Principles of Art

work by Collingwood

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July 13, 2026

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R.G. Collingwood, in his work Principles of Art (1938), presented an aesthetic theory that distinguished art from craft. He argued that craft is a means to an end, while art is an end in itself. Collingwood's philosophy emphasizes art as expression, asserting that the feeling or emotion must be inherent in the artwork's form and not merely a representation of pre-existing states of mind. This perspective aligns with his broader philosophical project of reconciling philosophy and history, viewing art as a crucial form of knowledge and experience integral to human nature.12

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aesthetics
Expressionism
Collingwood (Principles of Art, 1938) was similarly dismissive of representation and similarly concerned with presenting a theory of art that would justify the revolutionary practice of his contemporaries (in this case, the post-Symbolist poetry of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land ). As pointed out earlier, Collingwood…
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Collingwood (Principles of Art, 1938) was similarly dismissive of representation and similarly concerned with presenting a theory of art that would justify the revolutionary practice of his contemporaries (in this case, the post-Symbolist poetry of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land ). As pointed out earlier, Collingwood…
Read More