DOCSLIB.ORG

Bloomsbury's Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bloomsbury's Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2018 Bloomsbury's Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art Elizabeth Sarah Berkowitz The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2537 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] BLOOMSBURY’S BYZANTIUM AND THE WRITING OF MODERN ART by ELIZABETH SARAH BERKOWITZ A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2018 © 2018 Elizabeth Sarah Berkowitz All Rights Reserved ii Bloomsbury’s Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art by Elizabeth Sarah Berkowitz This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Art History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _________________ ________________________________________ Rose-Carol Washton Long Date Chair of Examining Committee _________________ ________________________________________ Rachel Kousser Date Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Jennifer Ball Rosemarie Haag Bletter Mark Hussey THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Bloomsbury’s Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art by Elizabeth Berkowitz Advisor: Rose-Carol Washton Long “Bloomsbury’s Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art” examines the role of Byzantine art in Bloomsbury art critics Roger Fry’s and Clive Bell’s narratives of aesthetic Modernism. Fry, in his pre-World War I and interwar writings and teachings on art, and Bell, in seminal texts such as Art (1914), have been branded by art historiography as the prime movers in a Formalist, teleological narrative of Modern art still prevalent in textbooks today. Fry’s and Bell’s ideas were later adopted by important Modernist authors and cultural figures, such as Alfred H. Barr, Jr., first director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and critic Clement Greenberg. Yet, less known is the integral role Byzantine art played in delimiting both Fry’s and Bell’s ideas of Modernism, and the art works they valued. Consistent with the international nineteenth- and twentieth-century interest in Byzantium, Fry and Bell each crafted an ahistorical idea of Byzantium. The Bloomsbury critics’ highly subjective definitions of Byzantine art and the Byzantine era allowed both Fry and Bell to project onto Byzantium qualities that aligned with their own intellectual interests. My dissertation uses these varied characterizations of Byzantium to reinterpret both authors’ writings on Modern art and subsequently to challenge canonical understanding of Western aesthetic Modernism. For instance, in my analysis of Fry’s and Bell’s idea of Byzantine art, I point to parallel qualities the critics’ valued in Modern pieces; and suggest that they used their concept of Byzantium to define a more secular, universalized iv spiritual conception of art as an alternative and counterpart to mainstream religions. I also explain how the critics relied on their definition of Byzantium to each advocate for non-Western art’s aesthetic value, and I demonstrate how the authors utilized their characterization of Byzantine art to contest the precedent of both John Ruskin and establishment, Western art history. This dissertation unravels the myriad personal, intellectual, and contextual circumstances which led to Fry’s and Bell’s interpretation of Byzantine art, and, as a result, illustrates how art- world politics and world politics of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries impacted the writing of formative texts in Western Modern art. v To my parents, Dr. Joanna Davis Berkowitz and Dr. Bruce Berkowitz, with love and gratitude. vi Acknowledgements I am indebted to many individuals and many institutions for their help, guidance, and support over the course of this dissertation’s conception, execution, and (finally!) completion. First, I have to thank Professor Rose-Carol Washton Long, my advisor and first reader. This dissertation originated with a paper written for her seminar at the Graduate Center, “Cubism vs. Expressionism.” That seminar assignment became a paper delivered at the 2012 “Byzantium/Modernism” conference at Yale University, and Professor Long was instrumental in ensuring that from abstract to presentation my work left no stone unturned, and no lead dangling. She has provided similar guidance and mentorship over these many years, as that initial seminar work became (many iterations of) a dissertation proposal, a conference paper, and finally, this dissertation. I will forever be grateful to her for teaching me how to be a scholar, for her insight and encyclopedic knowledge of Modernism, for her humanity, for her patience, for her willingness to let my own ideas drive my research, for her ability to help me start over when those ideas sometimes failed, and for her unwavering support, no matter the circumstances. I want to thank Professor Jennifer Ball, my second reader. As a Byzantinist, Professor Ball provided a critical eye from outside my period, as well as a calm, reassuring, and grounded voice during challenging moments in this process. She has been an unflagging support and source of advice on all matters. I credit her with providing clarity necessary for me to formulate and execute this work, and for teaching me how to write persuasively. (Though, I apologize to her for my continued affection for gerunds; dense, run-on sentences; and my abuse of semi- colons!) Thank you to Professor Rosemarie Haag Bletter, who graciously and valiantly stepped in as third reader for my defense, and who provided nothing short of thought-provoking and vii thoughtful comments on my dissertation. Thank you to Professor Mark Hussey, my fourth reader (and, by proxy, thank you to John and Eileen at the Bo-Peep Farmhouse near Charleston for their brilliant networking, telling me during my July 2016 visit about the “Bloomsbury scholar from America who stayed here last weekend, and is working on a biography of Clive Bell”!). Professor Hussey took the time to carefully and insightfully examine every inch of my dissertation. He presented me with questions and ideas that changed the drive of certain passages in this project, and that will undoubtedly enhance any future writings which stem from this dissertation. Prior to his “official role” as fourth reader, Professor Hussey has provided enjoyable conversation, and invaluable information and details about Clive Bell and Bloomsbury. I apologize to him for the paltry address of Bell in this project as opposed to Fry—if anything, I am an example of why his forthcoming Clive Bell biography is needed! Thank you to Dr. Margaret Stenz, whose editing prowess and superior knowledge of Turabian took my notes and bibliography from “hot mess” to legitimate. I want to also extend my thanks to the art history faculty at the Graduate Center, CUNY for their words of wisdom, guidance, and support over the years. Thank you to former Executive Officer Professor Claire Bishop for her insight, time, and advice. Thank you to current Executive Officer Professor Rachel Kousser, who has continued to be an invaluable source of wisdom, support, and kindness. Thank you to former department assistant program officer Andrea Appel, who I hope is enjoying her well-deserved retirement, and who expertly served in her roles as unofficial department psychologist, den mother, guide, and all-around mensch. Thank you to the current department assistant program officer Marilyn Mercado, for all of her help as I completed this process. Thank you to those innumerable friends and colleagues who have listened to me drone on about this dissertation from soup to nuts, and who have provided me with laughter and viii wonderful memories over the years. Thank you in particular to Alison Weaver, and to Professor Keith Moxey, my MA thesis advisor, who each provided encouragement that kept me plugging along. And thank you to all of my friends on the “bat phone” list, who promised to help with school pick up for my older daughter and who kept my husband company while I was abroad doing research. This dissertation could not have been completed without the resources and aid of several sources. Thank you to the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art. The Centre for British Art Research Support Grant allowed me to make my first research trip to Cambridge and London in January 2016. Thank you to Marian Goodman for supporting the Marian Goodman travel grant at the Graduate Center. This grant allowed me to take my second research trip to London and Sussex in July 2016, and to see Bloomsbury art and design “up close and personal.” Thank you to the King’s College Archive Centre and its tireless archivists, the staff and archivists at the Tate Britain, and the curatorial staff at the Victoria and Albert Museum, who graciously gave me time with many items from the Omega Workshops. Thank you to the Trinity College archivists, who generously scanned writings by Clive Bell so they could travel electronically across the pond. Thank you to the staff and archivists at the Archives of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art for helping me with resources for this project. Portions of my dissertation research have been published as an article on the 1910 Manet and the Post-Impressionists exhibition in BRANCH: Britain, Representation, and Nineteenth-Century History, and in a forthcoming review for Art Inquiries on the Museum of Modern Art’s Insecurities exhibition. In the spirit of “it takes a village,” I would be remiss if I didn’t thank some of the most important individuals, whose help with my children has allowed me to finish.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download Course Outlines
    Page | 1 Page | 2 Academic Programs Offered 1. BS Graphic Design 2. BS Textile Design 3. BS Fine Arts 4. BS Interior Design 5. MA Fine Arts 6. Diploma in Fashion Design 7. Diploma in Painting BS Graphic Design Eligibility: At least 45% marks in intermediate (FA/FSC) or equivalent, the candidate has to pass with 45% passing marks. Duration: 04 Year Program (08 Semesters) Degree Requirements: 139 Credit Hours Semester-1 Course Code Course Title Credit Hours URCE- 5101 Grammar 3(3+0) URCP- 5106 Pakistan Studies 2(2+0) GRAD-5101 Calligraphy-I 3(0+3) GRAD-5102 Basic Design-I 3(0+3) GRAD-5103 Drawing-I 3(0+3) URCI-5109 Introduction to Information & Communication 3(2+1) Technologies Semester-2 URCE- 5102 Language Comprehension & Presentation Skills 3(3+0) URCI- 5105 Islamic Studies 2(2+0) GRAD-5105 Calligraphy-II 3(0+3) GRAD-5106 Basic Design-II 3(0+3) URCM-5107 Mathematics (Geometry and Drafting) 3(3+0) GRAD-5107 Drawing-II 3(0+3) Semester-3 URCE- 5103 Academic Writing 3(3+0) GRAD-5108 History of Art 3(3+0) GRAD-5109 Drawing-III 3(0+3) GRAD-5110 Graphic Design-I 3(0+3) GRAD-5111 Photography-I 3(0+3) GRAD-5112 Communication Design 3(0+3) URCC-5110 Citizenship Education and Community Engagement 3(1+2) Semester-4 URCE- 5104 Introduction to English Literature 3(3+0) Page | 3 GRAD-5113 Fundamental of Typography 2(0+2) GRAD-5114 History of Graphic Design-I 3(3+0) GRAD-5115 Graphic Design-II 3(0+3) GRAD-5116 Photography-II 3(0+3) GRAD-5117 Techniques of Printing 2(1+1) Semester-5 GRAD-6118 History of Graphic Design-II 3(3+0) GRAD-6119 Graphic Design-III
    [Show full text]
  • Virginia Woolf's Portraits of Russian Writers
    Virginia Woolf’s Portraits of Russian Writers Virginia Woolf’s Portraits of Russian Writers: Creating the Literary Other By Darya Protopopova Virginia Woolf’s Portraits of Russian Writers: Creating the Literary Other By Darya Protopopova This book first published 2019 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2019 by Darya Protopopova All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-2753-0 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-2753-9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Note on the Text ........................................................................................ vi Preface ...................................................................................................... vii Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Russia and the British Search for the Cultural ‘Other’ Chapter One .............................................................................................. 32 Woolf’s Real and Fictional Russians Chapter Two ............................................................................................. 58 Woolf and Dostoevsky: Verbalising the Soul Chapter Three ........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright Statement
    COPYRIGHT STATEMENT This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the author’s prior consent. i ii REX WHISTLER (1905 – 1944): PATRONAGE AND ARTISTIC IDENTITY by NIKKI FRATER A thesis submitted to the University of Plymouth in partial fulfilment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Humanities & Performing Arts Faculty of Arts and Humanities September 2014 iii Nikki Frater REX WHISTLER (1905-1944): PATRONAGE AND ARTISTIC IDENTITY Abstract This thesis explores the life and work of Rex Whistler, from his first commissions whilst at the Slade up until the time he enlisted for active service in World War Two. His death in that conflict meant that this was a career that lasted barely twenty years; however it comprised a large range of creative endeavours. Although all these facets of Whistler’s career are touched upon, the main focus is on his work in murals and the fields of advertising and commercial design. The thesis goes beyond the remit of a purely biographical stance and places Whistler’s career in context by looking at the contemporary art world in which he worked, and the private, commercial and public commissions he secured. In doing so, it aims to provide a more comprehensive account of Whistler’s achievement than has been afforded in any of the existing literature or biographies. This deeper examination of the artist’s practice has been made possible by considerable amounts of new factual information derived from the Whistler Archive and other archival sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 12. the Avant-Garde in the Late 20Th Century 1
    Chapter 12. The Avant-Garde in the Late 20th Century 1 The Avant-Garde in the Late 20th Century: Modernism becomes Postmodernism A college student walks across campus in 1960. She has just left her room in the sorority house and is on her way to the art building. She is dressed for class, in carefully coordinated clothes that were all purchased from the same company: a crisp white shirt embroidered with her initials, a cardigan sweater in Kelly green wool, and a pleated skirt, also Kelly green, that reaches right to her knees. On her feet, she wears brown loafers and white socks. She carries a neatly packed bag, filled with freshly washed clothes: pants and a big work shirt for her painting class this morning; and shorts, a T-shirt and tennis shoes for her gym class later in the day. She’s walking rather rapidly, because she’s dying for a cigarette and knows that proper sorority girls don’t ever smoke unless they have a roof over their heads. She can’t wait to get into her painting class and light up. Following all the rules of the sorority is sometimes a drag, but it’s a lot better than living in the dormitory, where girls have ten o’clock curfews on weekdays and have to be in by midnight on weekends. (Of course, the guys don’t have curfews, but that’s just the way it is.) Anyway, it’s well known that most of the girls in her sorority marry well, and she can’t imagine anything she’d rather do after college.
    [Show full text]
  • Art of the Western World Course Content Videos Are Accessed At
    ARH 4930 – 521 ART OF THE WESTERN WORLD University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee Summer Session C 2015 Instructor: Anne Jeffrey M.A. Email: [email protected] FIRST DAY ATTENDANCE: There are no class meetings. But note: I will email you the first day of class: May 11 requesting your “first day attendance” confirmation by return email. Please reply promptly Otherwise, according to USF policy, you will be dropped from the class! THE MIDTERM AND FINAL REVIEW SHEETS ARE LOCATED AT THE END OF THIS SYLLABUS. THE REVIEW SHEETS ARE CRITICAL ADDITIONS TO YOUR MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAM PREPARATION. PLEASE PRINT. Because this in an online class please read the entire syllabus describing course requirements carefully. Pay close attention to exam review dates and dates for the midterm and final exams. To access an online CANVAS class, each student needs his/her own NET ID, and a USF EMAIL ADDRESS. Both are available to USF students through Academic Computing: https://una.acomp.usf.edu. Once the Net ID is activated, it will allow access to my.usf.edu, which takes you to Canvas. Click on course number. To view Instructor webcast reviews and to write the midterm and final exam you require a high speed connection. If your own computer system does not have a high speed connection, it is available to USF students at campus Open Labs, campus library computers and also at your local library. From time to time, during the semester I may send emails to the entire class. To receive information about any changes, additions, deletions or other information about assignments, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Elements of Innovators' Fame
    Elements of Innovators’ Fame: Social Structure, Identity and Creativity Mitali Banerjee Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Columbia University 2017 © 2017 Mitali Banerjee All rights reserved Abstract Elements of Innovators’ Fame: Social Structure, Identity and Creativity Mitali Banerjee What makes an innovator famous? This is the principal question of this dissertation. I examine three potential drivers of the innovators’ fame – their social structure, creativity and identity. My empirical context is the early 20th century abstract artists in 1910-25. The period represents a paradigmatic shift in the history of modern art, the emergence of the abstract art movement. In chapter 2, I operationalize social structure by an innovator’s local peer network. I find that an innovator with structurally and compositionally diverse local network is likely to be more famous than the one with a homogenous local network. I find no statistical evidence for creativity as a link between social structure and fame. Instead, the evidence suggests that an innovator’s creative identity and access to promotional opportunities are the key drivers of her fame. In Chapter 3, I find that the creativity identity resulting from an innovator’s creative trajectory can lead to obscurity despite early fame and acclaim. The drastic change in the nature of a producer’s output can dilute her identity and cost her her niche. In combination with her peer network characteristics, these dynamics can mean obscurity even for talented and prolific innovators. In chapter 4, I undertake a large-scale analysis of the relationship between creativity and fame.
    [Show full text]
  • The ISCC-NBS Method of Designating Colors and a Dictionary of Color Names
    Uc 8 , .Department of Commerce Na Canal Bureau of Standards Circular UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • Sinclair Weeks, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS • A. V. Astin, Director The ISCC-NBS Method of Designating Colors and a Dictionary of Color Names National Bureau of Standards Circular 553 Issued November 1, 1955 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price 32 7 1 National Bureau of Standards NOV 1 1955 8 (0*118 QC 00 U555 Cop. 1 Preface I^Ever since the language of man began to develop, words or expressions have been used first to indicate and then to describe colors. Some of these have per- sisted throughout the centuries and are those which refer to the simple colors or ranges such as red or yellow. As the language developed, more and more color names were invented to describe the colors used by art and industry and in late years in the rapidly expanding field of sales promotion. Some of these refer to the pigment or dye used, as Ochre Red or Cochineal, or a geographical location of its source such as Naples Yellow or Byzantium. Later when it became clear that most colors are bought by or for women, many color names indicative of the beauties and wiles of the fan- sex were introduced, as French Nude, Heart’s Desire, Intimate Mood, or Vamp. Fanciful color names came into vogue such as Dream Fluff, Happy Day, Pearly Gates, and Wafted Feather. Do not suppose that these names are without economic importance for a dark reddish gray hat for Milady might be a best seller ; if advertised as Mauve Wine whereas it probably would not if the color were called Paris Mud.
    [Show full text]
  • Byzantine Art and Architecture
    Byzantine Art and Architecture Thesis The development of early Christian religion had a significant impact on western art after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 4th century (AD). Through examining various works of art and architecture, it becomes evident that the period of Byzantium marked a significant transition in aesthetic conventions which had a previous focus on Roman elements. As this research entails, the period of Byzantium acted as a link between the periods of Antiquity and the Middle Ages and thus provides insight on the impact of Christianity and its prevalence in art and architecture during this vast historical period. Sources/Limitations of Study Primary Sources: Adams, Laurie Schneider. Art Across Time. McGraw­Hill: New York, 2007. Figures: 8.4 Early Christian sarcophagus, Santa Maria Antiqua, Rome, 4th century. Marble. 8.5 Plan of Old Saint Peter’s basilica, Rome, 333­390. 8.6 Reconstruction diagram of the nave of Old Saint Peter’s Basilica. 8.12 Exterior of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425­426. 8.13 Interior of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia showing niche with two apostles (above) and the Saint Lawrence mosaic (below), Ravenna, c. 425­426. 8.14 Christ as the Good Shepherd, the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425­ 426. Mosaic. 8.28 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (now Instanbul), illuminated at night, completed 537. 8.29 Plan, section, and axonometric projection of Hagia Sophia. 8.30 View of the interior of Hagia Sophia after its conversion to a mosque. Colour lithograph by Louis Haghe, from an original drawing by Chevalier Caspar Fussati.
    [Show full text]
  • AH 302: the Idea of the Aesthetic Syllabus Course Description Texts
    Fall 2020 AH 302: The Idea of the Aesthetic Syllabus The schedule of classes/readings is subject to change. Registered students should consult the syllabus on Google Classrooms, which will be kept updated. Instructor: Katalin Makkai Course times: Monday and Wednesday 15:45-17:15 Email: [email protected] Office hours: TBA Office: P98 004 Course description “Aesthetics” and “aesthetic” are terms that are often taken for granted inside as well as outside academic discourse. We speak of aesthetic experiences and judgments and qualities, and we employ “aesthetics” to designate the study of such matters. Although their root is taken from the Greek, the now-familiar terms (in their now-familiar usages) are, however, comparatively new. They are commonly regarded as having been introduced into the philosophical lexicon in the eighteenth century—a few hundred years ago. This course studies some of the texts that were key to the discovery, or perhaps the invention, of the “aesthetic”. What work was the idea meant to do? How did its evolution retain or reconfigure its original senses and purposes? Is the idea of the aesthetic problematic, ideological, or chimerical? Do we need an idea of the aesthetic to think about art? Texts All readings will be provided during the semester electronically and are to be brought to class as printouts. Electronic devices Students may not use any electronic devices (laptop, tablet, mobile phone) in the classroom, unless an accommodation letter has been issued. Requirements ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ​ ​ ​ Bard College Berlin maintains the staunchest regard for academic integrity and expects good academic practice from students in their studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Terminology Associated with Silk in the Middle Byzantine Period (AD 843-1204) Julia Galliker University of Michigan
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Centre for Textile Research Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD 2017 Terminology Associated with Silk in the Middle Byzantine Period (AD 843-1204) Julia Galliker University of Michigan Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/texterm Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Indo-European Linguistics and Philology Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons, and the Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons Galliker, Julia, "Terminology Associated with Silk in the Middle Byzantine Period (AD 843-1204)" (2017). Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD. 27. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/texterm/27 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Centre for Textile Research at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Terminology Associated with Silk in the Middle Byzantine Period (AD 843-1204) Julia Galliker, University of Michigan In Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD, ed. Salvatore Gaspa, Cécile Michel, & Marie-Louise Nosch (Lincoln, NE: Zea Books, 2017), pp. 346-373.
    [Show full text]
  • The Making of Byzantinism Dimiter G. Angelov Harvard University the Foundations of Byzantine Studies Were Laid During the Age Of
    The Making of Byzantinism Dimiter G. Angelov Harvard University The foundations of Byzantine studies were laid during the Age of Absolutism in France, when Byzantium became a fashionable academic subject because of its perceived similarities with the French monarchy. The Enlightenment, in turn, brought about an almost universal condemnation of Byzantine civilization which was thought to embody exactly what the Age of Reason opposed: an authoritarian political system; a culture permeated by blind religious belief; and a society fervently hostile to any notion of reform. While modern Byzantine scholarship has progressed in the study of the complexities and continuous transformation of Byzantine institutions, economy and culture, there still exist a simplistic and negative assessment of Byzantine civilization and of the Byzantine legacy in southeastern Europe by historians, political scientists and publicists. I use the term Byzantinism to designate a representation of Byzantine civilization as an antipode and an imperfect reflection of Western historical experiences and values. In my view, Byzantinism shares common characteristics with the Balkanist discourse as defined by Maria Todorova, since both Byzantinism and Balkanism try to present a variation within the construct of European civilization and to portray the other “within.” Byzantinism is both a specific discourse about Byzantium with a long history stretching back to the Middle Ages and a reductionist approach which essentializes Byzantium through the application of analytical categories derived, explicitly or indirectly, from Western historical experience. Two main elements of Byzantinism are the notions of caesaropapism and of the unlimited absolutism of the Byzantine emperor. The concept of caesaropapism is based on the subordinate position of the Byzantine patriarch, which differs from the relative independence of the papacy from political authority.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexej Jawlensky's Pain
    “. I CAME TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO TRANSLATE NATURE INTO COLOUR ACCORDING TO THE FIRE IN MY SOUL”: ALEXEJ JAWLENSKY’S PAINTING TECHNIQUE IN HIS MUNICH OEUVRE Ulrike Fischer, Heike Stege, Daniel Oggenfuss, Cornelia Tilenschi, Susanne Willisch and Iris Winkelmeyer ABSTRACT ingly, technological and analytical assessment is commissioned The Russian painter Alexej Jawlensky, who worked in Munich between to complement stylistic judgement with an objective critique 1896 and 1914, was an important representative of Expressionism and of materials, painting technique and the condition of question- abstract art in Germany. He was involved with the artistic group Der Blaue Reiter, whose members shared not only ideas about art but also an able items. The manifold particularities a painting may reveal interest in questions of painting technique and painting materials. This in respect to painting support, underdrawing, pigments, bind- paper aims to illuminate the working process of Jawlensky through ing media, paint application and consistency, later changes research into the characteristics of his painting technique. It examines and restorations, ageing phenomena, etc., present a wealth of the paint supports and painting materials in specific works of art from information and often a new understanding of the object. This Jawlensky’s Munich period. This technical examination, together with the evaluation of written sources reveals the manifold artistic and technologi- technology-based perspective may even significantly influence cal influences that contributed to the development and peculiarities of the art historical judgement, such as in the case of altered signa- Jawlensky’s art. Comparisons with selected works by Wassily Kandinsky ture or changes in appearance as a result of previous restoration and Gabriele Münter show the strong influence Jawlensky’s painting tech- treatments.
    [Show full text]