Ars: časopis Ústavu Dejín Umenia Slovenskej Akadémie Vied (44.2011)

We know that Dvořáků approach to the history of
art took a graduai but radical turn in the second decade
of the 20* centuryd He completely lost his confidence
in nineteenth Century optimistic rationalism after the
outbreak of World War 1. He projected developments
in modern art onto the history of arb and became
stimulated by Contemporary phiiosophical thoughtb
As a conséquence, he replaced the belief in art as
a solution of formai problems by the notion of art
as an expression of the world outlook of the âge, the
idea of art historical development as a representational
progress with the idea of history as a process hold-
ing irrational breaks and changes in the notion of art
within itself, and belief in a causal-genetic explanation
of the historical development of art with the method
of its empathie understanding. Consequently, he re-
cast the history of European art into a permanent
HřnýgtA jph#resulting in a dialectical
polarity of naturalism and idealism. However, he did
not design his project of the history of art as the

^ About Dvořák's tutn, see for example BAKOŠ, J.: Die epts-
temologische Wende eines Kunsthistorikers. In: EHrt řt A
EwA/KWi. HrAr A 9CVFYB A /hE.
J. RěwAAfw A A /'AVAn? A /hrě A IFhEwTg ü /tor
yottrr [1989]. Strasbourg 1992, pp. 53-58; AURENHAMMER,
H. H.: Max Dvořák, Tintoretto und die Modeme. In: lFA%<?f
49,1996, pp. 9-38; AURENHAM-
MER, H. H.: Max Dvořák und die Revision der Mittelalter-
-Kunstgeschichte. In: DtřE/AAw/tgtt/tBE/tňrtřAA/tg ArFhrAr
A PoA/t Eds. W
BAEUS -J. WOLAŇSKA. Warszawa 2010, pp. 291-313.
* See about this FREX D.: Max Dvořáks Stellung in der Kunst-
geschichte. In: AExDwTvC ytow GoA'X7/t7r. Wien 1922, p. 19;
SCHLOSSER 1934 (see m note 2), p. 199; LACHNIT, E.:
D7<? lF9MorJXt//4 ArBA/?r^vA'X7o ZA/. Zt/w
LhA JAh w/t ADAA tt/t/7 DrrXtt/tgrrA/tB /tt/t Bogt'/t/t Ar AioAr/to.
Wien - Köln - Weimar 2005, p. 94; AURENHAMMER, H.
IL: Max Dvořák (1874 - 1921). In: PFISTERER, U. (ed.):
KArrt'Cor ArXtt/tr^vA'öA. B/7. 7 t FT/t h'v'/tnöAwt/t A4 IFhrPt//^.
München 2007, p. 222.
" BENESCH, O.: Grosse Österreicher. In: TVotto Örtorro/'oAAA
Bt'^Ao^ 7^7Ü. Vol. 10. Wien 1957, p. 195; NEUMANN,J.:
Dílo Maxe Dvořáka a dnešek [The Work of Max Dvořák and
the Present], In: U//ro/tt( 9,1961, No. 6, pp. 550-552 (German
trans.: Das Werk Max Dvořáks und die Gegenwart. In: HoA?
AVonA/trAh/w, 8,1962, pp. 177-213); KALINOWSKI, L.: AHx*
Dw/vC t'y'ogo /TtAoA? MAt/t /titA rytttC^ [Max Dvořák and His
Art Historical Method]. Warszawa 1974, chap. "The Origin
of Dvořák's Method", pp. 33-39.

history of ideas as a purely scientihc undertaking.
Combining rétrospective nostalgia with Avant-garde
utopia, Dvořák conceived of it as a prophétie visionů
He was convinced that after optimistic rationalism
and materialism had coüapsed in the cataclysm of war
a new era of idealism and spiritualism must comed
Dvořák's prognosis turned out to be nothing
more than wishful thinking. Post-war intellectual
developments and modem art movements took
entirely different paths from those that he had
predicted. His conception of the history of art as
the history of ideas consequently became regarded
as out-of-date as well. He became a ňgure of an
outdated past. Only Austrian and Czech and some
Italian art historians would venerate his legacy
on the different occasions of his anniversariesA
Austrian and Czech art historical communities ac-
knowledged his works mainly for patriotic reasons
since Dvořák was regarded as one of the key ňgures
of modem Austrian as well as Czech art history."
DVORAK, M.: ZAíAsTWi tt/tá RoÆwttr A ArRtt/tE ArMottyo/h
HCďA/tttAA Lor/ortt/tgo/t. Weimar 1994, p. 15; CHADRABA,
R. : Inedita Maxe Dvořáka [Max Dvořák's Inedita]. In: LA?o/tt(
19,1971, No. 6,p. 619; AURENHAMMER 2010 (seem note
4), p. 305.
s FREY 1922 (see in note 5), p. 21.
' See about this LACHNIT 2005 (see in note 5), p .96; BAKOŠ,
].: Max Dvořák — A Neglected Re-Visionist. In: IIA'o/tor
AAA. EA/t/tortt/tgo/t tt/X PonpoCAho/t (—Wiener Jahrbuch für
Kunstgeschichte, 53). Wien — Köln — Weimar 2004, p. 67;
AURENHAMMER, H. H.: Max Dvořák. In: PFISTERER
2007 (see in note 5), p. 222.
See L4X/t?( 9,1961, No. 6; Utz?o/tt( 19,1971, No. 6; ÖEorroAA'rrX
ZoÆ/ypA?* BAW tt/H Do/tCwt?ýy%go, 2X 1974, No. 3. More
about Italian translations of Dvořák's works and comments
by Italian art historians, see bibliography in SCARROCCHIA,
S. : Æx D wrAC Co/trormyt'o/to o t/to Ar/to A HttE/A ý7 PP7 — 7 PB 7J.
Milano 2009, pp. 255-260.
" CHADRABA, R.: Vídeňská škola a český dějepis umění
[Vienna School of Art History and Czech Art Flistory].
In: CHADRABA, R. et al.: KyAAy y AAoA t/yopťrtt ttt^AťE
[Chapters from Czech Art History II]. Praha 1987, pp. 9-56;
POCHAT, G. - SCHMIDT, G. - VASOLD, G: Der Beitrag
der Kunstgeschichte zur Ausformung der Humanwissen-
schaften. In: ACHAM, K. (ed.): GoroAbAo Ar oEorrot'oEAA/t
Přtt^ttt/tArro/troP/yřo/t. Vol. 5. Wien 2003, pp. 403-423.