插畫家的肖像：〈真品〉的美學與倫理
Other Title
The Portrait of the Illustrator: Reconciling the Esthetic and the Ethical in “The Real Thing”
Journal
臺大文史哲學報
Journal Issue
59
Pages
423-446
Date Issued
2003
Author(s)
DOI
246246/2006121215550748
Abstract
Henry James’ “The Real Thing” has traditionally been read as a lesson in art: namely, that art is a transformation rather than a copy of reality. A few critics have also commented on the moral theme of the story: that human compassion makes a better artist. The two readings, however, conflict with each other, because the artist in the story is forced to turn his back on his non-professional models to maintain his artistic integrity, while conceding that his art suffers “a permanent harm.”
This paper argues that the artist-narrator of the story actually fails the test to pass from romantic idealism to creative realism, which would have reconciled the esthetic with the ethical. The three art forms in the story—photography, illustration & portraiture—reflect James’ appraisal of the creative process. Photography, as literary realism, lacks both creativity & depth. Illustration, meanwhile, though the narrator stresses imagination, seeks generalizations at the expense of individuality. Only portraiture achieves both verisimilitude & character. The differences in esthetic purposes affect the ethical relation between the artist & his subject. The illustrator-narrator rarely treats his professional models as more than props on a stage. His ambition to become a portraitist, on the other hand, leads him to sympathize with the Monarchs.
Subjects
Henry James
“The Real Thing”
portrait painting
esthetics
ethics
Publisher
臺北市：臺大文史哲學報編輯委員會
Type
journal article
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