The Enjoyment of Art

A gallery visit can leave a newcomer admiring a painter's skill while wondering what the pictures mean. Carleton Eldredge Noyes starts from that uncertainty and offers a plain account of art and appreciation. His discussion considers why people stop before particular paintings, from convincing imitations and familiar scenes to works that reveal something the viewer had never noticed. Examples of landscapes, portraits and everyday objects keep the argument close to the experience of looking.

The book distinguishes the copying of an object from an artist's interpretation of it. A worn coat, a canteen or the shape of a hand can acquire meaning through the choice of lines, colors and details. Though painting supplies most of the examples, Noyes extends his principles to literature, music, sculpture and craftsmanship. Readers interested in aesthetics will find an accessible discussion of how personal feeling becomes form and how attention can deepen the pleasure of art.