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In the centuries following Chartres,
沙特爾之后的幾個世紀里
there was one place in Europe where the luminous Gothic
在歐洲還有一座城市
lived on most radiantly.
燦爛的哥特教堂仍輝煌屹立
That was Venice,
那就是威尼斯
floating on the shimmering surface of its lagoon.
這座飄蕩在閃耀湖水上的城市
The city had grown rich by facing east.
因與東方的交流頻繁而越來越富有
First to the Byzantine Empire, whose glittering mosaics
先是從拜占庭帝國帶來了炫目的馬賽克
and iridescent silks it had plundered and copied.
掠奪和復制來的彩色絲綢
And then to the Islamic world, whose woven rugs,
然后從伊斯蘭世界引進歐洲的是
jewels and precious pigments it had brought to Europe.
羊毛毯 珠寶和珍貴顏料
Here, surrounded by the luxuries of their world,
在這里 遍布世界的奇珍異寶
the Venetians made the case for an art built with blocks
威尼斯人有力地證明了色彩對藝術的重要性
of colour that challenge the more sober ideals
挑戰了佛羅倫薩的文藝復興
of the Renaissance in Florence.
所宣揚的樸素理念
For Renaissance theorists, it was the idea
對于文藝復興的理論家來說
which made art a lofty, noble practice,
這一理念使藝術更崇高更高貴
and you got the idea from drawing classical models,
它源自臨摹古典模型
especially sculpture.
特別是臨摹雕塑
That drawn idea then dictated composition
這種理念決定了之后的藝術創作
and it was what distinguished
它將高雅藝術
high art from the low, decorative stuff -
與珠寶 織物 房屋與身體裝飾品等
jewellery, textiles, ornaments for the house and body.
低端裝飾區分開來
And according to this theory of design,
根據這一設計理論
drawing always came first.
繪畫總是第一步
And then you filled in those shapes with colour.
然后再將這些線條填上色彩
Well, the champions of colour said,
當然 善用色彩的人會這樣說
they would say that, wouldn't they?
他們當然會這樣說了
Because they are all Florentines and Romans
因為他們都是沉迷于古代廢墟的
obsessed with antique ruins,
佛羅倫薩人和羅馬人
and for them, colour is just cheap and cheerful.
對他們來說 顏料既廉價又振奮人心
It's the gaudy entertainment for the masses.
那是百姓們艷俗的消遣之物
But we are Venetians
但我們是威尼斯人
and we know that colour can model composition
我們知道色彩同素描線條一樣
quite as effectively as the drawn line.
能有效地勾勒出作品的形象
They reproach us for being too much in love
他們斥責我們 說我們太過執迷于
with fabric and with jewellery.
織物和珠寶
Not only do we not apologise for that, we embrace it,
對此我們不僅不感到慚愧 反而引以為榮
because perhaps at the heart of what we do
因為或許我們藝術創作的核心要義
is the translation of gem-like radiance
就是將珠寶的溢彩流光
into brilliance on canvas.
轉變成畫布上的精勾細勒
