Since Cézanne

Name: Since Cézanne
Author: Clive Bell

By Clive Bell

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Art Essays, Letters & Speeches

About This Book

A collection of critical essays that blends aesthetic theory with close readings of contemporary painters to trace the artistic debates sparked by Cézanne and his followers. The writer examines how a shift in pictorial practice forced new questions about form, vision, decorative effect, and the balance between technical knowledge and sincere expression. Individual pieces assess artists associated with primitivist tendencies, sentimentality, or decorative strength, while other essays confront standards of criticism, the tension between tradition and movements, the relation of art to politics and authority, and the continuing problem of shaping expressive form to an aesthetic conception.

About the Author

Clive Bell

Clive Bell was an influential English art critic and writer, known for his contributions to the aesthetic theory of art. He was a prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of intellectuals and artists that included figures like Virginia Woolf and John Maynard Keynes. Bell's notable work, "Art," presents his theory of significant form, which emphasizes the importance of visual elements in art over representational content. In addition to his critical writings, he also published poetry and essays, including collections such as "Poems" and "Pot-Boilers." His exploration of art and aesthetics has left a lasting impact on modern art criticism.