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The Preference for the Primitive
E.H. Gombrich
Professor Gombrich's last book and first narrative work in over 20 years. This book is a study of a recurring phenomenon
in the history of changing taste in the visual arts, namely the feeling
that older and less sophisticated (i.e. 'primitive') works are somehow
morally and aesthetically superior to later works that have become soft
and decadent. Gombrich traces this idea back to classical antiquity and
links it both with Cicero's observation that over-indulgence of the
senses leads to a feeling of disgust, and with the profoundly
influential metaphor comparing the development of art to that of a
living organism. Like an organism, art has been thought to grow to
maturity, then decay and die, and successive generations of artists and
critics have preferred the alleged strength, nobility and sincerity of
earlier styles to the more refined later styles with their corrupting
and meretricious appeal to the senses. Summing up more than forty years
of study and reflection on this theme, the book presents a closely
argued narrative supported by extensive quotations that document with
precision the role of authors, critics and artists in shaping and
changing opinion. After reviewing the classical authors whose writings
largely set the terms of the debate, Gombrich then charts its progress
from its revival in the eighteenth century, documenting the often subtle
shifts of taste and judgement that frequently focus on the pivotal role
of Raphael in the history of art. In the final chapters, he turns to
the truly revolutionary primitivism of the twentieth century, analysing
the momentous shifts of taste of which he has himself been an
eyewitness. Important both as a personal testament and as a documentary
anthology, this last book from one of the world's most distinguished art
historians provides a deep and revealing insight into the history and
psychology of taste.
in the history of changing taste in the visual arts, namely the feeling
that older and less sophisticated (i.e. 'primitive') works are somehow
morally and aesthetically superior to later works that have become soft
and decadent. Gombrich traces this idea back to classical antiquity and
links it both with Cicero's observation that over-indulgence of the
senses leads to a feeling of disgust, and with the profoundly
influential metaphor comparing the development of art to that of a
living organism. Like an organism, art has been thought to grow to
maturity, then decay and die, and successive generations of artists and
critics have preferred the alleged strength, nobility and sincerity of
earlier styles to the more refined later styles with their corrupting
and meretricious appeal to the senses. Summing up more than forty years
of study and reflection on this theme, the book presents a closely
argued narrative supported by extensive quotations that document with
precision the role of authors, critics and artists in shaping and
changing opinion. After reviewing the classical authors whose writings
largely set the terms of the debate, Gombrich then charts its progress
from its revival in the eighteenth century, documenting the often subtle
shifts of taste and judgement that frequently focus on the pivotal role
of Raphael in the history of art. In the final chapters, he turns to
the truly revolutionary primitivism of the twentieth century, analysing
the momentous shifts of taste of which he has himself been an
eyewitness. Important both as a personal testament and as a documentary
anthology, this last book from one of the world's most distinguished art
historians provides a deep and revealing insight into the history and
psychology of taste.
Thể loại:
Năm:
2006
Nhà xuát bản:
Phaidon Press
Ngôn ngữ:
english
ISBN 10:
0714846325
ISBN 13:
9780714846323
File:
PDF, 28.43 MB
IPFS:
,
english, 2006