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| 7270 | Historical interpretation aims to recapture the author's view of the work |
| Full Idea: Historical interpretation enables us to see a work of art as its author saw it in the moment of production. | |||
| From: Benedetto Croce (Aesthetic as Science of Expression [1902], §II), quoted by W Wimsatt/W Beardsley - The Intentional Fallacy §II | |||
| A reaction: Wimsatt and Beardsley quote this as the romantic antithesis of their own view, but there is a blurring between understanding a work and judging. Personally I consider intentions essential for understanding, and valuable for judgement. |