The Use and Abuse of Art (The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)

Barzun's "The Tripartite Eye" is a series of transcribed lectures examining the complex institutions and growing interests called Art that influence individual people and society at large. Barzun sees a need to challenge art due to the diverse and contradictory theories being promoted under its name. He identifies three productive moments in western civilization labeled as the Renaissance from 1400 to 1600, the Romantic period from 1789 to 1840, and modernism from 1890 to 1914. Barzun examines the rise of art as a substitute for religion in the nineteenth century, treating Aestheticism and Abolitionism during the period 1890 to 1914. He also discusses the function of art as a redeemer and the troubled relationship between Science and Art. While some readers found it to be a wonderful, thoughtful book and a good resource for all types of readers, others did not agree with many of his statements. Some found Barzun's series to be a bit too arcane and heavy in art philosophy. However, it provides insightful perspectives into the traditional/post-modern dichotomy.