Art

Clive Bell, born in England in 1881 and was considered a very important art critic, he married Vanessa Stephen who was the sister of Virgina Woolf, the writer who is one of my favorite writers. Clive Bell's Hypothesis on art is very alive today and I cherish his book, "Art" was printed in 1913. He believed in one of the theories of Kant, that is the form of art work is the essence of art and it forms the basis of aesthetics. The appreciation of Art is not dependent on the subject matter nor what the artist had in his mind at the time of conception. He relates art to itself and aesthetics of art can be found in all cultures. This is an excellent historical rendition of the art period during his lifetime and as it continues to be very relevant today. In order for this book to be appreciated it is important to read about the group which includes the following: Vanessa Bell -The Painter-Sister of Virginia Woolf-Wife of Clive Bell Leoanrd Woolf-Publisher- Husband of Virginia Woolf Virginia Woolf-Writer and sister of Vanessa Bell- The Fridays Club was formed with a few other people by Virginia Woolf Roger Fry Duncan Grant SPR Vanessa Bell Selected Letters Vanessa Bell Roger Fry: A Biography The Hidden Houses of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell

No one who has read this book would call Mr. Bell a shrinking violet. As a young aesthete Mr. Bell marches into the art world with both guns blazing. Opinionated, daring, outlandish, wildly perceptive, take your pick. He is however unique for his times, and ours. To read this book is to experience the delectable trends which have, for good or ill, framed (!) our views, tastes and expectations of art today. Should the reader find the style of writing to taxing and the use of Latin aphorisms (not translated) I would suggest reading the chapters on the Christian Slope and The Movement. These two sections demonstrate Mr. Bell's unique theories on art. Does he really mean to say that art has aesthetically been in decline since Cimabue and Giotto, only saved perhaps, by Cezanne. What does he mean by "the classical renaissance and its diseases"? Should you really want to perplex yourself and what you have learned (but not experienced) then see how he excoriates some on the renowned Gothic cathedrals and why he has such an appreciation of medieval (not Middle Age) art. A fascinating book about art that is as pertinent today as it was 100 years ago. So there Mr. Ruskin, Greenberg and Rosenberg.

This book presents Bells one-sided view of what makes a painting or other art object "Art". I think there is some validity in his assertion that the formal aspect of painting (color and shape)is all important and the content (subject matter)is irrelevant. But this, I would contend, is only from the strictly aesthetic and theoretical perspective. He completely discounts any other aspect of visual art as irrelevant or detrimental to true Art. He claims to be uninfluenced at all by any content in so far as he is moved to a state of aesthetic "ecstasy". I find this difficult to believe since he also claims to find primitive art and Cezanne so moving and this art has rather strong content; how can we, or he himself, be sure that there is no influence of content there? He does claim to be move to aesthetic ecstasy by Persian carpets and pottery as well, and I imagine that he would soon be swooning over the non-objective art arriving the same year that his book was published, but I can't help doubting that when content is present he is unaffected by it in any way other than negatively. Be that as it may, if he is so completely able to remain abstract in his visual perception I envy his sensitivity but also pity it. He is ignoring the many other riches that come with feeling the content of art intermingling with the abstract form of art. I suspect that he is not immune to such feelings but rather, like many a critic before and after his time,he is out to defend his taste and his brilliant new theoretical discovery about what constitutes real Art. Like most philosophical writing that is worth reading (with the possible exception of Aristotle?) his book is full of outrageous claims and self-contradictions. Bell presents his theory with much wit and in spite of being a rather narrow definition of Art, he makes a point well worth considering.

This book is good for understanding what goes on under the hood of art critics, not all, but Bell represents the type of Brit, who thinks overly high of himself right before the great war. That aside, he makes a good starting point for looking at art(mostly painting) but leaves one wanting as he never gets to what really makes a painting good.(says the best art comes from 600 CE) And yes that is what hes talking about, just painting. This book, short and fast only makes me, and perhaps you want to look at other points in other books, which is the point of the course I read it for does. Overall he suffers from "missing the point" I'm curious if he changes his tune during the rest of his life over that next 40 years.

Although may will find these types of books (early last-century authorship) winded and superfluous, even "hot-air lofty" ... I do not. I love being inspired by so-called lofty ideals. Granted, it may not have much consideration for more earthy, cross-over art-forms which we love today. In fact, from that viewpoint, some may feel the work overly critical or restrictive. Yet, getting beyond our contemporary university approach, much of what the old-school had to offer and call us to follow helps us recall that there is unique aspects of beauty in the old-style Western studies approach. I would never want to lose the insights we have gained since then, but this book does inspire as well. To hear the high, critical standards demanded in this book -- for inclusion under the name "fine art" -- presented in a writing style that constantly tries to elevate the viewpoint of the reader did not restrict my own viewpoint. It inspired my contemporary, more-inclusive, viewpoint ... and maybe even helped me realize the importance of studying the aspirations and motivations of contemporary art forms, and to do so without guilt.

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Outstanding classic with the high style erudite prose flair and masterful understatement that is nearly a lost art nowadays. I really really enjoyed this book.

excellent book great service form Amazon

There is a lot of flowery inflated nonsense in this work, but the core thesis is seminal. The basic idea which makes this book worth reading, is that the basic essence of art lies in its ability to express through artistic means, what he calls "significant form". Significant form is the formal relationship inherent in a work of art which reflects "the thing in itself" of Kant or in other words the Ultimate Reality behind the physical reality, this together with the emotional response the artist feels as he witnesses this ultimate reality and manifests it in the work is what according to Bell makes a work ART. The author's use of "significant form" comes from Aristotle's use of the same term, who used it to mean the "anima" or soul of a substance. Bell pretty much means the same thing in a geometrical graphic sense. The compositonal form's significant form expresses the underlying soul or essence of reality (perhaps God Himself) and is what makes a masterpiece a masterpiece. If you've ever wondered why people pay hundreds of million of pounds for a canvas of Picasso etc., you may now understand why. It would be according to the author like having the soul of the cosmos present for you to gaze at in the privacy of your own domain. His thesis goes almost as far as saying that Art is the most important activity of man ( the goal of understanding ultimate reality and God himself) and is capable of effecting man's salvation. He explains that the artist is able to see this reality because he sees the physical as an end in itself and not a means to anything, an idea which is connected to seeing the world through the eyes of love and arriving at seeing God's fingerprint in His creation. As a result Art becomes an index of the spiritual condition of an age and of humanity. This thesis is a magnificent achievement, and is detailed in the first few chapters of this short text (150 pages). The rest of the book is devoted to ramblings about various periods of art and the author's evaluation of them. He returns again to his core thesis when explaining his understanding of the significance of Cezanne, in the chapter on Cezanne. The basic thesis makes this work mandatory reading for anyone interested in what Art is and its worth and meaning. Highly Recommended. 4 stars because of the rambling and insignificant nature of 1/2 of the text which does not address this main thesis.

Print on demand. Very poor quality. Amazon please stop selling this low quality stuff.