我的方法的出发点是在于认定一件艺术品不是孤立的，在于找出艺术品所从属的，并且能解释艺术品的总体。
第一步毫不困难。一件艺术品，无论是一幅画，一出悲剧，一座雕像，显而易见属于一个总体，就是说属于作者的全部作品。这一点很简单。人人知道一个艺术家的许多不同的作品都是亲属，好象一父所生的几个女儿，彼此有显著的相象之处。你们也知道每个艺术家都有他的风格，见之子他所有的作品。倘是画家，他有他的色调，或鲜明或暗淡；他有他特别喜爱的典型。或高尚或通俗；他有他的姿态，他的构图，他的制作方法，他的用油的厚薄，他的写实方式，他的色彩，他的手法。倘是作家，他有他的人物，或激烈或和平；他有他的情节，或复杂或简单；他有他的结局，或悲壮或滑稽：他有他风格的效果，他的句法，他的字汇。这是千真万确的事，只要拿一个相当优秀的艺术家的一件没有签名的作品给内行去看，他差不多一定能说出作家来；如果他经验相当丰富，感觉相当灵敏，还能说出作品属于那位作家的哪一个时期，属于作家的哪一个发展阶段。
这是一件艺术品所从属的第一个总体。下面要说到第二个。
艺术家本身，连同他所产生的全部作品，也不足孤立的。有一个包括艺术家在内的总体，比艺术家更广大，就是他所隶属的同时同地的艺术宗派或艺术家家族。例如莎土比亚，初看似乎是从天上掉下来的奇迹，从别个星球上来的陨石，但在他的周围，我们发见十来个优秀的剧作家，如韦白斯忒，福特，玛星球，马洛，本•琼生，弗来契，菩蒙，都用同样的风格，同样的思想感情写作。他们的戏剧的特征和莎士比亚的特征一样；你们可以看到同样暴烈与可怕的人物，同样的凶杀和离奇的结局，同样突如其来和放纵的情欲，同样混乱，奇特，过火而又辉煌的文体，同样对田野与风景抱着诗意浓郁的感情，同样写一般敏感而爱情深厚的妇女。——在画家方面，卢本斯好象也是独一无二的人物，前天师承，后无来者。但只要到比利时去参观根特，布鲁塞尔，布鲁日，盎凡尔斯各地的教堂，就发觉有整批的画家才具都和卢本斯相仿：先是当时与他齐名的克雷伊埃，还有亚当•梵•诺尔德，日拉•齐格斯，龙蒲兹，亚伯拉罕•扬桑斯，梵•罗斯，梵•丢尔登，约翰•梵•奥斯德，以及你们所熟悉的约登斯，梵•代克，都用同样的思想感情理解绘画，在各人特有的差别中始终保持同一家族的面貌。和卢本斯一样，他们喜欢表现壮健的人体，生命的丰满与颤动，血液充沛，感觉灵敏，在人身上充分透露出来的充血的软肉，现实的，往往还是粗野的人物，活泼放肆的动作，铺绣盘花，光艳照人的衣料，绸缎与红布的反光，或是飘荡或是团皱的帐帷帘慢。到了今日，他们同时代的大宗师的荣名似乎把他们湮没了；但要了解那位大师，仍然需要把这些有才能的作家集中在他周围，因为他只是其中最高的一根枝条，只是这个艺术家庭中最显赫的一个代表。
这是第二步。现在要走第三步了。这个艺术家庭本身还包括在一个更广大的总体之内，就是在它周围而趣味和它一致的社会。因为风俗习惯与时代精神对于群众和对于艺术家是相同的；艺术家不是孤立的人。我们隔了几世纪只听到艺术家的声音：但在传到我们耳边来的响亮的声音之下，还能辨别出群众的复杂而无穷无尽的歌声，象一大片低沉的嗡嗡声一样，在艺术家四周齐声合唱。只因为有了这一片和声，艺术家才成其为伟大。而且这是必然之事：菲狄阿斯，伊克提诺斯，一般建筑巴德农神庙和塑造奥林匹亚的邱比特的人，跟别的雅典人一样是异教徒，是自由的公民，在练身场上教养长大，参加搏斗，光着身子参加运动，惯于在广场上辩论，表决；他们都有同样的习惯，同样的利益，同样的信仰，种族相同，教育相同，语言相同，所以在生活的一切重要方面，艺术家与观众完全相象。
这种两相一致的情形还更显明，倘若考察一个离我们更近的时代，例如西班牙的盛世，从十六世纪到十七世纪中叶为止。那是大画家的时代，出的人才有凡拉斯开士，牟利罗，苏巴朗，法朗西斯谷•特•海雷拉，阿龙苏•卡诺，莫拉兰斯；也是大诗人的时代，出的人才有洛泼•特•凡迦，卡特隆，塞万提斯，铁索•特•莫利那，唐•路易•特•雷翁，淇兰姆•特•卡斯德罗，还有许多别的。你们知道，那时西班牙纯粹是君主专制和笃信旧教的国家，在来邦德打败了土耳其人，插足到非洲去建立殖民地，镇压日耳曼的新教徒，还到法国去追击，到英国去攻打，制服崇拜偶像的美洲土著，要他们改宗；在西班牙本土赶走犹太人和摩尔人；用火刑与迫害的手段肃清国内宗教上的异派；滥用战舰与军队，挥霍从美洲掠取得来的金银，虚掷最优秀的子弟的热血，攸关国家命脉的热血，消耗在穷兵黩武，一次又一次的十字军上面；那种固执，那种风魔，使西班牙在一个半世纪以后民穷财尽，倒在欧罗巴脚下。但是那股热诚，那种不可一世的声威，那种举国若狂的热情，使西班牙的臣民醉心于君主政体，为之而集中他们的精力，醉心于国家的事业，为之而鞠躬尽瘁：他们一心一意用服从来发扬宗教与王权，只想把信徒，战士，崇拜者，团结在教会与王座的周围。异教裁判所的法官和十字军的战士，都保存着中但纪的骑士思想，神秘气息，阴沉激烈的脾气，残暴与偏狭的性格。在这样一个君主国家之内，最大的艺术家是赋育群众的才能，意识，情感而达到最高度的人。最知名的诗人，洛泼•特•凡迦和卡特隆，当过闯江湖的大兵，“无畏舰队”的义勇军，喜欢决斗，谈恋爱；对爱情的风魔与神秘的观念不亚于封建时代的诗人和堂•吉何德一流的人物。他们信奉旧教如醉若狂，其中一个甚至在晚年加入异教裁判所，另外几人也当了教士：最知名的一位，大诗人洛泼，做弥撒的时候想到耶稣的受难与牺牲，竟然晕倒。诸如此类的事例到处都有，说明艺术家与群众息息相通，密切一致。所以我们可以肯定的说：要了解艺术家的趣味与才能，要了解他为什么在绘画或戏剧中选择某个部门，为什么特别喜爱某种典型某种色彩，表现某种感情，就应当到群众的思想感情和风俗习惯中去探求。
英语：
The starting point of my approach is that a work of art is not isolated, it is found in the works of art, and can explain the overall work of art.
The first step is not difficult. A piece of art, whether it is a painting, a tragedy, a statue, it is obvious to belong to a whole, that is, all the works of the author. This is very simple. Everyone knows that many different works of an artist are relatives, like a father's daughters, each have a significant similarities. You also know that every artist has his or her style, and all the works of his son. If he is a painter, he has his shades, or a bright or dim; he has a typical of his particular favorite. Noble or popular; he has his attitude, his compositions, his method, the thickness of his oil, his realistic style, his color his technique. If it is a writer, he has his characters, or a violent or peaceful; he has his plot, or complex or simple; he has his ending, tragic or comic: he has the effect of his style, his syntax. His vocabulary. It is true that, as long as the use of a very good artist of a no signature works to the experts to see, he is almost certain to say the writers; if he is quite experienced, the feeling is quite sensitive, can say works belong to the writer of which a period, belonging to the writer which stage of development.
This is the first general of a work of art. Here are second.
The artist himself, along with all his works, is not in isolation. There is a whole, including artists, more than the artist, that is, he belongs to the same place as the art of sectarian or artist family. Such as Shakespeare, at first glance seems to be falling from the sky the miracle that meteorites come from another planet, but around him, we see a dozen outstanding playwright, such as Wei Baisi intuit, Ford, Ma planet, Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Fulaiqi, Bodhisattva cast, are in the same style, same thoughts feelings writing. Characteristics of the characteristics of their drama and Shakespeare; you can see the same violent and terrible figures, the same murder and bizarre ending, the lust of the equally sudden and indulgence, the same confusion, strange, burned and brilliant style, the same to the field and landscape holding the rich poetic sentiment, also written general sensitive and deep love of woman. In the artist, as if is the one and only person Lu gibbons, before tianshic bearing no latecomers. But as long as to Belgium to visit Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, the angles and the valve, around the church, he found that a whole group of painters can and Rubens similar: first time with his eponymous Creil Angstrom, and Adam Vatican - Nolde. - Rila Zegers and dragon Pu hereby, Abraham Yansans, Vatican Ross, Vatican - lost Reardon, John Van - Oslo, and you are familiar with the Odens. - Van Dyck, all with the same thoughts and feelings for understanding painting. In each specific differences always keep the face of the same family. And Rubens. They like to show a healthy body, the fullness of life and fibrillation, abundant blood, I feel sensitive, congestion in the human body fully revealed the soft flesh, realistic, often still rough character, lively, bold action, shop embroidery disk flowers, light Yanzhao cloth, silk and cloth reflective, or floating or crumpled curtain curtain slow. Today, they at the same time to the Grand Master of the glory of the name seems to be their annihilation, but want to know who the master, still need to focus these talented writers around him, because he is just one of the highest branch, just the art family, the most prominent of a representative.
This is the second step. Now take third steps. The art family itself is also included in a larger population, which is the society around it and it is fun and consistent. Because the customs and the spirit of the times for the masses and for the artists are the same; artists are not isolated. Us separate centuries only hear the artist's voice: but in our ears to the loud voice spread under, can be distinguished from the masses and complex limitless song, like a large low hum, around the artist chorus. Only because of this piece of harmony, the artist has become a great. And this is a matter of necessity: Philippine de aspen and Ictinus and general building Badenong temple and shaping the Olympia of Cupid, with other Athenian is pagan, is the freedom of citizens, in the practice field rearing grew up in battle, light body in motion, accustomed to debate in the square vote; they have the same habits, the same interests, the same faith, the same race, the same educational, speak the same language, so in all aspect of life, artists and audience exactly alike.This is the second step. Now take third steps. The art family itself is also included in a larger population, which is the society around it and it is fun and consistent. Because the customs and the spirit of the times for the masses and for the artists are the same; artists are not isolated. Us separate centuries only hear the artist's voice: but in our ears to the loud voice spread under, can be distinguished from the masses and complex limitless song, like a large low hum, around the artist chorus. Only because of this piece of harmony, the artist has become a great. And this is a matter of necessity: Philippine de aspen and Ictinus and general building Badenong temple and shaping the Olympia of Cupid, with other Athenian is pagan, is the freedom of citizens, in the practice field rearing grew up in battle, light body in motion, accustomed to debate in the square vote; they have the same habits, the same interests, the same faith, the same race, the same educational, speak the same language, so in all aspect of life, artists and audience exactly alike.
So we can set a rule: to understand a work of art, an artist, and a group of artists, we must correctly visualize the spirit and customs of their time. This is the final interpretation of works of art, but also the basic reason for all of the decision. This point has been confirmed by the experience; as long as the history of the art of the various times, you can see some of the spirit and the spirit of the times and the customs of the situation at the same time, while the eradication of. For example, the Greek Tragedy: Aeschylus, Alfonso Fochler J, Euripides
