The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 3 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik
Georg Hegel · en
[Footnote 247: The above passage is open to criticism. Hegel hardly
makes allowance for the fact that the defective technique, so far
as it is defective, of the earlier masters, was mainly due to their
state of knowledge. Art was, in a certain aspect of technique, in its
infancy. Moreover to compare Dutch landscape with that of Bellini or
Raphael is to compare things that are each unique of their kind and
not comparable. Their aim was entirely different. In such pictures as
the San Sisto Madonna of Raphael, the great Crucifixion of Tintoret,
or the Entombment of Titian it is quite impossible to maintain that
the earnestness of conception is in any way inferior to the technique,
although we have no doubt a different degree of conviction expressed by
Fra Angelico. And the classical landscape of Titian or Tintoret is of
its type supreme.]
[Footnote 248: This statement of Hegel again requires parenthesis or
at least interpretation. There is a realism such as that we find in
the most consummate work of a Titian, or the genre work of the Dutch
school, or our own Pre-Raphaelites, to say nothing of mere academical
realism, which hardly comes within his remarks. It is obvious that the
Ideal is subserved in different degrees by such examples, and in fact
to preserve that unity of conception despite the greatest elaboration,
_is_ to serve the Ideal at least in one aspect of it. Hegel, at least
in the concluding part of this paragraph, appears mainly to have in
his mind still life and the genre pictures of the Dutch, and rather
seems to overlook his own statement as to the necessity of selection
and the power to express detail by the shorthand of genius rather than
deliberate imitation.]
[Footnote 249: _Grossartigkeit._]
[Footnote 250: _Innigkeit._ Intimate ideality, inwardness.]
[Footnote 251: I am not sure what Hegel means by the expression _Nicht
das Niedrige ist zerdrückt._ If the text is correct I suppose it means
the sensuous side does not make way for a more spiritual synthesis.
What we should expect is some other verb than _zerdrückt_ such as
_ausgedrückt_, the sense being that "_though_ the mean emotion is not
expressed, and no rage, etc., is asserted, _yet_ despite of it all,"
etc. I think there must be some misprint here.]
[Footnote 252: _Ein starres Beisichseyn._ Compare the expression lower
down _affirmatives Fürsichseyn_ with which it contrasts.]
[Footnote 253: _Für sich bestehende Herz._]
[Footnote 254: _Als ein göttliches Moment._ It means an actual phase in
the Divine existence.]
[Footnote 255: An important statement. Hegel's words are _Sondern
wir müssen das geistige Daseyn im Bewusstseyn des Menschen als die
wesentliche geistige Existenz Gottes ansehn._]
[Footnote 256: A bad master at any rate for such a subject.]