Sublime

On the Sublime deals with forms of expression which have the power to 'entrance' us, to 'transport us with wonder', as opposed to merely persuading or pleasing us. Sublime passages in literature exert an 'irresistible' force. Contemporary cultures prefer their art works, in general, to be modest and unassuming. The conception which informs Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo is certainly grand - a man getting a steam boat hauled over a mountain in order to finance opera in the Amazon and the filming is as passionate as the hero. In so far as the film produces amazement, wonder or awe it is properly characterized as sublime. On the Sublime was translated into French in 1674, and exerted a considerable influence in eighteenth century aesthetics, where beauty and sublimity are often paired. The concept of the sublime, as articulated by Burke, contains a lurking paradox.