Wolfflin

Before reading this I had a basic understanding of the meaning of “painterly” but I had never given the idea too much thought. Wolfflin really goes into it thoroughly. When I think of painterly, I think of the general style of painting in which brushstrokes are left visible in order to add expression to the work as well as reveal some of the artist's process. I had heard of drawing being described as painterly before, but I thought it was interesting that Wolfflin characterized certain sculpture and architecture as painterly also. Drawing and painting are almost the same thing in a way, but when it comes to sculpture and architecture the connection to paint requires a little more abstract thought in my mind. The connection Wolfflin makes between the complex, movement-filled baroque sculpture and the painterly style of painting is completely new to me. I cant help thinking that it seems like a little bit of a reach to call sculpture painterly because the movement in it makes its form less defined. I guess it does make sense. It's just that based on my concept of “painterly”, I would imagine painterly sculpture to be sculpture that is formed in a more loose way, leaving the marks of the artist visible. I guess I think of painterly as meaning “loose”. It was good for me to think about the concepts of the linear vs. the painterly because it is relevant to anyone who paints or draws. I don't really think about it in such decisive terms when I am working, but on some level I think it helps to be more aware of these concepts.