DOI Heft:
No. 3 (June, 1893)
DOI Artikel:Pringle, Andrew: The naissance of art in photography
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17188#0105
The Naissance of Art in Photography
THE NAISSANCE OF ART IN ea°h and a11 are utterly incompetent to express art
PHOTOGRAPHY. as a whole-
BY ANDREW PRINGLE art appeals not mere1)' t0 the senses, nor
only to the intellect, though it must not displease
Since first the world developed a either. In music it must not offend the ear by
written language, vain attempts have been made inharmonious discords j in poetry it must not offend
from time to time to define the term Fine Art. the intellect by gross untruth or contemptible
The reason for this failure is not hard to find; bathos ; in painting or sculpture it must not offend
human minds are so variously constituted that no the eye by grotesque infidelity to fact or by
one definition of an abstract quality could be inherent ugliness. But provided it accept such
acceptable to all intellects. That what we call restrictions there remains in each of these arts a
"Art" is an abstract or psychological entity is wide field for imagination, for idealism, if you
sufficiently proved by this very fact; the concrete will; and we take it that in the something beyond
we can always define. Definitions covering some mere fact or mere imitation lie the qualities which
phases of art, or representing art as it is accepted constitute the essence of fine art. A poem which
by the definer and those who are of his " turn of describes an episode or a material sensation, how-
mind " have indeed been formulated. Such terms ever elegant the diction, however forcible the
as "Beauty," "Good Taste," "Fitness," "Truth," expression, however sensuously pleasant the rhythm,
" Naturalism," " Idealism," and so on, serve very is but a triumph of words and no more, unless the
well to represent one or more aspects of art, but indescribable " something" lies behind to appeal
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANK W. SUTCLIFFE OF WHITBY
I. No. 3.—June, 1893.
87
THE NAISSANCE OF ART IN ea°h and a11 are utterly incompetent to express art
PHOTOGRAPHY. as a whole-
BY ANDREW PRINGLE art appeals not mere1)' t0 the senses, nor
only to the intellect, though it must not displease
Since first the world developed a either. In music it must not offend the ear by
written language, vain attempts have been made inharmonious discords j in poetry it must not offend
from time to time to define the term Fine Art. the intellect by gross untruth or contemptible
The reason for this failure is not hard to find; bathos ; in painting or sculpture it must not offend
human minds are so variously constituted that no the eye by grotesque infidelity to fact or by
one definition of an abstract quality could be inherent ugliness. But provided it accept such
acceptable to all intellects. That what we call restrictions there remains in each of these arts a
"Art" is an abstract or psychological entity is wide field for imagination, for idealism, if you
sufficiently proved by this very fact; the concrete will; and we take it that in the something beyond
we can always define. Definitions covering some mere fact or mere imitation lie the qualities which
phases of art, or representing art as it is accepted constitute the essence of fine art. A poem which
by the definer and those who are of his " turn of describes an episode or a material sensation, how-
mind " have indeed been formulated. Such terms ever elegant the diction, however forcible the
as "Beauty," "Good Taste," "Fitness," "Truth," expression, however sensuously pleasant the rhythm,
" Naturalism," " Idealism," and so on, serve very is but a triumph of words and no more, unless the
well to represent one or more aspects of art, but indescribable " something" lies behind to appeal
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANK W. SUTCLIFFE OF WHITBY
I. No. 3.—June, 1893.
87