BREAKINGBEAUTY

Howhavewechangedtheworldoverthepast200years bothlandscapesandtownscapes?Itsanimpossiblyhuge question,butarecentexhibitionatDulwichGalleryinLondon gavemeachancetogetapartialbutveryspecificideabylooking atNormandyapartoftheworldIknowandlovewell.John CotmanwasamongasmalltidalwaveofBritishartistsenabledto visitFrancewhenthedefeatofNapoleonandtherestorationof themonarchybroughtanendto30yearsofenmitywithEngland. CotmanfocusedhisattentionsonNormandy,principallybecause hefoundthereasublimeandcompellingcombinationof evocativelandscapeandgrandarchitecture. Normandyhadbeenformanycenturiesoneofthe wealthiestandmostdevelopedprovincesofFrance,tradingwith theworldthroughitsportsatDieppe,HarfleurandRouen.Being relativelyneartoParis,itsrichfieldsandpasturesprovidedmuchofthebutter,cheese,eggsand milkconsumedinthecapitalandtheplaceswhichCotmandepicted,justbeforetheIndustrial Revolutionstartedtotransformthem,seemtohavegrownslowlyandliterallyorganicallyintotheir presentcondition,whethercrumblingruinsorvastbusycathedrals,greatsweepingwatermeadows orbroodingjaggedoutcropsofgreybrownrock. Itoolove Normandybecause muchofitstillhasthat quality,buthowmuch ofithasbeenwiped out,smashed,swept awaysinceCotmans day!Takethesetwo viewsofRouenfromadistance,foraparticularlygrimandtellingexample. Muchofthe damagetoNormandy,of course,camefromthe SecondWorldWar,which reducedmanygloriousold townslikeStLandLisieux, whichsoentranced Cotman,topilesofsmoking rubble,andtheirinhabitantstohomelessrefugees.(Incidentally,mostofthedamagetoNorman citiesduringWWIIhadnothingtodowithGermanactionsassuch.Itwastheresultofthehuge Alliedbombingcampaignswhichprecededtheinvasion:over50,000Frenchnoncombatantswere

killedfarmorethan Germansduringrepeated airraidswhichdestroyed over75%ofallmajor Normantownsnearthe coast). Andwhenthey wererebuilthastilyduringthe1950s,itwasinthecheerlessand charmlessreinforcedconcretewhichtodayisthefirstandlast impressionofmostBritishvisitorstoNormancitieslikeCaen,Le HavreorLisieux.Nowondertheyresoeagertoputasmany kilometresbehindthemaspossibleontheirwaytothesuncharmed South.Itsdifficulttoimaginetodayhowstilllovelytheseplaces wereeveninthenotsodistantdayswhenJeanPaulSartretaughtinalyceinLeHavre,orwhen thefutureSaintThrsebecameanovitiateinLisieux. SowhereamIgoingwiththis?Topointoutthatmostofthepicturesquelycoiffedpeasant womeninCotmanspictureswouldntlivepast40,wornoutfromyearsofgruellingphysicallabour andalmostannualchildbirthinappallinglyinsanitaryconditions?OrthattheSecondWorldWar becameinevitableassoonasHitlercameto powerandthatitcouldnthavebeenwon withoutdislodgingtheGermansfromFrance?All true,andobvious,andirrelevant:noonewas everaskedhowmuchdestructionoftheir heritagethey wereprepared toacceptin exchangeformaterialprogressandthedefeatofNazism.And whatwouldtheyhavesaid;howcouldanyonemakesuchan exchangeconsciouslyanddeliberately?Itsonlythefactthat thesethingshavehappenedinanareawhichseemstoliebeyond anyonesvolitionorconsciouschoicethathasmadethem possible. Orheresanotherwayoflookingatit:aBuddhistmightsaythattheonlyproblemliesinour attachmenttoform.Formswillchange,ofcourse,over200years,thatstheirnature,andwemake ourselvesunhappythroughvaluejudgementsaboutthemandpreferencesforoneratherthan another.Yes,but.Averybigbut:theformswhichCotmanandhiscontemporariesshowusthe formsweseetodayinwhatremainsofthatheritagearefarmorethanarbitraryshapes.Hiswas thegenerationwhogrewupreadingtheRomanticpoetsandbeforevisitingFrancehehadbeen attractedtothewilderpartsofBritain:toWales,North Yorkshire,andtheLakeDistrict.Insuchlandscapes,as Wordsworthputit: withaneyemadequietbythepower

Ofharmony,andthedeeppowerofjoy, Weseeintothelifeofthings.

Sotheresthequestionforus:howablearewetodaytofeelthepowerofharmony,and toseeintothelifeofthings?CotmanandhiscontemporariesintheirtravelsaroundEuropewere consciouslyinsearchofthatliftingandennoblingofthespiritswhichgreatlandscapesbringwitha humilityoftheheartwhichcanonlyhavebeenenhancedbytheslowness,thedangersandthe difficultiesofthejourneyinthosedaysbeforerailwaysandbeforemetalledroads. Inourconquestanddominationofthephysicalworldarounduswevelaidwastetoour internallandscapes,aswellasthoseoutsideusandtheprocessisnotonlycontinuingbut accelerating,asclimatechangestartstobringaboutevenmoredramaticchanges.Whatwillbe recognisableoftheseoranyotherlandscapesafterafurther200yearstoinspirequietjoyinthe heartsofourdistantdescendants?