  In part one of the Critique of Judgment, Immanuel Kant wrote that "the
judgment of taste...is not a cognitive judgment, and so not logical, but is
aesthetic."\cite{Kant} While the condition of aesthetic discernment has long
been the subject of philosophical discourse, the role of the arbiters of that
judgment has more often been assumed than questioned. The art historian,
critic, connoisseur, and curator have long held the esteemed position of the
aesthetic judge, their training, instinct, and eye part of the inimitable
subjective processes that Kant described as occurring upon artistic evaluation.
Although the concept of intangible knowledge in regard to aesthetic theory has
been much explored, little discussion has arisen in response to the development
of new types of artificial intelligence as a challenge to the seemingly
ineffable abilities of the human observer. This paper examines the developments
in the field of computer vision analysis of paintings from canonical movements
with the history of Western art and the reaction of art historians to the
application of this technology in the field. Through an investigation of the
ethical consequences of this innovative technology, the unquestioned authority
of the art expert is challenged and the subjective nature of aesthetic judgment
is brought to philosophical scrutiny once again.
