In spite of the excited condition in which he was, the sentence about technique had sent a pang to Mihailov's heart, and looking angrily at Vronsky he suddenly scowled.

He had often heard this word technique, and was utterly unable to understand what was understood by it.

He knew that by this term was understood a mechanical facility for painting or drawing, entirely apart from its subject.

He had noticed often that even in actual praise technique was opposed to essential quality, as though one could paint well something that was bad.