Page 35 - Studio International - March 1972

Hideto Yamazaki
Art and project bulletin 26
Proposition II 1970

2 Victor Vasarely
Installation shot of exhibition at the
Pavillon de Marsan 1963

on this matter have been greatly influenced by a with the treatment of that theme in the work of Panofsky's method at its best. And I'd like to
remarkable study published recently in France — other artists. Finally we reach the 'iconological re-emphasize two particular features which it
Jean-Louis Schefer's Scénographie d'un tableau, interpretation', which is, in Panofsky's terms, manifests. On the one hand, the pre-
(Editions du Seuil, 1969). Schefer's approach is the discovery of the 'intrinsic meaning or iconographical, the iconographical and the
explicitly contrasted with the approach of Erwin content' : by this stage we are exploring through iconological stages are seen as essentially
Panofsky. And I shall be developing this `synthetic intuition' what Panofsky calls the distinct : they reflect quite different levels of
suggestive parallel between Panofsky's `essential tendencies of the human mind'.12 analysis. On the other hand, they form a definite
interpretative technique and that employed by In case this description may seem a little progression, from the obvious to the less obvious,
Schefer. But I should point out that my analysis schematic, I shall briefly mention how it from the superficial to the profound, from
will be nowhere near as exhaustive as Schefer's. applies in practice with reference to Titian's appearance to reality. The critic's progress
His consideration of no more than one picture, Allegory of Prudence, a picture from the painter's becomes a kind of Platonic ascent from the
the Game of Chess by Paris Bordone, is either a old age now in the National Gallery. Panofsky inessential to the essence. In both these
miracle or a monstrosity, depending on whether spends virtually no time on pre-iconographical respects, the critical attitude of Schefer is almost
we choose to admire the endless fertility of the analysis of this picture, which is fair enough since diametrically opposed to that of Panofsky. He
linguistic decoding or to stand appalled at the the rather schematic presentation of three human has, admittedly, picked a picture in which the
relentless disregard for critical economy. heads and three animal heads juxtaposed code in Panofsky's sense has been lost. Not only
Panofsky's scheme of interpretation is involves no problem of recognizability or do we not penetrate to the iconological level;
explained with great clarity and elegance in his decoding of formal motifs. He spends a large we are even arrested before the point where any
`Introduction to the Study of Renaissance Art', proportion of his article in a fascinating satisfactory iconographical interpretation can be
included in the collection Meaning in the Visual iconographical investigation during which made. In fact Schefer decisively rejects the
Arts (Peregrine Books 1970). Its essential feature he shows that Titian has conflated the notion that there is, or can be, any single code
is that there are three levels of interpretation, `old-fashioned image of Prudence in the guise of which supersedes all others. Instead he puts
and I think it is clearly assumed that we proceed three human heads of different ages' and an forward the suggestion that this painting, and
from one to the other in ascending order of Egyptian-inspired representation of Prudence in by implication any painting, contains a plurality
importance. First comes what Panofsky calls the terms of three animal heads, the wolf, the lion of codes, codes which cut across Panofsky's
`pre-iconographical description', which is and the dog. But then, finally, he proceeds to an distinction between pre-iconographical and
simply a matter of decoding the artistic motifs iconological interpretation which is the crown iconographical. He criticises, I think rightly,
whereby recognizable objects and events are of the whole interpretation. The three human Panofsky's failure to linger at the pre-
represented by lines, colours and volumes. All heads are identified with Titian himself, the old iconographical stage, the stage of the image, and
we need for this purpose is a practical familiarity man, his son Orazio, the middle-aged man, and suggests that Panofsky runs the risk of reducing
with objects and events, and some sense of the his 'adopted grandson' Marco Vecelli, the the picture to a mere illustration of a text, the
history of style, which is the manner in which young man. The Allegory of Prudence becomes unique code, rather than paying attention to the
the formal expression of objects and events has a moving record of Titian's realization that he image itself as text. It is not necessary to trace
altered in the course of time. Second comes the must recognize his own approaching death and the full development of Schefer's analysis. But
`iconographical analysis', which requires a make provision for his clan. And Panofsky even I can at least put forward one typical example.
substantial knowledge of literary sources : at this indulges in the 'romantic speculation' that the Much of his argument develops from
stage we would pass from the inspection of the picture was intended to conceal a 'cupboard consideration of the relationship between a
motifs employed to represent a woman borne recessed into the wall' where important square-tiled pavement reaching across the
aloft by an irresistible force to investigation of documents relating to his estate were kept." middle ground of the picture and a chess-board
the theme of the Assumption, and comparison This particular analysis is, I think, a model of which occupies the extreme foreground corner of