"Word and Image"

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes W.J.T. Mitchell's essay "Word and Image", which explores the distinction between images and words. The paper comments on this essay, passage by passage, and concludes that it offers more questions than it does answers. The paper also points out that, although the essay does not offer us a definition of word and image, there may actually be no practical definition.

From the Paper:

"WJT Mitchell's status as a critic in the art world is impressive, and his writings about art are globally influential. His essay "Word and Image" is part of a definitive collection of essays, most of which define critical art terms. The critical art term that Mitchell defines here is "word and image." The first few paragraphs seem straightforward enough, and at first the essay seems to limit its scope to the challenges and limitations inherent in the task of describing images with words. However, Mitchell's prose soon becomes more and more complex as he deftly explains the illusory nature of defining such an intricate concept."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Mitchell, W.J.T. "Word and Image." In Critical Terms for Art History, edited by Robert
• S. Nelson and Richard Shiff (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996, pp. 51-61).
• ------ "'Image and Word' and 'Mute Poesy and Blind Painting.'" 1986. In Art in Theory
• 1900-1990: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, edited by Charles Harrison and Paul Wood (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1992, pp. 1106-1111).

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