Universal Principles of Art

34 FINISH

POLISHING TO PERFECTION

“Finish” in art refers to the final polishing-up of a work, especially when it implies the last manipulation to secure a seamless illusion in representational painting. A painting by Jean Auguste Domnique Ingres (1780–1867), with its flawlessly executed rendering and fine glazing, would be considered to have “finish.” This kind of crafting and its ambition to obtain a dazzling illusion honed to perfection was seen as a highly desirable component of Neoclassical and academic painting in the nineteenth century. Conversely, painters of the Romantic persuasion preferred more open and direct painting styles that did not embrace a sense of finish and could be left in a somewhat raw state.

Whether finish is desirable ...