Single Idea 23929

[catalogued under 21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 5. Natural Beauty]

Full Idea

It is only when we cease to regard the objects in a landscape as means to anything that we can feel the landscape artistically.

Gist of Idea

We only see landscapes as artistic if we ignore their instrumental value

Source

Clive Bell (Art [1913], II.I)

Book Reference

Bell,Clive: 'Art' [nk 2010], p.29


A Reaction

This sounds as if only the exploitative attitude blocks the artistic view, but I would expect the scientific view (of an ecologist, for example) to do the same.