Argument Analysis: Establishing Context and Cogency of Enthymematic Arguments
Friday, 14. December 2007, 16:48:37
In the chapter on baroque art from Gardner's Art through the Ages, a short argument is offered in explanation of Rembrandt's modulation of light and shade to render emotional meanings in his paintings:In his early career in Amsterdam, Rembrandt's work was influenced by Rubens and by the Dutch Caravaggiesque painters like Honthorst. Thus, in a work like the Supper at Emmaus, from about 1630, he represents the subject with high drama--in sharp light and dark contrast--even using the device, familiar among his contemporaries, of placing the source of illumination behind an obstructing form, in this case the head of Christ. This puts the darkest shadow in front of the brightest light, aiming for an emphatic, if obvious, dramatic effect.
(Horst de la Croix and Richard G. Tansey, eds. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 6th ed. (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975), 611.)
This argument, since it is presented out of context and without additional information, would normally be considered inductive. Simply on the basis that Rembrandt's work was influenced by Rubens and the Dutch Caravaggieque painters like Honthorst, we could not necessarily conclude, without additional premises, that a particular painting of Rembrandt, namely the Supper at Emmaus, would demonstrate the influence of those earlier painters.
However, if we assume, just as a reasonably attentive reader would, that Rembrandt's Supper at Emmaus was an early work and that Rubens and the Dutch Caravaggiesque painters dramatically contrasted the effects of light and dark in their works, then these statements may be justifiably taken for granted, even though they are not explicitly stated in the original passage.
Consequently, given the context and an assumed common knowledge of seventeenth century art, the argument as quoted above could justly be considered incomplete until the missing premises were supplied. The complete argument, then, is a sorites or syllogistic chain of two enthymematic arguments. The argument and the newly provided assumptive statements might be reasonably simplified and reconstructed deductively as follows.
All early paintings of Rembrandt are works influenced by Rubens and the Dutch Caravaggiesque painters.
Supper at Emmaus is an early painting of Rembrandt.
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Supper at Emmaus is a work influenced by Rubens and the Dutch Caravaggiesque painters.
All works influenced by Rubens and the Dutch Caravaggiesque painters are pictures exhibiting dramatic light and dark contrasts.
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Supper at Emmaus is a picture exhibiting dramatic light and dark contrasts.
The complete argument can now be directly tested in the usual manner by means of Venn Diagrams or syllogistic rules of inference.
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