Seen What I Saw HWIM 04 029

2024-03-02T00:00:00Z

Seen What I Saw "The quarrels which have so woefully divided the world of art are caused only by want of understanding this simplest of all canons: 'It is always wrong to draw what you don't see.' This law is inviolable. But then, some people see only things that exist, and others see things that do not exist, or do not exist apparently. And if they really see these non-apparent things, they are quite right to draw them; the only harm is when people try to draw non-apparent things, who don't see them, but think they can calculate or compose into existence what is to them for evermore invisible. If some people really see angels where others see only empty space, let them paint the angels; only let not anybody else think they can paint an angel too, on any calculated principles of the angelic" (p. 18). Ruskin, John. Modern Painters. 1856. Vol. 4, G. Routledge & Sons, 1907. https://archive.org/details/modernpainters04rusk/page/n5/mode/2up