DublinInstituteofTechnology

DT546,FineArt,
MichelleMalone

AsummaryofErnestGombrich,StyleinPreziosi,D.ed.TheArtofArtHistory:ACriticalAnthology.
OxfordUniversityPress,1980.

Introduction:
IntheexcerptStyle,ErnestGombrichdiscussesstyleintermsof,itsderivative,itsintentionand
description,theetymology,inrelationtotechnologyandfashion,howitevolvesanditsdisintegrationofstyles,
itsstylisticphysiognomies,andthediagnosticsoftheartisticchoice.
Summary:
Styleisthemannerinwhichanactorartifactisformed.Therecanbedistinctanddescriptgroupingsof
styleGyspystyle.Stylescanbeexpressiveandpsychological.Itamountstobeingjudgedanddecipheredby
anindividual.WinstonChurchillsuggestedthatapoormancouldnotaffordtoaskforahairstyle.
Expressivenessandstyleisdeterminedbytheavailabilityofalternativechoices.Stylecanalsoappeartobe
asocialchoice.Stylecanbeuseddescriptivelyratherthanbychoice,aschoicecanbesociallyinfluenced.
StyleorStilusislatinforawritingapparatus

.Althoughthemostcommonliterarystylewasgenusdecendi
ormodeofspeech.
Theconsequenceoftheworddependsonthechoiceoftheterm,psychologicalandsocialusesshouldbe
considered.Thesebeliefscanbeappliedtomusic,architectureandvisualarts.Itbecameestablishedasanart
historytermintheeighteenthcentury.
InJJWinklemannsHistoryofAncientArt(1764)differentstylesarediscussedsuchasgothic,baroque,
rococoandevenromanesque.
Instaticgroups,pottery,basketryorwarfarethestylesofwhichtheyaremademaynotchange.
Technologicalchangeoccurswhenabettermethodisdemonstrated.Theoldmeaningofstylecanberetained.
ThequeendrivestoParliamentinacoachalways.
ExamplesofsocialrivalandprestigecanbeseenthroughmedievalItaliancities,wherefamilieswouldtry
tobuildthebiggesttowersandwhereprinceswouldtryoutdoeachotherwiththesizeofitparksandcathedrals.
Theseidealsofstylebecomeasymbolofstatusandcanleadtoexcess.Itisdebatedifthesesymbolofstatusare
fashionableinsteadofstylistic.Technologicalprogresscreatesnobility.Thebestexamplefortheinteractionof
technologyandfashionisstreamlinepatterns.
Paintingandsculpturehavefunctionwithinsociety.Theycandepictastoryoreventfortheaudience.In
GreeceandFlorence,foreshorteningandperspectivegaveprestige.
Innovationsinpaintingsuchaslightandshadeweredismissedbycritics.Thebalancebetweenmeansand
endsdenotesclassicalstyleorprimitivestyle.
Cezannesartwasviewedascomplex.Heconsideredhisartasprimitivetoaneweraofart.When
discussingtheevolutionofpaintingwecoulddiscoverthatalatecharacteristicofportraitpaintingcouldhave
evolvedintoanearlycharacteristicoflandscapepainting.Thereforeinartskillscanbelearnedfrom
predecessors.
Artreflectsonitsreligion,law,scienceandtechnologyandtheevolutionofitsSpirit.Feudalism
introducedconditionsofconstruction.Styleisopentocriticismonmethodologicalgrounds.Itcanprovidea
hypothesisaboutcertainhabitsandtraditions.ItisopentointerpretationwhencomparingtheskillofPicasso
comparedtoaconservativechinesemaster.
Conclusion:
Styleinartcanhavemanyvariedinfluences.Itcanbeheavilyinfluencedbysocietyandfurthermoreby
competitivenesswithinsociety.Itissaidthatinordertoknowstyleyoumustbeinformedofalternativeoptions
ofstyle.