Art Principles with Special Reference to Painting: Together with Notes on the Illusions Produced by the Painter

In Short

Ernest Govett presents a systematic treatise on fine art, focusing on painting to establish immutable principles of aesthetic value. He guides the reader through the foundational laws of form, composition, and emotional expression, demonstrating how technical mastery and balance create lasting visual beauty. Analyzing high art alongside lesser endeavors, Govett critiques theories like Hegel’s evolutionary stages and weighs painting against poetry and sculpture. Ultimately, the work survives because it translates complex aesthetic judgment into clear, enduring criteria, offering readers a timeless toolkit to evaluate artistic execution, illusion, and classical idealization.

The Story

Govett begins his argument by establishing that fine art is governed by fixed, recognizable laws rather than subjective caprice. He introduces his core proposition—the Law of General Assent—which dictates that true standards of beauty are verified over time through collective human consensus. To evaluate painting, one must examine how technical execution balances with the artist's imaginative power. When these two faculties are out of alignment, genius falters. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci’s boundless imagination constantly outstripped his execution, leading to unfinished masterpieces and modest output, whereas other painters achieved temporary balance to produce a handful of sublime works before declining.

From this foundation, Govett establishes a strict hierarchy of artistic genres based on their capacity for idealization. High historical and mythological painting sits at the summit because it demands the creation of perfect, universal types. Portraiture ranks lower because the artist is bound to a specific physical subject, restricting the imagination. Even master portraitists like Rembrandt and Velasquez could not achieve ideal form; Rembrandt excelled in depicting human character and intellectual beauty, yet his fame rests on emotional depth rather than pure corporeal perfection.

The argument then explores the role of simplicity in composition. Just as Sappho's ancient poetry achieved immortality through direct, unadorned emotional expression, the greatest paintings and sculptures rely on simple, uncluttered designs. Complex compositions, such as overly crowded sculptured groups, frequently mark the decadence of an artistic period. Govett illustrates this principle through sacred and classical imagery. The ultimate test of Renaissance painting was depicting the Madonna—a challenge solved by Raphael, who successfully eliminated all suggestions of earthly desire while preserving supreme human beauty. Conversely, classical figures like Demeter or Hera require passionless, majestic dignity; degrading them into mundane narrative scenes strips them of sublimity.

Govett next examines technical execution and the illusions unique to the canvas. A painter must navigate physical limitations to suggest reality, such as depicting motion through drapery folds or creating an illusion of depth in landscapes through aerial perspective. However, Govett firmly draws boundaries around the medium. Painting cannot successfully capture satire, humor, or theatrical drama; fixed expressions of laughter suggest mental disorder, and caricature relies on literary devices rather than fine art. Similarly, ugliness has no legitimate place in painting. While poets can veil repulsive descriptions with elevated sentiment, a painter renders ugliness permanently bare to the eye. Govett concludes by defending classical standards against modern theories, refuting Hegel's speculative historical periods and reaffirming that true art permanently elevates the human spirit through order, harmony, and idealized form.

How It Unfolds

The foundation of aesthetic law Govett establishes the Law of General Assent, arguing that universal consensus defines true beauty. He asserts that a painter must maintain an absolute balance between imaginative vision and technical execution to produce enduring masterpieces.

The hierarchy of artistic forms The argument ranks genres by their capacity for idealization, placing historical and mythological subjects above portraiture. Portraitists remain tethered to real-world models, whereas high art requires creating universal, perfect physical types.

Simplicity and classical ideals Drawing parallels to classical poetry and sculpture, Govett shows that restraint and simple designs yield the highest emotional impact. He highlights Raphael's Madonnas as the ultimate synthesis of human grace and non-earthly purity.

The mechanics of visual illusion Govett dissects how painters simulate depth, space, and motion on a flat plane. He demonstrates that landscape distance depends on spatial cues, while figures in motion require carefully arranged drapery to convey speed.

Boundaries of the canvas The treatise defines what painting must avoid, explicitly excluding humor, satire, stage scenes, and ugliness. Because visual art fixes a single moment forever, these subjects distort form and undermine the noble purpose of visual beauty.

Refuting rival art theories Govett reviews opposing philosophical doctrines, firmly dismissing Hegel's evolutionary art periods as paradoxical inventions. He concludes that art history is driven by timeless principles rather than shifting cultural abstractions.

The People

The Idealist Painter Embodied by masters like Raphael, this ideal figure balances supreme execution with a disciplined, elevated imagination. The Idealist seeks to depict abstract perfection, successfully creating timeless types such as the ideal Madonna or classical deity without descending into mundane realism.

The Technical Realist Represented by virtuosos like Velasquez and Rembrandt, this figure possesses unmatched technical skill and a profound mastery of human character. However, bound by the physical reality of models, the Realist cannot achieve pure corporeal idealization, placing their work slightly below the highest realm of ideal art.

The Unbalanced Genius Personified by Leonardo da Vinci, this figure possesses a hyperactive imagination that far exceeds their physical execution. Driven by endless scientific curiosity and impossible conceptual standards, the Unbalanced Genius leaves behind very few completed works, constrained by their own unattainable vision.

The Classical Sculptor Exemplified by Phidias, this ancient archetype demonstrates the power of simplicity in design. By capturing the noble, passionless majesty of figures like Zeus or Athena, the Classical Sculptor sets the ultimate benchmark for form, grace, and spatial dignity that painters strive to emulate.

In Its Own Voice

"Time was fading, and my purpose seemed to be growing very old."

In his preface, Govett reflects on the decades spent researching aesthetic problems, explaining why he chose to publish his core conclusions rather than wait to finish an impossibly exhaustive treatise.

"To be in the front rank an artist must have acquired a vast knowledge of the technique of his art, and have a powerful imagination which has been highly cultivated."

Govett lays down his foundational rule for artistic greatness, asserting that technical mastery and imaginative power must be perfectly balanced to yield masterpieces.

"The poet may use ugliness where the painter cannot, because his ugly form does not dominate the scene, save for an instant or two... whereas the ugly figure of the painter is fixed for ever."

Contrasting poetry with the visual arts, Govett illustrates why painting must reject repulsive subjects, as a static image offers no narrative movement to soften the unpleasantness.

What It's Really About

Govett’s treatise is an argument for objective standards in a domain often dismissed as purely subjective. At its core, the book contends that visual beauty is governed by eternal, natural laws rather than individual preference or temporary cultural fashion. Govett explores the fundamental differences between artistic mediums, mapping out what painting can achieve that poetry or sculpture cannot—and where its strict boundaries lie. By analyzing how the eye perceives form, distance, and expression, he seeks to restore academic rigor to art criticism. Ultimately, the work asserts that the primary purpose of fine art is the elevation of the human mind through the pursuit and realization of idealized physical and moral beauty.

Why Read It Today

Art Principles offers a refreshing, uncompromising look at classical aesthetics for anyone tired of jargon-heavy, modern art criticism. Readers who appreciate formal art history, traditional painting techniques, or the philosophical debates surrounding beauty will find Govett’s direct prose deeply engaging. His writing feels like a private tour through a grand museum with an opinionated, highly knowledgeable guide who is not afraid to challenge sacred cows—critiquing Leonardo da Vinci's output or pointing out the limitations of Rembrandt’s portraiture with calm, reasoned confidence.

The book is not without its period difficulties. Written in 1919, it reflects an uncompromisingly Eurocentric view of art history, focusing almost exclusively on classical antiquity, the Italian Renaissance, and traditional European schools. Modern readers may find his strict dismissals of humor, satire, and realism in art overly rigid or outdated. Furthermore, his heavy reliance on detailed references to specific classical sculptures and museum paintings requires patience or a handy search engine. Yet, for those willing to engage with his firm convictions, Govett provides a remarkably clear framework for looking at paintings with a more analytical, discerning eye.