Suppose That the Following Pair of Statements Appears in a Review

question 128

Essay

Suppose that the following pair of statements appears in a review of the same work of art. Identify which of the aesthetic principles referred to in the text each statement in the pair appeals to. Then state whether the principles are compatible and thus form the basis for a consistent review, or whether they are incompatible and cannot both be used in a consistent review.
a. Bierstadt's monumental western landscapes are effective; we can be sure of this because they romanticized, and thus promoted, the American migration to the western areas of the country.
b. The scenes he painted of the Rocky Mountains make us understand viscerally what it is like to experience the sublime.

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Definitions:

Babylonian Captivity

A period in Jewish history from 586 to 538 BCE when a number of people from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylonia.

City-State

An independent, self-governing city that also possesses surrounding territories, forming an independent political entity.

Ottoman Empire

A former Turkish empire that was founded about 1300 by Osman and reached its peak during the 16th and 17th centuries, covering parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Foreign Invasions

Acts of armed forces from one country entering into another country with the intention to conquer or occupy territories.