The first artistic feature that strikes the eye in Monet’s ‘Water lLilies’, is the effect of color, light, and reflection of the vibrant lilies. The movement of his brush brings finer features that give the real impression of the real water lilies.
Clive Bell defines a work of art as one which that produces aesthetic emotion through its form and significance attributes. This aesthetic emotion must be brought about by the use of line and color hence the theory of Formalism (Carroll 111). He adds that the intrinsic features in the work of art should be significant. Work of art should bring mysterious and unknown laws that are significant. Looking at Monet’s water lilies, the impression that is evident is the artistic use of color and light. Monet’s paintings of the ‘Water Lilies’ have a great quantity of color, the yellow, red, and mixture of blue both bring the knowledge of three-dimensional aspect seen in reflection and not a painting on flat space (Wartenberg 104). Clive Bell would most probably classify the ‘water lilies as a work of art. The use of color and three-dimension provokes one to see the difference of intrinsic features like reflection, depth, movement of water, and the natural form of the lilies. This automatically brings feeling or emotion that is aesthetic. The artistic use of color used by Monet brings the art of aesthetic emotional of representing the actual lilies as seen in a pond. Clive believes in representation that brings form which Monet’s painting evidently achieves. However, in the paintings, there is no use of conspicuous lines and curves to bring form. This may make Clive Bell reject this painting as a work of art.
Bell’s idea of Formalism is clearly shown in Monet’s painting. The use of color and three-dimension easily provokes aesthetic emotion in the viewer perfectly. The viewer finds it difficult to withdraw his eyes on the form represented by a color (Wartenberg 58). Monet’s painting has achieved the concept of ‘significant form’ by the use of hue, vanishing points that show intrinsic features of the sky, and subdued light that brings the true form of a water lily. However, the nature of the significant form does not show unknown and mysterious laws which Bell advocates are essential. It is difficult to analyze any evident unknown and mysterious laws which he hardly defines in the painting.
In order to firmly defend the theory of ‘significant form,’ the idea of unknown and mysterious laws should be done away with and incorporate the aspect of spiritualism. How does the rhythm and harmony of the features capture the viewer in order to bring aesthetic emotion? This would be more acceptable than laws that are not well defined.
Tolstoy’s theory of expressionism differs from Bell’s formalism theory in different ways. Expressionism theory according to Tolstoy states that art is not a vehicle that transmits pleasure but anything that expresses emotions to humans and transmits them to one another. In real meaning, anything that causes and transmits emotion, for example, painting, drawn art, picture, music, speech, or sculpture is defined as art (Carroll 108). Contrary, Bell looks at the aesthetic emotion created by the significant form in a piece of work that will directly affect the viewer. This form is brought by the use of color, lines, and shapes. We clearly see the limitation of the expressionism theory which does not touch on abstract paintings. In order to connect as humans, we need to have abstract events. Tolstoy does not address how to include abstract paintings that express unseen emotions which are relevant to humans. Therefore, Bell’s account is more convincing than Tolstoy’s.
Art should be defined according to its beauty, form, state of content represented either two or three-dimensional, and abstract. These features should provoke aesthetic emotions and provide experiences to the viewer that he or she had never felt before. There are several ways of evaluating paintings, for example, which intrinsic and extrinsic features make art a masterpiece or not, what message of importance is an art trying to portray, is it necessary for other people to view the piece of art, and what makes a piece of memorable? All these guiding questions will evaluate a piece of art effectively.
References
Carroll, Noel. Philosophy of Art: A Contemporary Introduction, New York, NY: Routledge, 1999. Print.
Wartenberg, Thomas E. The Nature of Art: Anthology, New York, NY: Wadsworth Publishing, 2006. Print.