Identifier: pictorialcomposi00poorrich (find matches)
Title: Pictorial composition and the critical judgment of pictures; a handbook for students and lovers of art
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Poore, Henry Rankin, 1859-1940
Subjects: Composition (Art) Art criticism
Publisher: New York, The Baker & Taylor co
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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andso diflScult of definition, namely, lack of composi-tion. In the single case of portrait composition oftwo figures (more diificult than of one, three ormore) it is worthy of note how far beyond theolder are the later masters; or in the case ofthe grouping of landscape elements, or in thearrangement of figures or animals in landscape,how a finer sense in such arrangement has cometo art. Masterful composition of many figureshowever has never been surpassed in certain ex-amples of Michael Angelo, Eubens, Corregio andthe great Venetians, yet while we laud thesuccesses of these men we should not forget theirlapses nor the errors in composition of their con-temporaries. Those readers who have been brought up inthe creed and catechism of the old masters, andswallowed them whole, with no questions, I begwill lay aside traditional prejudice, and regard-ing every work with reference to neither namenor date, challenge it only with the countersigngood composition. This will require an un-(i6)
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(i7) PICTORIAL COMPOSITION sentimental view, which need not and should notbe an unsympathetic one, but which would barethe subject of that which overzealous devotionhas bestowed upon it, a compound accumulationof centuries. The most serious work yet written on com-position, Burnets Light and Shade, was pennedat a time when the influence of old masters heldundisputed sway. The thought of that day insyllogism would run as follows: The work of theOld Masters in its composition is beyond re-proach. Botticelli, Kaphael, Paul Potter, Wou-vermans, Cuyp, Domenichino, Diirer, Teniers etal., are Old Masters. Therefore, we accept theirworks as models of good composition, to be fol-lowed for all ages. And under such a creed awork valuable from many points of view hasbeen crippled by its free use of models, which insome cases compromise the arguments of theauthor, and in others, if used by artists of thepresent day, would only serve to administer a re-buke to their simple trust, in that practical

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