read the fictional critique below. Then answer the subsequent questions.
Art Critique
I had the pleasure of attending the new art gallery opening in the National Museum of Art in Washington, D.C. The gallery exhibited a previously unknown painting by Leonardo Da Vinci called Abstraction.
To begin, I was extremely disappointed in the painting. Da Vinci was known for drawing perfectly symmetrical shapes that were near exact replicas of what is seen in life...yet polished to appear as a perfect archetype. The painting I saw, Abstraction, had a series of circles that were not close to symmetrical and geometric shapes that were nowhere near even, equilateral, or equidistant. This is uncharacteristic of Da Vinci.
However, I was emotionally taken by the work. It was so pleasurable to look at. It was very colorful, the shapes (although not symmetrical) 'made sense' and invoked an emotion in me that reminded me of a fall afternoon in the Appalachian mountains when the leaves were changing. I expressed this to a bystander and she agreed with me!
Abstraction obviously entertained every on-looker. Many people smiled and pointed out the little details of how the color played upon the shapes. One might think that this piece is only entertaining upon first glance, yet there are written messages hidden in the colors and the shapes. The messages have been translated as propaganda phrases against the French Army and Charles VII, who invaded Italy in 1499. Abstraction was on display in the Milan Cathedral in 1498. This means it is obvious that Da Vinci sought to influence public opinion with the messages in the painting.
I recommend visiting the new gallery and viewing Abstraction. It is multi-layered in meaning with the interplay of colors, shapes, and written messages that accurately depict the political issues of that time.
Questions
1. How would Plato evaluate this Art Critique based upon his Aesthetic Principles?
2. How would Kant evaluate this Art Critique based upon his Aesthetic Principles
3. How does this critique illustrate 'Art as Entertainment' pursuant to Aesthetic Value and Society in the class text?
4. How does this critique illustrate 'Art as a Revolutionary Tool' pursuant to Aesthetic Value and Society in the class text?