ABSTRACT
Visual memory means the memory bank of images that humans carry in their minds throughout life. This demonstrates a central fact in the study of the paragone, which is that it depends upon the existence and cultivation of a visual memory in both the artist and the viewer. Many scholars have studied aesthetic theory, inter-arts relationships, even rivalries between certain artists. But these studies have too often ignored the historical context of the paragone and the participants have not been fully linked to this tradition. By considering the competitive aspect of the artistic impulse, and the factors that nurtured this competition, scholars may discover other techniques and themes that have been employed for the purpose across the history of art. The role of memory in the successes of nineteenth-century artists was ineradicably marked by the circumstances of the moment. For each artist the method, theoretical justification, and motivation for engaging in the paragone is unique.
