What Type of Writing Did Walter Pater Defined as the Special and Opportune Art of the Modern World?

Art|Modern Art

Walter Pater was an influential English critic and essayist who wrote extensively about the arts in the Victorian period and is remembered for his writing on the aesthetic movement. He is best known for his statement that “all art constantly aspires towards the condition of music” and for his book Studies in the History of the Renaissance, which was a major influence on the aesthetic movement.

Pater’s writings on modern art, literature, philosophy and religion shaped the thinking of many writers who followed him. He championed individualism, creativity and imagination as essential components of modern life, and believed that everyone should pursue their own unique vision. He championed an approach to life and art which emphasized emotional depth and subjective experience.

Pater’s most important definition of modern writing came from his essay “Style” (1888). In it he argued that style should be understood as “the special and opportune art of our modern world” which could embody both individuality and expression.

For Pater, style was not merely a matter of technical instruction or artistic conventions, but rather a way to express one’s unique inner vision through language. He argued that style should be used to create a vivid impression on readers; it should be used to convey a sense of personality to readers so that they would feel connected to or understand the writer’s ideas better.

Pater believed that modern writing should have a sense of purposefulness; it should strive to capture something essential about human experience. He argued that style should be used as a vehicle for conveying ideas rather than merely ornamental decoration. Ultimately, Pater saw style as an expression of individual creativity which could be used to make meaningful contributions to society through literature or other forms of writing.

In conclusion, Walter Pater defined style as “the special and opportune art of our modern world” – an expressive tool which could embody individual creativity while at the same time conveying meaningful ideas about human experience. His writings on modern art, literature, philosophy and religion were hugely influential in shaping how later generations viewed these topics, inspiring them to explore their own creative potentials through writing.