DOI Heft:
Nr. 2
DOI Artikel:Muthesius, Stefan: The rule of art: a short introduction to the Munich art world in the nineteenth century
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51715#0141
props, while still appearing informal, even disorderly,
to underline the practitioner’s sense of independ-
ence. Unique to Munich was the already mentioned
photographie chronicle of 1890, demonstrating this
diversity, though it must be remembered that by far
the best known and the most grandiose atelier of
the period, possibly of all periods, was that of Hans
Makart, who trained in Munich but was then lured
to Vienna.
Large festivities, including pageants had been
a frequent occurrence in all court cities for some
centuries. In Munich it was the artists who took over
the design and organisation of these events, creating
first of all a regulär séries of Künstlerfeste [Fig. 4], The
origin appears again to go back to Rome, especially to
the large X^wr/Ä^r/which Ludwig celebrated with the
German artists in 1818.35 Thereafter such events had
to carry detailed historical associations, for which the
chief model was the large festivity to commemorate
the death of Albrecht Dürer in 1828, held in Nurem-
berg (now belonging to Bavaria). This was followed
by the Munich Dürerfestot 1840 and the Kubensfestm
1857.36 The Festfug Karls V., pageant in 1876 which
commemorated the quite obscure event of the arrivai
of the Habsburg Emperor in the Bavarian capital in
1530.37 * * probably marked the high point of historical
make-belief while also deriving its legitimacy from
the very way it was devised by a celebrated artist,
decorator and designer, Lorenz Gedon [Fig. 5], The
1500 participants and the vast crowds who watched
it could take it as a serious lesson in history or simply
as fun, most likely as both.
There was much truth to the growing perception
of Munich as a city dominated by entertainment.
In this context another one of Ludwig l’s verdicts
can be quoted: "... religion should be the basis... but
4. Announcement: Young Munich Entertainment and Dance of the
Artists’ Society, 1861, drawingby Wilhelm Busch (?). Repro: HAUS,
A.: Ernst is das Leben — Heiter die Kunst. Graphik zu Künstler-
festen des 19. Jahrhunderts. Ausstellung der Kunstbibliothek.
Berlin 1971.
theyoungshouldenjoy lifef™ Venues for entertainment
grew in diversity and here, too, artists often played a
décisive role. Increasingly societies and venues were
created and used exclusively by fine-art artists and
their close friends. A later account of their gather-
ings referred to a maxim of Goethe’s, námely that
for the création of his works the artist needs to be
by himself, but when he wants the work discussed
and appreciated he “rushes” to the Verein?3 The
French do not hâve a sense for the Kneipe, while the
English tend to gather in the club where the main
purpose is food - at least that was a Bavarian’s brief
analysis. Munich gatherings were there for the sake of
“warme Fierylichkeit und HumoF (hearty warmth and
humour),40 and more specifically, for the artists, to
35 MOISY, S. von: Fon der Aufklärung für Romantik: geistige Strö-
mungen in München. [Exhib. Cat.] München, Bayerische Staats-
bibliothek. München — Regensburg 1984, p. 21; SCHROTT,
L.: Biedermeier in München. München 1963, p. 49.
36 Cf. FÖRSTER, E.: München. Das diesjährige Künstlerfest.
In: Deutsches Kunstblatt, 4, 1853, No. 8, pp. 70-71; WOLF, G.
J.: Münchner Künstle feste. Münchner Künstlerchroniken. München
1925; HARTMANN, W: Der historische Fes fug. München
1976.
7 Cf. the historical-political interprétation in WIEBER, S.:
Staging the Past: Allotria’s “Festzug Karl V” and German
National Identity. In: R^thinking History, 10, 2006, No. 4, pp.
523 — 531; WEBER, Ch.: Das Costümfest der Münchner
Künstler. In: Die Gegenwart. Wochenschrift, 9,1876, No. 10, pp.
157-268.
38 MOISY 1984 (see in note 35), p. 10.
39 [Anon.] : Ein halbes Jahrhundert Münchner Kulturgeschichte erlebt
mit der Künstlergesellschaft Allotria. München 1959, p. 5.
40 Ibidem, p. 25.
133
to underline the practitioner’s sense of independ-
ence. Unique to Munich was the already mentioned
photographie chronicle of 1890, demonstrating this
diversity, though it must be remembered that by far
the best known and the most grandiose atelier of
the period, possibly of all periods, was that of Hans
Makart, who trained in Munich but was then lured
to Vienna.
Large festivities, including pageants had been
a frequent occurrence in all court cities for some
centuries. In Munich it was the artists who took over
the design and organisation of these events, creating
first of all a regulär séries of Künstlerfeste [Fig. 4], The
origin appears again to go back to Rome, especially to
the large X^wr/Ä^r/which Ludwig celebrated with the
German artists in 1818.35 Thereafter such events had
to carry detailed historical associations, for which the
chief model was the large festivity to commemorate
the death of Albrecht Dürer in 1828, held in Nurem-
berg (now belonging to Bavaria). This was followed
by the Munich Dürerfestot 1840 and the Kubensfestm
1857.36 The Festfug Karls V., pageant in 1876 which
commemorated the quite obscure event of the arrivai
of the Habsburg Emperor in the Bavarian capital in
1530.37 * * probably marked the high point of historical
make-belief while also deriving its legitimacy from
the very way it was devised by a celebrated artist,
decorator and designer, Lorenz Gedon [Fig. 5], The
1500 participants and the vast crowds who watched
it could take it as a serious lesson in history or simply
as fun, most likely as both.
There was much truth to the growing perception
of Munich as a city dominated by entertainment.
In this context another one of Ludwig l’s verdicts
can be quoted: "... religion should be the basis... but
4. Announcement: Young Munich Entertainment and Dance of the
Artists’ Society, 1861, drawingby Wilhelm Busch (?). Repro: HAUS,
A.: Ernst is das Leben — Heiter die Kunst. Graphik zu Künstler-
festen des 19. Jahrhunderts. Ausstellung der Kunstbibliothek.
Berlin 1971.
theyoungshouldenjoy lifef™ Venues for entertainment
grew in diversity and here, too, artists often played a
décisive role. Increasingly societies and venues were
created and used exclusively by fine-art artists and
their close friends. A later account of their gather-
ings referred to a maxim of Goethe’s, námely that
for the création of his works the artist needs to be
by himself, but when he wants the work discussed
and appreciated he “rushes” to the Verein?3 The
French do not hâve a sense for the Kneipe, while the
English tend to gather in the club where the main
purpose is food - at least that was a Bavarian’s brief
analysis. Munich gatherings were there for the sake of
“warme Fierylichkeit und HumoF (hearty warmth and
humour),40 and more specifically, for the artists, to
35 MOISY, S. von: Fon der Aufklärung für Romantik: geistige Strö-
mungen in München. [Exhib. Cat.] München, Bayerische Staats-
bibliothek. München — Regensburg 1984, p. 21; SCHROTT,
L.: Biedermeier in München. München 1963, p. 49.
36 Cf. FÖRSTER, E.: München. Das diesjährige Künstlerfest.
In: Deutsches Kunstblatt, 4, 1853, No. 8, pp. 70-71; WOLF, G.
J.: Münchner Künstle feste. Münchner Künstlerchroniken. München
1925; HARTMANN, W: Der historische Fes fug. München
1976.
7 Cf. the historical-political interprétation in WIEBER, S.:
Staging the Past: Allotria’s “Festzug Karl V” and German
National Identity. In: R^thinking History, 10, 2006, No. 4, pp.
523 — 531; WEBER, Ch.: Das Costümfest der Münchner
Künstler. In: Die Gegenwart. Wochenschrift, 9,1876, No. 10, pp.
157-268.
38 MOISY 1984 (see in note 35), p. 10.
39 [Anon.] : Ein halbes Jahrhundert Münchner Kulturgeschichte erlebt
mit der Künstlergesellschaft Allotria. München 1959, p. 5.
40 Ibidem, p. 25.
133