Abstract
Artifacts from the life and career of the artist and scholar, Harry Brorby, reveal his interest in expressing emotion through imagery. Through his writing and art, he sought to create an autonomous artistic identity. Writing and art have long shared a connection in their nature, content, and purpose, but differ in means and manner of expression. This connection specifically between the sister arts of art and poetry is examined in the 1980 essay, Ut Pictura Poesis: The Humanistic Theory of Painting by Resselaer W. Lee. The title comes from the philosopher Horace’s similie, ut picture poesis-as is painting so is poetry. Art critics and theorists from the Aristotelian philosophy, such as Dolce, Bellori, Poussin, and Lomazzo, inspect both mediums as humanistic action. Painting, like poetry, fulfils its highest function in a representative imitation of human life. This action places the power in the creator’s hands to express human emotion, explore beyond the antique, and provide purpose. Brorby wanted to create new and unique works of art that were not simply based on antique methods and traditional art, but that of contemporary influence, self-expressionism and self-actualization. Such work can be seen in his Yellow Series that show a spontaneous emotional searching.