The Origins Of Modern Western Art Criticism

modern Western art criticism Originated from the French salon criticism in the18th century, this view has become a Common sense in the Academia, but the specific in-depth research about it is still very inadequate. Firstly, this paper makes the connotation of "modern art criticism" clear. That is, the starting point of art criticism with 'modernity' is French salon criticism in the18th century, and'modern art criticism'contains three distinctive elements:the public sphere and the media, the Positions of critics, Comment on contemporary art. According to these elements, we can differentiate the art criticism from external philosophy, literature, history; from internal art history, and art theory; from the art criticism which is in a broad sense.Next, learning from TJ Clark's research method of art-sociology, this paper puts18th-century French salon criticism in the complex historic environments to examine, so as to reveals the true face of the art criticism comprehensively and objectively. This paper achieves three results. The first one is, the core nature of the "Modern art criticism" is a kind of more open and freer writing and speaking, which allowed wider public to participate in the judgment of the art. In a word, publicly and freely judging the contemporary art is the'modernity'of modern art criticism. Modern art criticism's process of establishment is the process of fighting for this right. The spirit of modern art criticism is also a part of the enlightenment spirit, requiring'the freedom to use rational openly'in the ancient regime. Here, enlightenment spirit, modernity, modern art criticism helped each other. The second one is, this paper explores the process of legalization of the18th-century art criticism by showing of the complex situations, the efforts, the Debates and the strategies used. The third one is, the paper clarifies the four conceives of the original situation on the French art criticism:the relationship between "Criticism","critics" and "authority"; whether the criticism's initial motivation is non-utilitarian, pure aesthetic, kindly and fully self-contained; whether the criticism once generated immediately corresponded to the specialized art publications and professional activities; in what sense La Font de Saint-Yenne and Denis Diderot can be called'First Modern art critic'.