The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

64

THE ARCHITECTURE

OFHUMANISM

purelysensuousimpression made

uponusbyplastic

form,

and

this willbethe more

permanentelement

in our

experience. When we renew the sensuous

perception of the

work of art, in addition to the

immediate

value this perception may have

for

us,

therewillbe,surroundingit,a

penumbraof

'

literary

'

and other values. And as our

attention

to the

sensuouspropertiesrelaxes,itistothesethatitwill

'naturallyturn.»^In

sofar,then,astheliteraryvalues

oftheworkofartenrichourcomplete

experienceof

it,theyarecleargain. AndinsofarastheRomantic

Movement has

stimulated our sensibility

to

such

literaryvalues,thatalso

is

acleargain. Itwouldbe

absurdtodemand(asinsomeof the artsenthusiasts

areconstantlydemanding)thatwe should limit our

enjoyment

ofanart tothatdelightwhich itis the

peculiarand specialfunction oftheart toprovide.

To

severourexperienceintosuchcompletelyisolated

departments

is

to

impoverishit atevery

point. In

thelastresort,asinthefirst,weappreciateaworkof

art not by the single instrument of a specialised

taste,butwithourwholepersonality. Our

experience

isinevitablyinclusive

and

synthetic. Itextendsfar

beyondthemerereactiontomaterialform. Butits

nucleus,

atleast,shouldbearight

perceptionofthat

form,andofitsaestheticfunction. Itis

reasonable,

then,

toclaimthatthesesthetic

enjoymentwhichis

properandspecialtoagiven art should

bethefirst