Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- INTRODUCTION TO THIS VOLUME
- BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
- MODERN PAINTERS
- AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE RE-ARRANGED EDITION (1883)
- AUTHOR'S SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS
- PART III OF IDEAS OF BEAUTY
- SECTION I OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY
- CHAPTER I OF THE RANK AND RELATIONS OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY
- CHAPTER II OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY AS CONCERNED WITH PLEASURES OF SENSE
- CHAPTER III OF ACCURACY AND INACCURACY IN IMPRESSIONS OF SENSE
- CHAPTER IV OF FALSE OPINIONS HELD CONCERNING BEAUTY
- CHAPTER V OF TYPICAL BEAUTY:–FIRST, OF INFINITY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY
- CHAPTER VI OF UNITY, OR THE TYPE OF THE DIVINE COMPREHENSIVENESS
- CHAPTER VII OF REPOSE, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE PERMANENCE
- CHAPTER VIII OF SYMMETRY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE JUSTICE
- CHAPTER IX OF PURITY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE ENERGY
- CHAPTER X OF MODERATION, OR THE TYPE OF GOVERNMENT BY LAW
- CHAPTER XI GENERAL INFERENCES RESPECTING TYPICAL BEAUTY
- CHAPTER XII OF VITAL BEAUTY. I. OF RELATIVE VITAL BEAUTY
- CHAPTER XIII II. OF GENERIC VITAL BEAUTY
- CHAPTER XIV III. OF VITAL BEAUTY IN MAN
- CHAPTER XV GENERAL CONCLUSIONS RESPECTING THE THEORETIC FACULTY
- SECTION II OF THE IMAGINATIVE FACULTY
- APPENDIX
- Plate section
CHAPTER V - OF TYPICAL BEAUTY:–FIRST, OF INFINITY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- INTRODUCTION TO THIS VOLUME
- BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
- MODERN PAINTERS
- AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE RE-ARRANGED EDITION (1883)
- AUTHOR'S SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS
- PART III OF IDEAS OF BEAUTY
- SECTION I OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY
- CHAPTER I OF THE RANK AND RELATIONS OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY
- CHAPTER II OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY AS CONCERNED WITH PLEASURES OF SENSE
- CHAPTER III OF ACCURACY AND INACCURACY IN IMPRESSIONS OF SENSE
- CHAPTER IV OF FALSE OPINIONS HELD CONCERNING BEAUTY
- CHAPTER V OF TYPICAL BEAUTY:–FIRST, OF INFINITY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY
- CHAPTER VI OF UNITY, OR THE TYPE OF THE DIVINE COMPREHENSIVENESS
- CHAPTER VII OF REPOSE, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE PERMANENCE
- CHAPTER VIII OF SYMMETRY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE JUSTICE
- CHAPTER IX OF PURITY, OR THE TYPE OF DIVINE ENERGY
- CHAPTER X OF MODERATION, OR THE TYPE OF GOVERNMENT BY LAW
- CHAPTER XI GENERAL INFERENCES RESPECTING TYPICAL BEAUTY
- CHAPTER XII OF VITAL BEAUTY. I. OF RELATIVE VITAL BEAUTY
- CHAPTER XIII II. OF GENERIC VITAL BEAUTY
- CHAPTER XIV III. OF VITAL BEAUTY IN MAN
- CHAPTER XV GENERAL CONCLUSIONS RESPECTING THE THEORETIC FACULTY
- SECTION II OF THE IMAGINATIVE FACULTY
- APPENDIX
- Plate section
Summary
Impossibility of adequately treating the subject
The subject being now in some measure cleared of embarrassment, let us briefly distinguish those qualities or types on whose combination is dependent the power of mere material loveliness. I pretend neither to enumerate nor to perceive them all: for it may be generally observed that whatever good there may be desirable by man, more especially good belonging to his moral nature, there will be a corresponding agreeableness in whatever external object reminds him of such good, whether it remind him by arbitrary association, or by typical resemblance; and that the infinite ways, whether by reason or experience discoverable, by which matter in some sort may remind us of moral perfections, are hardly within any reasonable limits to be explained, if even by any single mind they might all be traced. Yet certain palpable and powerful modes there are, by observing which we may come at such general conclusions on the subject as may be practically useful, and more than these I shall not attempt to obtain.
With what simplicity of feeling to be approached
And first, I would ask of the reader to enter upon the subject with me, as far as may be, as a little child, ridding himself of all conventional and authoritative thoughts, and especially of such associations as arise from his respect for Pagan art, or which are in any way traceable to classical readings.
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- Information
- The Works of John Ruskin , pp. 76 - 91Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1903