By going down I mean descending to the level of merely animal realism.

In this realism there is nothing deserving the highest effort of art of any sort.
What is the object of art?
Is it not, or should it not be, to make us imagine better conditions than that which at present exist in the world, and by so imagining to prepare the way for the coming of such conditions?
I think that all great art has done this.

Do you remember the old story about Greek mothers keeping in their rooms the statue of a god or a man, more beautiful than anything real, so that their imagination might be constantly influenced by the sight of beauty, and that they might perhaps be able to bring more beautiful children into the world?
Among the Arabs, mothers also do something of this kind, only, as they have no art of imagery, they go to Nature herself for the living image.

Black luminous eyes are beautiful, and wives keep in their tents a little deer, the gazelle, which is famous for the brilliancy and beauty of its eyes.

By constantly looking at this charming pet the Arab wife hopes to bring into the world some day a child with eyes as beautiful as the eyes of the gazelle.