Moralistic View of Art means of communication and is an important means of

expression of any
 Autonomism or aestheticism – the view that it is experience, or of any aspect
inappropriate to apply moral categories to artworks, and of the human condition.
that only aesthetic categories are relevant,
 Moralism – the view that aesthetic objects should be Autonomism and Aestheticism
judged wholly or centrally with respect to moral  Autonomism captures the
standards or values. fact that this position holds
 Radical Moralism – that aesthetic value is autonomous from other kinds of
the view that the value, such as moral value.
aesthetic value of an  Aestheticism captures the fact that the position
artwork is emphasizes the importance of focusing on the aesthetic,
determined by its that is, the pure aesthetic, features of artworks.
moral value. The  Pure aesthetic qualities may include formal features and
most extreme version beauty or, for some autonomists, formal features only.
of this position
reduces all aesthetic value to moral value. Noelle Carroll and Moderate Moralism

Tolstoy on Art:  Carroll specified the role our moral understanding

“The inaccuracy of all these definitions arises from the fact
that in them all… the object considered is the pleasure art may
give, and not the purpose it may serve in the life of man and of
humanity.”
 Tolstoy emphasized the moral significance of art in
society as essential to the (aesthetic) value of art.
 According to Tolstoy, art cannot be defined as an
activity which produces beauty. Beauty cannot be
defined objectively, and therefore cannot be used as a
criterion to define what is, or is not, art.
 The aim of art is not merely to produce beauty, or to
provide pleasure, enjoyment, or entertainment. Art is a
plays in our appreciation of narrative art.
 Carroll claims that narrative artworks are always
incomplete, and that a certain amount of information
has to be filled in by the audience in order to make the
work intelligible. This includes information which must
be supplied by our moral understanding.
Central Argument of Moderate Moralism
 Common Reason Argument – argues that many
narrative artworks are incomplete in ways that require
us to use our moral understanding to comprehend the
work.
  Carroll then argues, 2. An “aesthetic defect argument”
with reference to  The perspective of the work in question is
examples, that immoral.
because of this fact  The immorality
about artworks, it is portrayed subverts
sometimes the case the possibility of
that a moral defect uptake. (In the case
in a work will also of tragedy, the
be an aesthetic defect since it prevents us from fully response of pity is
engaging with that work. precluded; in the
case of the satire the savouring of parody is
In their argument against Moderate Moralism, Anderson, and
precluded.)
Dean construct two arguments:
 Any work which subverts its own genre is
1. A “moral defect argument” aesthetically defective. Therefore, the work in
 The perspective of the work in question is question is aesthetically defective,
immoral.
Together, they take to represent the COMMON REASON
 Therefore, the work “invites us to share [this
ARGUMENT.
morally] defective perspective” (In one case we
are invited to find an evil person sympathetic; in “An artwork will never be aesthetically better in virtue of its
the other case, we moral strengths, and will never be worse because of its moral
are invited to find defect. On a strict reading of moderate autonomism, one of its
gruesome acts decisive claims is that defective moral understanding never
humorous.) counts against the aesthetic merit of a work. An artwork may
 Any work which invite an audience to entertain a defective moral perspective,
invites us to share and this will not detract from its aesthetic value.” (Carroll,
a morally 1966, p.232)
defective
perspective is, itself, morally defective.
Therefore, the work in question is morally Questions on Moralistic Criticism:
defective.
1. What view of life does the artwork present?
 2. According to this work’s view of life, what is
mankind’s relationship to God? To the universe?
3. What moral statement, if any, does this artwork make?
Is it explicit or implicit?
4. What is the author’s attitude toward his world? Toward
fate? Toward God?
5. What is the artist’s conception of good and evil? What
does the work say about the nature of good or evil?
6. What does the work say about human nature?
7. What enduring truth is revealed in the theme of this
work?
Historical and Cultural Approaches to Art
Analysis
 Historical/Biographical critics see works as the
reflection of an artist’s life and times.
 This approach deems it necessary to know about the
artist and the political, economic, and sociological
context of his times to truly understand the work(s).
Race, Milieu, and Moment
 Hippolyte Adolphe Taine (21 April
1828 – 5 March 1893) was a French
critic and historian. He was the chief
theoretical influence of French
naturalism, a major proponent of
sociological positivism and one of
the first practitioners of historicist
criticism.
 Taine argues that art was largely the product of the
artist’s environment, and that an analysis of that
environment could yield a perfect understanding of the
work of art.
 Race – the collective dispositions that govern everyone
without their knowledge or consent (an artist’s innate,
natural qualities).
 Milieu – the circumstances that distorted or developed
the dispositions of a particular moment (his geographic
and climatic setting).
 Moment – the accumulated experience of that person,
which Taine often expressed as momentum.
 Though Taine coined and popularized the phrase “race,
milieu, et moment,” the theory itself has roots in earlier
attempts to understand the aesthetic object as a social
product rather than a spontaneous creation of genius.
Historical/Cultural Questions:
1. When was the work produced?
2. What does the work reception reveal about the
standards of taste and value during the time it was
produced? (Consider beliefs and attitudes related to
race, religion, politics, gender, society, philosophy,
etc.)
3. What social attitudes Formalistic Approach to Art Criticism
and cultural practices
 Formalism is the study
of art based solely on an
analysis of its form--- the
way it is made and what
it looks like.
 This approach focuses on
related to the action of the form. The analysis
work were prevalent during stresses items like symbols, images, and structure and
the time the work was produced? how one part of the work relates to other parts and to
4. What kinds of power relationships does the art describe, the whole.
reflect, or embody?  Formalistic critics believe that all information essential
5. How do power relationships reflected in the work to the interpretation of a work must be found within
manifest themselves in the cultural practices and social the work itself; there is no need to bring in outside
institutions prevalent during the time the work was information about the history, politics, or society of the
produced? time, or about the author’s life.
6. To what extent can we understand the past as it is  Formalist artworks may have no recognizable objects.
reflected in the artistic work? To what extent does the If it does have recognizable objects, they are often
work reflect differences from the ideas and values of its distorted or portrayed in an abstract way.
time?  They are not intended to look realistic. A formalist
7. What historical influences helped to shape the form and artwork is successful if the artist has created a visually
content of the work? interesting design.
8. What historical events or movements might have Form and Style
influenced this artist?
9. Does the artwork reveal or contradict the prevailing  The formalistic approach directs that art be analyzed by
values of the time in which it was produced? Does it reviewing form and style.
provide an opposing view of the period’s prevailing  Elements like color, shapes, textures, and line are
values? emphasized, while the context of the work is de-
emphasized, and made a secondary characteristic—at
times taken completely out of consequence.
  The assessment of a piece of artwork is based purely on
the artist’s skill and not on the choice of the subject
matter, with the value based primarily on the use of
elements with little regard for the viewer’s perception
of the context.
L'art pour l’art (Art for art’s sake)
 This term truly epitomizes the formalist way of
thinking, and abstract artists defended their work,
maintaining that they should be judged and valued
based on their basic attributes.
 They asserted that, following the ideals of formalism,
art should be valued outside of its ability to tell a
story, recall an experience, provide a statement, or
inspire feelings in the viewer.
 This allows for growth
in abstract art creation,
Questions on Formalism
where artists no longer
felt the pressure to
explain their works
based on any set
standards or
sensibilities.
Formalism in Other Arts
 Formalism was not confined to evaluating art; it was
also used liberally in both music and literature.
 In music, the theory was used to explain that music is
judged based on the basic composition of the notes and
only intellectual understanding is of value when
assessing musical pieces. The listener’s emotional
reaction provides no additional value to the music’s
worth.
 In painting therefore, a formalist critic would focus
exclusively on the qualities of color, brushwork, form,
line, and composition.
 In architecture, a formalistic approach would focus on
number, geometry, proportion, hierarchy, orientation.
 In narrative art, the focus would be on plot, metaphor,
simile, recurring themes.
 In film the focus would be on the lighting, scoring,
sound, and set design, use of color, shot, composition,
and editing.
1. How do various elements of the work reinforce its
meaning?
2. What recurring patterns can you find? What is the effect
of these patterns or motifs?
3. How does repetition reinforce the theme(s)?
4. How does the artist’s composition reveal or reflect the
work’s meaning?
5. What metaphors or symbolisms are used?
6. What is the effect of the qualities of color, and what
parts specifically produce that effect?
7. Note the artist’s use of color, brushwork, form, line, and
composition. What effects are produced? Do any of
these relate to one another or to the theme?
8. What tone and mood are created at various parts of the
work?
9. How does the artist create tone and mood?
10. How do the various elements interact to create a unified
whole?