Speaking silence
Sir: For Lord Goodman, writing about Henry Moore (Books, 12 December), 'it is a futility to attempt to describe the visual arts in words', but he approves apparently of `short, sharp yelps of pain'. I have never uttered any short, sharp yelps of pain upon sighting a Henry Moore sculpture, nor have I witnessed anybody else doing so. A long low groan is usually the best I can muster, but I can see the appropriateness of giving a more simian flavour to our expressions of disgust at these hideous monuments to the fatuity of our times. Wisely, Henry Moore never discussed artistic matters with Lord Goodman. This particular bit of wisdom was wasted on its recipient, who has not been deterred from making sundry half-baked assumptions ab- out Mr Moore's statues and, on the basis of these, further patronising and erroneous assumptions about Spectator readers. To cap it all Lord Goodman warns the 'unin- formed' to maintain silence on the subject of their ignorance.
His whole review is a brilliant example of how difficult it can be to follow one's own advice.
T. M. H. Fawcett
153 Hartswood Road, London W12
Previous page
