Riassunto
Excerpt from The World's Progress, Vol. 10: With Illustrative Texts From Master-Pieces of Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Modern European and American Literature
The quality which marks a work Of art is its form. This is as true Of a symphony or a sonnet, Of a ballet or drama, Of a short or long story as Of a residence or sky-scraper, Of a picture or a piece Of sculpture. All Of these, if they amount to anything as art, are based upon a recognition Of the necessities Of exist ence, shaped and colored by the artist's experiences Of life. But it is his ability so to shape his conceptions, founded upon nature, that qualifies him to be an artist. You and I may have just as vivid and beautiful an appreciation Of nature as the artist. But, if we cannot give form to it, we cannot pass our appreciation on to others. On the other hand, in SO far as we can and do, we may claim to share the artist's privilege.
Usually the first step in the appreciation Of pictures is to be interested in the subjects which they represent. It repeats the child's way Of being interested in a picture-book. I could mention the name Of a financier, known all over the United States, who was first drawn to art by receiving for a Christmas present an engraved portrait Of Colbert, the finance minister Of Louis XVI. His interest in the personality Of the subject Of this particular print spread to a general interest in French eighteenth century engravings, whence he developed into a collector not only Of etchings and engravings but Of other works Of art Of widely different character. And, which is character istic Of the keenness and thoroughness Of our American col lectors, he brought the same quality Of analytic and synthetic mind that had made him a master Of finance, as it might have made him a great captain Of industry, to the study Of the works Of art. He has become a connoisseur. He has passed beyond the mere interest in the subject to an appreciation Of the way in which it is interpreted. It is no longer the subject only, but much more the form in which it is embodied, that exercises his imagination.
A good example Of the power Of a picture's form to affect the imagination is afforded by Ruben's Descent from the Cross in the Antwerp Cathedral. It is one Of the world's popular pictures; justly so, and why? Because Of its subject?
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