3.4 Symbolism and the roots of modernism

Symbolism emerged in the late 19th century as a reaction to positivist and naturalist approaches in art criticism. It prioritized inner feelings and spiritual truths over realistic representation, influenced by symbolist literature's emphasis on suggestion and personal interpretation.

Symbolist critics played a crucial role in promoting avant-garde artists and establishing the idea of the artist as a visionary. This laid the groundwork for modernist movements and the concept of the avant-garde as a vanguard of artistic innovation.

Emergence of Symbolist Art Criticism

Reaction Against Positivist and Naturalist Approaches

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• Symbolist art criticism emerged in the late 19th century as a reaction against the dominant positivist and naturalist approaches to art criticism
  • Positivist and naturalist approaches emphasized objectivity and realism
• Symbolist critics (Gustave Kahn, Albert Aurier) argued that art should prioritize the expression of inner feelings, dreams, and spiritual truths over the mere representation of external reality

Influence of Symbolist Literature

• The Symbolist movement in literature, led by poets (Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Verlaine), heavily influenced the development of Symbolist art criticism
  • Symbolist literature emphasized the importance of suggestion, ambiguity, and personal interpretation
• Symbolist art critics championed the works of artists (Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes) who used mythological and allegorical imagery to evoke subjective emotional responses in viewers
• The Symbolist approach to art criticism challenged the prevailing notion of the critic as an objective judge of artistic merit and instead positioned the critic as an interpreter and mediator of the artist's inner vision

Symbolist Critics and Modernist Discourse

Legitimizing and Promoting Avant-Garde Artists

• Symbolist art critics played a crucial role in legitimizing and promoting the work of avant-garde artists who were breaking away from traditional artistic conventions and exploring new forms of expression
• Critics (Félix Fénéon, Octave Mirbeau) supported the innovative works of Neo-Impressionist artists (Georges Seurat, Paul Signac)
  • They argued that their use of color and form was a means of conveying subjective emotional states

Establishing the Artist as Visionary

• Symbolist art criticism helped to establish the idea of the artist as a visionary and a creator of personal mythologies
  • This paved the way for the emergence of modernist movements (Fauvism, Expressionism, Surrealism)
• The Symbolist emphasis on the autonomy of the artwork and the primacy of the artist's imagination contributed to the development of formalist art criticism
  • Formalist art criticism focused on analyzing the intrinsic properties of an artwork rather than its representational content
• Symbolist art critics' championing of individualism and subjectivity in art laid the groundwork for the modernist concept of the avant-garde as a vanguard of artistic innovation and experimentation

Influence of Symbolist Criticism on Abstraction

Theoretical Foundation for Abstract Art

• Symbolist art criticism's emphasis on the expressive power of color, form, and line, independent of representational content, provided a theoretical foundation for the emergence of abstract art in the early 20th century
• The Symbolist idea that art should evoke emotions and ideas rather than simply depict external reality inspired artists (Wassily Kandinsky) who sought to create pure, non-representational compositions that could directly convey spiritual and emotional experiences

Anticipating Abstract Styles

• Symbolist critics' support for the use of simplified, stylized forms and flat, decorative patterns in the works of artists (Maurice Denis, Édouard Vuillard) anticipated the development of abstract styles (Cubism, Orphism)
• The Symbolist notion of the artist as a creator of personal symbols and metaphors, rather than an imitator of nature, encouraged the development of idiosyncratic, non-representational visual languages by artists (Piet Mondrian, Kazimir Malevich)
• Symbolist art criticism's valorization of the imagination and the unconscious mind as sources of artistic inspiration paved the way for the Surrealist exploration of automatic drawing, biomorphic abstraction, and dream imagery

Symbolist Criticism's Lasting Impact on 20th-Century Art

Shaping Modernist Art Theory and Practice

• Symbolist art criticism's emphasis on subjectivity, emotion, and the autonomy of the artwork had a profound and enduring influence on the development of modernist art theory and practice throughout the 20th century
• The Symbolist idea of the artist as a visionary and a creator of personal mythologies continued to shape the self-perception and public image of avant-garde artists (Abstract Expressionists, Neo-Expressionists)

Establishing Abstraction as a Major Trend

• Symbolist art criticism's championing of non-representational and abstract forms of expression helped to establish the dominance of abstraction as a major trend in 20th-century art, particularly in the post-World War II period
• The Symbolist emphasis on the evocative power of color and form, independent of representational content, influenced the development of color field painting and minimalist sculpture in the 1950s and 1960s

Continuing Influence on Surrealism and Postmodern Criticism

• Symbolist art criticism's valorization of the imagination, the unconscious mind, and the irrational as sources of artistic inspiration continued to inform the work of Surrealist-influenced artists throughout the 20th century (Salvador Dalí, Louise Bourgeois)
• The Symbolist challenge to the notion of the art critic as an objective judge of artistic merit helped to shape the pluralistic and often highly subjective nature of art criticism in the postmodern era