Ivory, Apes and Peacocks

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

31017

Title

Ivory, Apes and Peacocks

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

James Huneker's *Ivory, Apes and Peacocks* is a vibrant collection of essays celebrating the pure, disinterested artist. Huneker profiles literary giants like Joseph Conrad and Walt Whitman, alongside composers such as Richard Strauss and painters like Van Gogh. With rhythmic, sonorous prose and a keen eye for the psychology behind the art, this 1917 volume offers an intimate, enthusiastic look at the masters of literature, music, and drama who shaped the modern imagination.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Ivory, Apes and Peacocks*, James Huneker presents an eclectic collection of essays celebrating the genius of artists across literature, music, and visual arts. Huneker argues that true art must stand apart from propaganda and social nostrums, championing a pure, disinterested aesthetic. He begins with Joseph Conrad, praising his unique ability to blend sea-romance with deep psychological insight. Huneker highlights Conrad's Slavic soul and mastery of English idioms, which create a rhythmic, hallucinatory prose style that evokes the sea's pulse-beats. The collection then turns to other literary titans, including Walt Whitman, Jules Laforgue, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, examining their distinct voices and contributions to the human condition. Huneker's exploration expands significantly into music, featuring a detailed account of Richard Strauss's operas *Salome* and *Elektra* in Stuttgart. With candor, he critiques the performances, praising the music's brilliance while noting the artificiality of certain productions and the vocal struggles of singers like Frieda Hempel. He also covers Max Liebermann, Modeste Moussorgsky, and the Italian Futurists, highlighting their roles in the evolution of modern aesthetics. Throughout the volume, Huneker champions the idea that fiction is history and that the supreme energy of renunciation defines all adventure and love. A recurring theme involves Huneker's analysis of the "disagreeable girls" of fiction. He compares Edith Wharton's Undine Spragg, Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, and his own character Mildred Lawson. He dissects their selfishness, vanity, and tragic flaws, suggesting they represent a transitional type of the "new woman" driven by a craving for novelty rather than moral virtue. Huneker's writing is characterized by a rich, salty tang, a refusal to follow schools or formulas, and a deep sympathy for the human soul. By juxtaposing the brilliance of masters like Conrad and Strauss with the flaws of their contemporaries, Huneker offers a timeless tribute to the enduring power of art, asserting that the greatest artists are those who capture the unseen in forms that are both persuasive and surprising.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Literature
• Art
• Music