My title is perhaps misleading, in that it lays emphasis on modern art* itself, rather than on its philosophy. Only the last half of what I am going to say deals with the art itself; the first part is devoted to entirely general considerations, which seem to me to be necessary to its proper understanding. I know that this may appear an unnecessary and rather fantastic superstructure. An artist might feel that I was merely bringing in all kinds of vague literary considerations, which have very little to do with the art itself. New movements in art are generally accom­ panied by muddle-headed but enthusiastic attempts to connect them with quite un­ connected movements in philosophy, which appear to the journalist’s mind to be coloured by the same quality of excitement. There are people, for example, who try to connect cubism with Plato. The artist, recognising these interpretations as the mere confused

sentimentality that they are, may yet accept them good-humouredly, in as far as they lend some kind of support to a new movement.