While many comprehend the _spiritual_ content behind the _outward_ forms of religion, they do not realize that there is, or should be, a _spiritual_ content behind the _outward_ forms of art. There are whole epochs when men seem blind to the spiritual truths that are behind material manifestations; generally speaking, the nineteenth century was a century of _materialism_. It is as if a _black hand_ were placed over the eyes of men so they should not see the spiritual forces behind the material, and the production of new spiritual values is fought by mockery and calumny. The man who produces the new value is held up to ridicule and called a charlatan. The _joy of living_ is the _perpetual victory_ of the new, the _spiritual value_. But even as men learn to appreciate the new of yesterday and today they establish it as a barrier against the new of tomorrow. Spiritual development and evolution are a constant throwing down of these bars that are as constantly re-erected by the materialism and blindness of mankind. Therefore the important thing is not only the impulse to create new spiritual values, but _liberty_ to do so. The spiritual is the _absolute_, the outward form is _relative_, it is born of the place and the hour. Therefore one should not fall into the worship of a particular form, but should use whatever form best serves to express the spiritual content. And, naturally, each artist must use _his own form_ to express his own ideas, and _form_ should have the stamp of _personality_. Each nation, each epoch will develop its own forms, or peculiarities of forms, and it is the reflection of the nation, the epoch, the individual in the particular form that is known as, or makes the _style_. When a group of artists is animated by the same spirit the forms they use will be so alike the result will be a “movement” or “school” in art; but a “school” should not be permitted to dominate the freedom of others. Every individual must be at liberty to choose the form that best expresses the spiritual message he wishes to utter. The form--picture--may be agreeable or disagreeable, beautiful or ugly, harmonious or disharmonious, but it must not be judged on its outward appearance; it must be judged by the _idea_, the _spiritual value_ behind it. We must look _through_ the form to the spiritual, as we would look through the deformed body of the cripple to the soul of the man. In practical life we never meet a man who, if he wishes [Illustration: GAUGUIN Scene in Tahiti] [Illustration: GRIS Still Life] to go to Berlin, gets off the train at Regensberg. But in spiritual life it is a common thing to find people who step out at Regensberg. Sometimes the engine driver refuses to go on and all the travelers have to leave the train at Regensberg. How many who are _looking for God_ stop before a _carved image_! How many who are looking for art are caught by some form that has been used by some great artist to express _his_ ideas!