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Can art criticism make objective judgments about works of art?

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Painting by Gustave Courbet showing the artist at his easel in a crowded studio, surrounded by figures including a nude model, onlookers, and a child with a white dog. — Art criticism *The Painter's Studio*, oil on canvas by Gustave Courbet, 1854–55, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Whether art criticism can achieve objective judgment is a central, enduring debate in aesthetics. There is no consensus, as the field balances between subjective experience and the search for universal standards.1

Perspectives on Objectivity

The Case for Objectivity: Some theorists argue that criticism can be objective by focusing on the aesthetic object itself—its structure, typology, and formal qualities—independent of the critic's personal feelings. Others, like F.R. Leavis, argued that objectivity is achieved through a "justification of a response" grounded in a shared cultural canon, where moral awareness and comparative analysis provide a framework for evaluation.1
The Case for Subjectivity: Critics like Denis Diderot recognized that as art became less bound by rigid, rational rules, criticism necessarily became more personal and idiosyncratic. This view suggests that because aesthetic judgment is rooted in individual perception and emotional response, it cannot be reduced to a purely objective, scientific calculus.21

Ultimately, while critics strive to provide "objective grounds for subjective preferences" to persuade others, the practice remains a complex negotiation between the critic's internal experience and the external work of art.1