Govett sets out to state the principles underlying painting: how the fine arts are classified, why pictures depend on recognition and general assent, what degrees of beauty a painter can reach, and how Christian, classical and general ideals are expressed. A final part examines the optical illusions of distance and movement painters exploit.
A thoughtful Edwardian attempt at a theory of pictorial art, for readers interested in aesthetics and the old masters. Download the free EPUB.