathy for the suffering and a hidden, stubborn prejudice. Arnold Schoenberg appears as the misunderstood architect of sound, an autodidact who works with a "heroic" level of concentration, intentionally pushing his audience toward a new, harsh aesthetic. Frank Wedekind is shown as a "Puck-like" rebel who uses his work to demolish social lies, though the critic notes the irony of the moralist hiding behind the provocateur’s mask. Finally, Jan Vermeer is depicted as a quiet, enigmatic genius who painted for his bread in a baker’s shop, leaving behind a legacy that was, for centuries, erroneously attributed to his contemporaries.

In Its Own Voice

"Camerado! this is no book, who touches this, touches a man."

The author quotes Whitman to emphasize the visceral, personal connection one finds in the poet's work.

"The poet is a mocking demon who rides on clouds dropping epigrams earthward, the earth that grunts and sweats beneath the sun or cowers and weeps under the stellar prairies."

This description of Jules Laforgue illustrates the author's flair for capturing the atmospheric, sometimes cynical, nature of the poets he profiles.

"To call him 'crazy,' is merely amusing; no man is less crazy, few men are so conscious of what they are doing, and few modern composers boast such a faculty of attention."

The author defends Arnold Schoenberg against the common, dismissive critiques of his dissonant musical compositions.

What It's Really About

The central argument concerns the inherent conflict between tradition and the relentless drive for modern innovation. The book asks whether the "masterpieces" of the past act as a source of nourishment or a "cemetery of art" for the living. It explores how individuals define their own personal systems of belief—their Weltanschauung—in a world that demands conformity. Ultimately, it is about the "cult of the nuance," the idea that the truth of an artist is found not in their finished, public face, but in the subtle, often disagreeable, and contradictory details of their work. It challenges the reader to look past the surface of "madness" or "ugliness" to find the underlying logic and sincerity that define true creative achievement.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, opinionated, and highly literate style of turn-of-the-century criticism will find this an essential companion. It provides a rare, unfiltered look at how the "moderns" appeared to their contemporaries. The prose is lush and confident, full of the kind of sharp, epigrammatic wit that values the aesthetic thrill of an idea as much as its truth.

However, modern readers should be prepared for a certain stylistic density. The author assumes a high level of familiarity with European history, music theory, and literature, often dropping references to obscure figures without explanation. Furthermore, the attitudes regarding race and gender—as evidenced in the author's discussions of "disagreeable girls" or his dismissive remarks on non-Western cultures—reflect the period's limitations and will strike a contemporary audience as outdated. Despite these hurdles, the book remains a rewarding experience. It captures a specific, electric moment in history when the old world was breaking apart and the new one was being forged in the fires of artistic rebellion. What stays with you is the author’s contagious enthusiasm for the "rare" and his unwavering belief that, despite the chaos of the times, art remains the most vital human endeavor.