Course tutor: Dr. Adrian Radu Office: M12
Email: [email protected]
The French Revolution (1837)
the reader is projected into the midst of events
descriptions with impressionistic vividness
cinematic technique with swift movements in time and space
the basic ideas:
a society in which the rulers fail to do their duties is condemned to annihilation by the built-in sense of Truth of the Universe
divine justice brings the rulers to self-destruction
what happens then depends on who takes the stage
history depends on great men – ‘history is the biography of great men’
The French Revolution
Carlyle’s concept of the hero
emphasis is placed on the individual hero seen as
divinely appointed Messiah –
the Platonic concept of the philosopher-king the Plutarchian concept of the law-giver
the 18th century ideas of the genius
the Romantic doctrine of the ‘great man’
On Heroes…
the hero is mutable, protean – his shape depends on the exigencies of the time in which he appears –
divinity (the gods in pagan myths) prophet (Muhammad)
poet (Dante, Shakespeare) priest (Luther, Knox)
man of letters (Johnson, Rousseau, Burns)
king (Cromwell, Napoleon)
Essays in Criticism
‘The Function of Criticism at the Present Time’
the function of criticism is to teach people to think critically
a critic should possess a free ranging and open-minded curiosity, be disinterested and not influenced by
‘ulterior, practical considerations’ – he must adopt a detached position
criticism should touch not only works of art but life in general
Essays in Criticism
‘The Study of Poetry’
a re-evaluation of poetry from Chaucer to Burns
poetry is necessary for us to make us understand life, to console and to sustain us
we must distinguish good poetry from bad one – the study of good masters is the key
he appreciated Milton, Gray, Keats, Wordsworth and Shelley
Culture and Anarchy
(1869)
culture is necessary to prevent anarchy in a democracy without standards and sense of direction.
literature is the key to both culture and religion Victorian England was in a deplorable state and
heading towards anarchy – the reason: the
predominance of Hebraism (strict conscience, total devotion to work and rigid Puritan morality) over
Culture and Anarchy
(1869)
in England Utilitarianism
underestimated spiritual values,
too preoccupied for moral discipline and conduct
rejected all intellectual refinement – ‘sweetness and
Culture and Anarchy (1869)
Culture and Anarchy
(1869)
classification of English society into:
Barbarians: the aristocracy with distinguished manners,
inaccessible
Philistines: the middle class with plenty of energy ad morality but not enough ‘sweetness and light’
Populace: the lower classes, raw and blind without any
power of action
the Philistines were the key to the whole position: they lacked a lot of positive traits but were considered the only ones capable of salvation – ‘educate and
Modern Painters
(1843-1860)
a defence of the English landscape painter,
Modern Painters
(1843-1860)
turned into a debate of the principles of landscape painting – system of aesthetics: how imagination can respond to the subtle details of colour and form in the natural world
a direct connection between art and morality: moral virtue makes great art
Turner’s ‘Slave Ship’
The Seven Lamps of Architecture
(1849)
development of the connection between art and morality
The Seven Lamps of Architecture
(1849)
these lamps are aspects of the Divine Law
the lamp Beauty – beauty can only come from the forms of nature
the lamp Truth – no iron can be used to support a structure
against railways: considered that travellers were turned into ‘living parcels’
contemporary houses were considered ugly, looking all alike without any difference
The Stones of Venice
(1849)
the Gothic architecture of Venice is associated with moral virtue
such art declined when it was such virtue disappeared the beauty of architecture depended on the social
conditions of a nation
the best of art was Gothic art
Victorian industry was enslaving because it made machines of men, it was indifferent to religion – it relied only on science and technology and
Assessment
fought against the dominance of the machine and against ugliness
horrified by what industrialism had done to the face of England and by the poor people’s living conditions
he recommended a return to nature – truth to nature – every art should be based on natural forms
truthfulness is united with religious feelings and morality in Gothic architecture
there is no life without industry – but industry without art is ugliness and brutality
prefigured, supported and defended Pre-Raphaelitism
