Volume 2 / Part 3 — PART III.

OF IDEAS OF BEAUTY.

SECTION I.

OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY.

Chapter I.—Of the Rank and Relations of the Theoretic Faculty.

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§ 1. With what care the subject is to be approached. 1

§ 2. And of what importance considered. 2

§ 3. The doubtful force of the term "utility". 3

§ 4. Its proper sense. 4

§ 5. How falsely applied in these times. 4

§ 6. The evil consequences of such interpretation. How connected with national power. 5

§ 7. How to be averted. 6

§ 8. Division of the pursuits of men into subservient and objective. 8

§ 9. Their relative dignities. 10

§ 10. How reversed through erring notions of the contemplative and imaginative faculties. 10

§ 11. Object of the present section. 11

Chapter II.—Of the Theoretic Faculty as concerned with Pleasures of Sense.

§ 1. Explanation of the term "theoretic". 12

§ 2. Of the differences of rank in pleasures of sense. 12

§ 3. Use of the terms Temperate and Intemperate. 13

§ 4. Right use of the term "intemperate". 13

§ 5. Grounds of inferiority in the pleasures which are subjects of intemperance. 14

§ 6. Evidence of higher rank in pleasures of sight and hearing. 15

§ 7. How the lower pleasures may be elevated in rank. 16

§ 8. Ideas of beauty how essentially moral. 17

§ 9. How degraded by heartless reception. 17

§ 10. How exalted by affection. 18

Chapter III.—Of Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Impressions of Sense.

§ 1. By what test is the health of the perceptive faculty to be determined? 19

§ 2. And in what sense may the terms Right and Wrong be attached to its conclusions? 20

§ 3. What power we have over impressions of sense. 21

§ 4. Depends on acuteness of attention. 21

§ 5. Ultimate conclusions universal. 22

§ 6. What duty is attached to this power over impressions of sense. 22

§ 7. How rewarded. 23

§ 8. Especially with respect to ideas of beauty. 23

§ 9. Errors induced by the power of habit. 24

§ 10. The necessity of submission in early stages of judgment. 24

§ 11. The large scope of matured judgment. 25

§ 12. How distinguishable from false taste. 25

§ 13. The danger of a spirit of choice. 26

§ 14. And criminality. 27

§ 15. How certain conclusions respecting beauty are by reason demonstrable. 27

§ 16. With what liabilities to error. 28

§ 17. The term "beauty" how limitable in the outset. Divided into typical and vital. 28

Chapter IV.—Of False Opinions held concerning Beauty.

§ 1. Of the false opinion that truth is beauty, and vice versa. 30

§ 2. Of the false opinion that beauty is usefulness. Compare Chap. xii. § 5. 31

§ 3. Of the false opinion that beauty results from custom. Compare Chap. vi. § 1. 31

§ 4. The twofold operation of custom. It deadens sensation, but confirms affection. 31

§ 5. But never either creates or destroys the essence of beauty. 32

§ 6. Instances. 32

§ 7. Of the false opinion that beauty depends on the association of ideas. 33

§ 8. Association. Is, 1st, rational. It is of no efficiency as a cause of beauty. 33

§ 9. Association accidental. The extent of its influence. 34

§ 10. The dignity of its function. 35

§ 11. How it is connected with impressions of beauty. 36

§ 12. And what caution it renders necessary in the examination of them. 36

Chapter V.—Of Typical Beauty:—First, of Infinity, or the Type of Divine Incomprehensibility.

§ 1. Impossibility of adequately treating the subject. 38

§ 2. With what simplicity of feeling to be approached. 38

§ 3. The child instinct respecting space. 39

§ 4. Continued in after life. 40

§ 5. Whereto this instinct is traceable. 40

§ 6. Infinity how necessary in art. 41

§ 7. Conditions of its necessity. 42

§ 8. And connected analogies. 42

§ 9. How the dignity of treatment is proportioned to the expression of infinity. 43

§ 10. Examples among the Southern schools. 44

§ 11. Among the Venetians. 44

§ 12. Among the painters of landscape. 45

§ 13. Other modes in which the power of infinity is felt. 45

§ 14. The beauty of curvature. 46

§ 15. How constant in external nature. 46

§ 16. The beauty of gradation. 47

§ 17. How found in nature. 47

§ 18. How necessary in Art. 48

§ 19. Infinity not rightly implied by vastness. 49

Chapter VI.—Of Unity, or the Type of the Divine Comprehensiveness.

§ 1. The general conception of divine Unity. 50

§ 2. The glory of all things is their Unity. 50

§ 3. The several kinds of unity. Subjectional. Original. Of sequence, and of membership. 51

§ 4 Unity of membership. How secured. 52

§ 5. Variety. Why required. 53

§ 6. Change, and its influence on beauty. 54

§ 7. The love of change. How morbid and evil. 55

§ 8. The conducing of variety towards unity of subjection. 55

§ 9. And towards unity of sequence. 57

§ 10. The nature of proportion. 1st, of apparent proportion. 57

§ 11. The value of apparent proportion in curvature. 60

§ 12. How by nature obtained. 61

§ 13. Apparent proportion in melodies of line. 61

§ 14. Error of Burke in this matter. 62

§ 15. Constructive proportion. Its influence in plants. 63

§ 16. And animals. 64

§ 17. Summary. 64

Chapter VII.—Of Repose, or the Type of Divine Permanence.

§ 1. Universal feeling respecting the necessity of repose in art. Its sources. 65

§ 2. Repose how expressed in matter. 66

§ 3. The necessity to repose of an implied energy. 66

§ 4. Mental repose, how noble. 67

§ 5. Its universal value as a test of art. 68

§ 6. Instances in the Laocoon and Theseus. 69

§ 7. And in altar tombs. 70

Chapter VIII.—Of Symmetry, or the Type of Divine Justice.

§ 1. Symmetry, what and how found in organic nature. 72

§ 2. How necessary in art. 72

§ 3. To what its agreeableness is referable. Various instances. 73

§ 4. Especially in religious art. 73

Chapter IX.—Of Purity, or the Type of Divine Energy.

§ 1. The influence of light as a sacred symbol. 75

§ 2. The idea of purity connected with it. 75

§ 3. Originally derived from conditions of matter. 76

§ 4. Associated ideas adding to the power of the impression. Influence of clearness. 76

§ 5. Perfect beauty of surface, in what consisting. 77

§ 6. Purity only metaphorically a type of sinlessness. 78

§ 7. Energy, how expressed by purity of matter. 79

§ 8. And of color. 79

§ 9. Spirituality, how so expressed. 79

Chapter X.—Of Moderation, or the Type of Government by Law.

§ 1. Meaning of the terms Chasteness and Refinement. 81

§ 2. How referable to temporary fashions. 81

§ 3. How to the perception of completion. 81

§ 4. Finish, by great masters esteemed essential. 82

§ 5. Moderation, its nature and value. 84

§ 6. It is the girdle of beauty. 84

§ 7. How found in natural curves and colors. 84

§ 8. How difficult of attainment, yet essential to all good. 85

Chapter XI.—General Inferences respecting Typical Beauty.

§ 1. The subject incompletely treated, yet admitting of general conclusions. 86

§ 2. Typical beauty not created for man's sake. 87

§ 3. But degrees of it for his sake admitted. 87

§ 4. What encouragement hence to be received. 87

Chapter XII.—Of Vital Beauty:—First, as Relative.

§ 1. Transition from typical to vital Beauty. 89

§ 2. The perfection of the theoretic faculty as concerned with vital beauty, is charity. 90

§ 3. Only with respect to plants, less affection than sympathy. 91

§ 4. Which is proportioned to the appearance of energy in the plants. 92

§ 5. This sympathy is unselfish, and does not regard utility. 93

§ 6. Especially with respect to animals. 94

§ 7. And it is destroyed by evidences of mechanism. 95

§ 8. The second perfection of the theoretic faculty as concerned with life is justice of moral judgment. 96

§ 9. How impeded. 97

§ 10. The influence of moral signs in expression. 97

§ 11. As also in plants. 99

§ 12. Recapitulation. 100

Chapter XIII.—Of Vital Beauty:—Secondly, as Generic.

§ 1. The beauty of fulfilment of appointed function in every animal. 101

§ 2. The two senses of the word "ideal." Either it refers to action of the imagination. 102

§ 3. Or to perfection of type. 103

§ 4. This last sense how inaccurate, yet to be retained. 103

§ 5. Of Ideal form. First, in the lower animals. 104

§ 6. In what consistent. 104

§ 7. Ideal form in vegetables. 105

§ 8. The difference of position between plants and animals. 105

§ 9. Admits of variety in the ideal of the former. 106

§ 10. Ideal form in vegetables destroyed by cultivation. 107

§ 11. Instance in the Soldanella and Ranunculus. 108

§ 12. The beauty of repose and felicity, how consistent with such ideal. 108

§ 13. The ideality of Art. 109

§ 14. How connected with the imaginative faculties. 109

§ 15. Ideality, how belonging to ages and conditions. 110

Chapter XIV.—Of Vital Beauty:—Thirdly, in Man.

§ 1. Condition of the human creature entirely different from that of the lower animals. 111

§ 2. What room here for idealization. 111

§ 3. How the conception of the bodily ideal is reached. 112

§ 4. Modifications of the bodily ideal owing to influence of mind. First, of intellect. 113

§ 5. Secondly, of the moral feelings. 113

§ 6. What beauty is bestowed by them. 115

§ 7. How the soul culture interferes harmfully with the bodily ideal. 115

§ 8. The inconsistency among the effects of the mental virtues on the form. 116

§ 9. Is a sign of God's kind purpose towards the race. 116

§ 10. Consequent separation and difference of ideals. 117

§ 11. The effects of the Adamite curse are to be distinguished from signs of its immediate activity. 118

§ 12. Which latter only are to be banished from ideal form. 118

§ 13. Ideal form is only to be obtained by portraiture. 119

§ 14. Instances among the greater of the ideal Masters. 119

§ 15. Evil results of opposite practice in modern times. 120

§ 16. The right use of the model. 121

§ 17. Ideal form to be reached only by love. 121

§ 18. Practical principles deducible. 122

§ 19. Expressions chiefly destructive of ideal character. 1st, Pride. 122

§ 20. Portraiture ancient and modern. 123

§ 21. Secondly, Sensuality. 123

§ 22. How connected with impurity of color. 124

§ 23. And prevented by its splendor. 124

§ 24. Or by severity of drawing. 125

§ 25. Degrees of descent in this respect: Rubens, Correggio, and Guido. 125

§ 26. And modern art. 126

§ 27. Thirdly, ferocity and fear. The latter how to be distinguished from awe. 126

§ 28. Holy fear, how distinct from human terror. 127

§ 29. Ferocity is joined always with fear. Its unpardonableness. 127

§ 30. Such expressions how sought by painters powerless and impious. 128

§ 31. Of passion generally. 129

§ 32. It is never to be for itself exhibited—at least on the face. 130

§ 33. Recapitulation. 131

Chapter XV.—General Conclusions respecting the Theoretic Faculty.

§ 1. There are no sources of the emotion of beauty more than those found in things visible. 133

§ 2. What imperfection exists in visible things. How in a sort by imagination removable. 134

§ 3. Which however affects not our present conclusions. 134

§ 4. The four sources from which the pleasure of beauty is derived are all divine. 134

§ 5. What objections may be made to this conclusion. 135

§ 6. Typical beauty may be æsthetically pursued. Instances. 135

§ 7. How interrupted by false feeling. 136

§ 8. Greatness and truth are sometimes by the Deity sustained and spoken in and through evil men. 137

§ 9. The second objection arising from the coldness of Christian men to external beauty. 138

§ 10. Reasons for this coldness in the anxieties of the world. These anxieties overwrought and criminal. 139

§ 11. Evil consequences of such coldness. 140

§ 12. Theoria the service of Heaven. 140

SECTION II.

OF THE IMAGINATIVE FACULTY.

Chapter I.—Of the Three Forms of Imagination.

§ 1. A partial examination only of the imagination is to be attempted. 142

§ 2. The works of the metaphysicians how nugatory with respect to this faculty. 143

§ 3. The definition of D. Stewart, how inadequate. 143

§ 4. This instance nugatory. 144

§ 5. Various instances. 145

§ 6. The three operations of the imagination. Penetrative, associative, contemplative. 146

Chapter II.—Of Imagination Associative.

§ 1. Of simple conception. 147

§ 2. How connected with verbal knowledge. 148

§ 3. How used in composition. 148

§ 4. Characteristics of composition. 149

§ 5. What powers are implied by it. The first of the three functions of fancy. 150

§ 6. Imagination not yet manifested. 150

§ 7. Imagination is the correlative conception of imperfect component parts. 151

§ 8. Material analogy with imagination. 151

§ 9. The grasp and dignity of imagination. 152

§ 10. Its limits. 153

§ 11. How manifested in treatment of uncertain relations. Its deficiency illustrated. 154

§ 12. Laws of art, the safeguard of the unimaginative. 155

§ 13. Are by the imaginative painter despised. Tests of imagination. 155

§ 14. The monotony of unimaginative treatment. 156

§ 15. Imagination never repeats itself. 157

§ 16. Relation of the imaginative faculty to the theoretic. 157

§ 17. Modification of its manifestation. 158

§ 18. Instances of absence of imagination.—Claude, Gaspar Poussin. 158

§ 19. Its presence.—Salvator, Nicolo Poussin, Titian, Tintoret. 159

§ 20. And Turner. 160

§ 21. The due function of Associative imagination with respect to nature. 161

§ 22. The sign of imaginative work is its appearance of absolute truth. 161

Chapter III.—Of Imagination Penetrative.

§ 1. Imagination penetrative is concerned not with the combining but apprehending of things. 163

§ 2. Milton's and Dante's description of flame. 163

§ 3. The imagination seizes always by the innermost point. 164

§ 4. It acts intuitively and without reasoning. 165

§ 5. Signs of it in language. 165

§ 6. Absence of imagination, how shown. 166

§ 7. Distinction between imagination and fancy. 166

§ 8. Fancy how involved with imagination. 168

§ 9. Fancy is never serious. 169

§ 10. Want of seriousness the bar to high art at the present time. 169

§ 11. Imagination is quiet; fancy, restless. 170

§ 12. The detailing operation of fancy. 170

§ 13. And suggestive, of the imagination. 171

§ 14. This suggestiveness how opposed to vacancy. 172

§ 15. Imagination addresses itself to imagination. 173

Instances from the works of Tintoret. 173

§ 16. The entombment. 174

§ 17. The Annunciation. 174

§ 18. The Baptism of Christ. Its treatment by various painters. 176

§ 19. By Tintoret. 177

§ 20. The Crucifixion. 178

§ 21. The Massacre of innocents. 179

§ 22. Various works in the Scuola di San Rocco. 181

§ 23. The Last Judgment. How treated by various painters. 181

§ 24. By Tintoret. 182

§ 25. The imaginative verity, how distinguished from realism. 183

§ 26. The imagination how manifested in sculpture. 184

§ 27. Bandinelli, Canova, Mino da Fiesole. 184

§ 28. Michael Angelo. 185

§ 29. Recapitulation. The perfect function of the imagination is the intuitive perception of ultimate truth. 188

§ 30. Imagination how vulgarly understood. 190

§ 31. How its cultivation is dependent on the moral feelings. 190

§ 32. On independence of mind. 191

§ 33. And on habitual reference to nature. 191

Chapter IV.—Of Imagination Contemplative.

§ 1. Imagination contemplative is not part of the essence, but only a habit or mode of the faculty. 192

§ 2. The ambiguity of conception. 192

§ 3. Is not in itself capable of adding to the charm of fair things. 193

§ 4. But gives to the imagination its regardant power over them. 194

§ 5. The third office of fancy distinguished from imagination contemplative. 195

§ 6. Various instances. 197

§ 7. Morbid or nervous fancy. 200

§ 8. The action of contemplative imagination is not to be expressed by art. 201

§ 9. Except under narrow limits.—1st. Abstract rendering of form without color. 201

§ 10. Of color without form. 202

§ 11. Or of both without texture. 202

§ 12. Abstraction or typical representation of animal form. 203

§ 13. Either when it is symbolically used. 204

§ 14. Or in architectural decoration. 205

§ 15. Exception in delicate and superimposed ornament. 206

§ 16. Abstraction necessary from imperfection of materials. 206

§ 17. Abstractions of things capable of varied accident are not imaginative. 207

§ 18. Yet sometimes valuable. 207

§ 19. Exaggeration. Its laws and limits. First, in scale of representation. 208

§ 20. Secondly, of things capable of variety of scale. 209

§ 21. Thirdly, necessary in expression of characteristic features on diminished scale. 210

§ 22. Recapitulation. 211

Chapter V.—Of the Superhuman Ideal.

§ 1. The subject is not to be here treated in detail. 212

§ 2. The conceivable modes of manifestation of Spiritual Beings are four. 212

§ 3. And these are in or through creature forms familiar to us. 213

§ 4. Supernatural character may be impressed on these either by phenomena inconsistent with their common nature (compare Chap. iv. § 16). 213

§ 5. Or by inherent Dignity. 213

§ 6. 1st. Of the expression of inspiration. 214

§ 7. No representation of that which is more than creature is possible. 215

§ 8. Supernatural character expressed by modification of accessories. 216

§ 9. Landscape of the religious painters. Its character is eminently symmetrical. 217

§ 10. Landscape of Benozzo Gozzoli. 217

§ 11. Landscape of Perugino and Raffaelle. 218

§ 12. Such Landscape is not to be imitated. 218

§ 13. Color, and Decoration. Their use in representations of the Supernatural. 219

§ 14. Decoration so used must be generic. 220

§ 15. And color pure. 220

§ 16. Ideal form of the body itself, of what variety susceptible. 221

§ 17. Anatomical development how far admissible. 221

§ 18. Symmetry. How valuable. 221

§ 19. The influence of Greek art, how dangerous. 222

§ 20. Its scope, how limited. 223

§ 21. Conclusion. 224

ADDENDA. 225