| 1902 | Aesthetic as Science of Expression |
| §II | p.94 | 7270 | Historical interpretation aims to recapture the author's view of the work |
| Full Idea: Historical interpretation enables us to see a work of art as its author saw it in the moment of production. | |||
| From: Benedetto Croce (Aesthetic as Science of Expression [1902], §II), quoted by W Wimsatt/W Beardsley - The Intentional Fallacy §II | |||
| A reaction: Wimsatt and Beardsley quote this as the romantic antithesis of their own view, but there is a blurring between understanding a work and judging. Personally I consider intentions essential for understanding, and valuable for judgement. |
| 1912 | The Essence of Aesthetic |
| p.104 | 20422 | The experience of expression and communication are intermingled in art | |
| Full Idea: It is very difficult to perceive the frontier between expression and communication in actual fact, for the two processes usually alternate rapidly and are almost intermingled. | |||
| From: Benedetto Croce (The Essence of Aesthetic [1912]), quoted by Gary Kemp - Croce and Collingwood | |||
| A reaction: [text unsure] I think he is getting at seeing the painting (or whatever) as a physical object, and seeing it as the experience which results from the object. The alternation of the objective and subjective views. Reminds me of Thomas Nagel. |