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19 Critical Responses

DEFINITION

Critical opinions about a specific work, as offered by artists, art historians, art critics, art dealers, sellers and buyers, public officials, and the general public.

SUBCATEGORIES

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Recording opinions about a work provides insight into sensibilities and artistic values of different periods.

Opinions of works may be in the form of direct quotations from artists, authors, or critics, or may consist of paraphrases or summaries of opinions. All critical responses should be accompanied by specific references to the sources in which they were found. The fact that a work is not mentioned in a particular source may also be of significance.

Critical evaluations of works of art or architecture over time may form a separate history of opinion. Responses to a work of art or architecture may change quite radically in the course of its history, depending on the preconceptions and biases of the particular period. In addition, an individual artist, architect, author, or critic may change his or her position with regard to the same work. The same is true of public opinion; while a work may have been highly regarded during one period, during another it may fall from favor, even to the point of being removed from public view or altered to conform to the tastes or mores of the particular time. Such responses provide a unique perspective on the history of taste and social attitudes.

The range of opinions expressed about a work of art makes it possible to assess its importance, influence, and reputation at different periods of time. A record of critical commentary “informs the iconography and iconology [of a work of art] and is particularly relevant, as it is often written by artists.” 1

A record of the critical opinions voiced about a work also aids in the study of the history of art criticism. For example, “twentieth-century views of nineteenth-century academic art …generally have nothing to do with the art, but have a lot to do with twentieth-century opinion and how/why it is so shaped. This interplay is very important in my scholarly studies, because it allows critical studies of art criticism.” 2

RELATED CATEGORIES and ACCESS

The opinions of the artist at the time of the creation of a work should be noted in the subcategory .

Political, social, economic, or religious events associated with the work should be noted in the category.

Texts that mention the work, or that were consulted in writing the description of it, should be noted in the category .

Works that were influenced by or had an influence on the work being described; were commented upon in relation to the work in question; or constitute a reaction or response to the work should be noted in the category .

19.1 Critical Comment

DEFINITION

A quotation or paraphrase of an opinion expressed about a particular work.

EXAMPLES

  • “No defense can, however, be offered for the choice of features in the left-hand figure of Mr. Millais’ Dove Returning to the Ark. I cannot understand how a painter so sensible of the utmost refinement of beauty in other objects should deliberately choose for his model a type so far inferior to that of average humanity, and unredeemed by any expression save that of dull self-complacency.” 3

  • Gertrude Stein said of Picasso’s famous 1905-1906 portrait of her: “For me it is I and it is the only reproduction of me which is always I for me.” 4

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Transcribe or paraphrase the opinion. It is optional to include the subcategory, but if you do record a comment here, it is required to also record the source in .

Form and syntax

Transcribe direct quotations when possible. Transliterate quotes that are not in the Roman alphabet, as necessary. Record the transcription so that it accurately reflects case and abbreviations.

Fill in abbreviated text if necessary for clarity, but place all editorial additions in square brackets to distinguish them from the actual transcription.

When a full transcription is impractical or impossible, paraphrase the opinion.

When the quotation is in a language other than that of the cataloging institution, give the quote in the original language; include a translation in the language of the catalog record, if possible.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Free text: This is not a controlled field. However, transcriptions, lacunae, illegible words, line breaks, etc. should be indicated in a consistent way. Index any important information in other apporpriate subcategories.

19.2 Comment Document Type

DEFINITION

The type of document that contains the opinion of a work.

EXAMPLES

  • commentary
  • scholarly essay
  • monograph
  • travel book
  • exhibition review
  • remarks on mat
  • inscription on verso
  • autobiography
  • diary
  • newspaper article
  • poem
  • novel
  • television interview

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Note the type of document that contains a critical response to a work.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled list: Control this subcategory with an extensible controlled list, including the terms in the “Examples” section above and other terminology as necessary. Sources of terminology could include the AAT (especially Information Forms hierarchy), ACRL/RBMS Genre Terms, ISO 5127:2001: Information and documentation–Vocabulary, LC Descriptive Terms for Graphic Materials, Moving Image Materials, or Revised Nomenclature.

19.3 Comment Author

DEFINITION

The name of the person who made the comment about a work.

EXAMPLES

  • Blunt, Sir Anthony Blunt
  • Fuller, Peter
  • Jameson, Anna
  • Freud, Sigmund
  • Stein, Gertrude
  • Pliny the Elder
  • Ruskin, John
  • Vasari, Giorgio

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Identify the person responsible for the comment.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Authority: Ideally, this subcategory would be linked to the , which contains names and biographical information for all persons and corporate bodies associated with the object/work. The authority may be populated with terminology from published sources, such as United List of Artist Names (ULAN), Canadiana Authorities, and LC Name Authorities.

Free text: If this category is free-text, the use of consistent forms of personal and corporate names is recommended.

19.4 Comment Date

DEFINITION

A description of the date on which a particular author, artist, or critic made a comment about a work.

EXAMPLES

  • 12 December 1991
  • 15th century

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the date when the comment was made. When an exact date is not available for a particular critical response, a less precise chronological designation, such as sixteenth century or after 1492, may be used.

Form and syntax

Follow the applicable rules for display dates in .

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Free text: This is not a controlled field. Maintain consistent capitalization, punctuation, and syntax where possible. Index the dates in the controlled and subcategories.

19.4.1 Earliest Date

DEFINITION

The earliest date when a particular author, artist, or critic made a comment about a work.

EXAMPLES

  • 1991-12-12
  • 1400
  • -0200

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the earliest year indicated by the display . Record the day and month, if known. Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in the indexing dates fields.

Form and syntax

Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in the indexing dates fields. It is optional to record ; however, if you record a value here, you must also record . Follow the applicable rules for dates in .

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled format: Date information must be formatted consistently to allow retrieval. Local rules should be in place. Suggested formats are available in the ISO Standard and W3 XML Schema Part 2.

  • ISO 8601:2004 Representation of dates and times. International Organization for Standardization. Data Elements and Interchange Formats. Information Interchange. Representation of Dates and Times. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization, 2004.

    XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes, 2001.

19.4.2 Latest Date

DEFINITION

The latest date when a particular author, artist, or critic made a comment about a work.

EXAMPLES

  • 1991-12-12
  • 1499
  • 9999

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the latest year indicated by the display . Record the day and month, if known.

Form and syntax

Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in the indexing dates fields. It is optional to record ; however, if you record a value here, you must also record . Follow the applicable rules for dates in .

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled format: Date information must be formatted consistently to allow retrieval. Local rules should be in place. Suggested formats are available in the ISO Standard and W3 XML Schema Part 2.

  • ISO 8601:2004 Representation of dates and times. International Organization for Standardization. Data Elements and Interchange Formats. Information Interchange. Representation of Dates and Times. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization, 2004.

    XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes, 2001.

19.5 Comment Circumstances

DEFINITION

A description of the historical context and circumstances in which an opinion was offered or written.

EXAMPLES

  • Ruskin was lecturing at Oxford.
  • In the novel The Recognitions by William Gaddis, there is a long passage on Piero della Francesca’s Adoration of the Christ Child (London), which is described as being in a remote monastery in Spain. The author uses the “unfinished” quality of the picture to set a scene of destruction, as one of the monks, who seems to be painstakingly painting the picture, turns out to be destroying it with maddening skill. This description brings out the painterly qualities of the work, while suggesting a new, threatening element. 5

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record a note describing the context in which a particular opinion of a work of art was expressed.

It may also describe the importance or role of the author or of the work in which the opinion appears, and may include interpretations of scholars or art historians, or of the person writing the description of the work of art or architecture.

Form and syntax

Use natural word order. You may use phrases or complete sentences, but always begin the note with capital letter and end it with a period. Use sentence case (not all capitals or title case). Capitalize proper names. Avoid abbreviations. Write the note in the language of the catalog record (English in the United States). Names and other words in foreign languages may be used within the note when there is no commonly used English equivalent. Use diacritics as appropriate.

19.6 Remarks

DEFINITION

Additional notes or comments pertinent to information in this category.

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record a note containing additional information or comments on this category. Use consistent syntax and format. For rules regarding writing notes, see .

FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Use consistent syntax and format.

19.7 Citations

DEFINITION

A reference to a bibliographic source, unpublished document, or individual opinion that provides the basis for the information recorded in this category.

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the source used for information in this category. For a full set of rules for citations, see .

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Authority: Ideally, this information is controlled by citations in the citations authority; see .

19.7.1 Page

DEFINITION

Page number, volume, date accessed for Web sites, and any other information indicating where in the source the information was found.

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: For a full set of rules for pages, see .

FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Use consistent syntax and format.

Examples

Quote from a published book:

  • Comment: “The Americans rarely could allow imagination to remove itself too far from reality. Thus Cole found Turner’s later works, especially, ‘gorgeous but altogether false.’”6
    Author: Barbara Novak
    Citations: Novak, Barbara. Nature and Culture: American Landscape and Painting, 1825-1875. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980.
    Page: 84

Quote from a published book:

  • Comment: “Michelangelo was, of course, a homosexual. If Leonardo was the painter of the blissful maternal smile, then Michelangelo was the sculptor of the male body in struggle, or paternal power, and the father-son relationship. Many of his best-known images – David, God creating Adam on the Sistine ceiling, the representations of the prophets, the slaves, the Moses and the Son of Man returning in the Last Judgement – spring from this nexus. At differing moments of his life, the focus shifted from son to father and back again. The male nude became for him the instrument of expression; he was notoriously uneasy with the unclothed female body. Thus the haunting statue of Night is transparently that of a youth with female elements less than lovingly added on… The sub-theme of Michelangelo’s iconography – as manifested in the pietàs and sculptures of the Virgin and Child – is that of his longing for the lost or absent mother.”7
    Author: Peter Fuller
    Citations: Fuller, Peter. Art and Psychoanalysis. London: Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative, 1980.
    Page: 41

Translated quotation, quoted on a Web site:

  • Comment: Theo noted the quality of the Irises and submitted it to the Salon des Indépendants in September 1889, writing Vincent of the exhibition: “[It] strikes the eye from afar. It is a beautiful study full of air and life.”
    Author: Theo van Gogh
    Citations: J. Paul Getty Museum. [online] Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Trust, 2000-. http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/ (1 January 2003)
    Page: accessed 10 February 2005

Revised 12 February 2024
by Emily Benoff

Notes

  1. Judith Kirshner, University of Illinois at Chicago, in AITF Review Committee questionnaire, 3 April 1993. ↩︎

  2. James Smalls, Rutgers University, in AITF Review Committee questionnaire, 3 April 1993. ↩︎

  3. John Ruskin. _Works of John Ruskin. E_edited by E.T. Cook and Alexander Wedderburn. London: 1903-1912, 12: 325. ↩︎

  4. Gertrude Stein on Picasso. Edited by Edward Burns. New York: Liveright, 1970. ↩︎

  5. William Gaddis.The Recognitions. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1955. ↩︎

  6. Barbara Novak, Nature and Culture: American Landscape and Painting, 1825-1875. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980, 84. ↩︎

  7. Peter Fuller. Art and Psychoanalysis. London: Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative, 1980, 41. ↩︎