Not contending,
meanwhile, that the picture painted by the hand of the artist, and
then by the hand of nature on the eye of the beholder, is, in amount,
the same as the picture painted there by nature alone; but
disregarding, as irrelevant to this investigation, _all concomitants
of fine art wherein they involve an ulterior impression as to the
relative merits of the work by the amount of its success,_ and, for a
like reason, disregarding all emotions and impressions which are not
the immediate and proximate result of an excitor influence of, or
pertaining to, the _things artificial_, as a bona fide equivalent of
the _things natural_.
Or the premises may be practically stated thus:--(1st.) When one
looks on a certain painting or sculpture for the first time, the
first notion is that of a painting or sculpture. (2nd.) In the next
place, while the objects depicted are revealing themselves as real
objects, the notion of a painting or sculpture has elapsed, and, in
its place, there are emotions, passions, actions (moral or
intellectual) according in sort and degree to the heart or
mind-moving influence of the objects represented. (3rd.) Finally,
there is a notion of a painting or sculpture, and a judgment or
sentiment commensurate with the estimated merits of the work.--The
second statement gives the premised conditions under which Fine Art
is about to be treated: the 3rd statement exemplifies a phase in the
being of Fine Art under which it is never to be considered: and
furthermore, whilst the mental reflection last mentioned (the
judgment on the work) is being made, it may occur that certain
objects, most difficult of artistic execution, had been most
successfully handled: the merits of introducing such objects, in such
a manner, are the merits of those concomitants mentioned as equally
without the scope of consideration.
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