For your eyes only

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From the Perseus online library edition of The Art of Poetry by Horace, "Ut pictura poesis..."

"As is painting, so is poetry: some pieces will strike you more if you stand near, and some, if you are at a greater distance: one loves the dark; another, which is not afraid of the critic's subtle judgment, chooses to be seen in the light; the one has pleased once, the other will give pleasure if ten times repeated."

These lines by Horace demonstrating his appreciation for some of the fine points of painting are encouraging support for my contention that art criticism is a species of Satire. Horace was forced to defend his satirical writing as a unique genre of literature, not the failure to compose epic, tragic, lyric, or otherwise "serious" poetry. Although by no means the first to write ad hominem taunts against those who reviled him, and his writing, Horace could be said to be the first to self-consciously write satire.

I would think to be singled-out by such a critic an honor. Think how much Horace saw in life that wasn't suitable for repeating. The Emperor was not the only powerful citizen of Rome, even if the most powerful, inter alia. A witticism that pressed the point a little to sharply could be fatal. As then, much today is hinted-at by the Press that cannot, or will not, or should not, etc., be published. 

Satire, like painting, touches upon sensitive subject matter. The strange murals which have survived from Pompey supposedly about "the mysteries" may be but one, surviving, example of its type. They are likely an instance of that type of painting, mentioned by Horace, which "loves the dark." That is, an image which must be kept secret, viewed only in the dark, a mystery. Knowing ancient Rome, a probable candidate for such secrecy might be (if I may touch upon so sensitive a subject), ritual child nuptials. 

While not illegal, many things are a private matter, not for public proclamation. Horace was nothing if not tactful, discrete, a gentleman and scholar. Today, he might be a journalist--a book reviewer, at least. That, plus an appreciation for art proceeding from conversations about art with those in the know, not limited, that is, to primary perception, makes his Satires neighbors with History, unquestionably a favorite of the Muses.

The graphic art of Brian Higgins can be viewed at: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/8-brian-higgins
One-of-a-kind works of art can be viewed at: https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/1840403

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