Full Idea
The characteristic of a work of art is its power of provoking aesthetic emotion; the expression of emotion is what gives it its power. ...Rightness of form is invariably a consequence of rightness of emotion.
Gist of Idea
Art is distinguished by its aesthetic emotion, which produces appropriate form
Source
Clive Bell (Art [1913], I.III)
Book Reference
Bell,Clive: 'Art' [nk 2010], p.23
A Reaction
Bell doesn't dig very deep, because the obvious next question, not really addressed, is what makes the emotion 'right'. He suggests that significant form reveals reality, but why would an emotion do that? Does each work have a distinct emotion?
Related Idea
Idea 20390 Defining art as representation or expression or form were all undermined by the avant-garde [Davies,S]