Discovery or invention? The difference between art and communication according to Ernst Gombrich

The paper sets out to explore the boundaries between artworks and advertising works in line with the thinking of Ernst Gombrich. his distinction between art and other forms of communication emphasises the importance of „discovery‟ as opposed to mere „invention‟. What are the symptoms of an artwork according to Gombrich? The difference with advertising is not ontological at all: anything that comes out of the artist‟s top hat and is traded between dealers, gallery owners and collectors is art, whereas any graphic work produced for communication purposes and conveyed by the media is propaganda. Ultimately, the most valid distinction lies in the modality and the internal dynamics of the artwork itself. By re-examining some examples provided by Gombrich – from the colour of light in John Constable to Giulio Romano‟s Palazzo Te, from Raphael‟s Madonna della sedia to Saul Steinberg‟s work – this contribution delves further into an issue not comprehensively dealt with by Gombrich and whose importance is still underestimated.