DOI article:
Sabrina Raphaela Buebl: Defining a Discipline: Kunstgeschichtliche Anzeigen as a Critical Organ for the Vienna School
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73804#0057
56
journals as the collective works of a group of authors'34,
which made the following contribution to institutionali-
sation:
1) Stabilisation of a communication framework between
researchers;
2) Establishment of solid rules;
3) Academic socialisation of the individual research pro-
cess and the resulting establishment of representative-
ness (in the sense of either a national historiography
or a separation of the professional from the amateur
sector).35
Although the author refers to the discipline of history
in his study, his observation can be applied effectively to
the situation of the KA in the context of the art-historical
discipline and to the desire of their editors. It was noted
at the beginning that there are no further studies on the
KA and generally little research on art history journals.36
In my opinion, however, this deficiency can in no way be
linked to the wealth of information and facets that these
journals offer. It would therefore be desirable to give more
consideration not only to the case studies of individual
KA reviews within the system of the Vienna School,37 but
also to art-historical journals in general as an important
channel of communication within the historical establish-
ment of the discipline.
In his comprehensive history of the IÓG, Alphons
Lhotsky noted that the KA 'have fulfilled their purpose
for a decade through their ruthless fight against dilettan-
tism'38 and that due to stricter saving measures, the jour-
nal was suspended in 1914. From the missing continuation
during Dvorak's lifetime, he concluded that after the end
of the war no importance was given to it and that at the
latest when Schlosser took over the chair in 1922, after
Dvorak's death, any thought of it had died out anyway. In
conclusion, I would like to correct this observation, be-
cause Dvorak's estate in the archives of the Vienna IKG
contains a draft concept for a new KA programme from
1920. As its 'Bescheidenes Programm' (humble program),
Dvorak calls for not natural scientific experimental psy-
chology, but historically descriptive psychology, not some
skeleton of a system that fragments phenomena, but the
totality of historical moments. In sum: a historical expe-
rience [Erlebnis] but an objectified experience at the same
time.'39 The notes suggest an avant-garde manifesto, writ-
ten in an almost feverish tone, rather than a factual in-
troduction to a specialised journal. Evidently, Dvorak felt
that Riegl's legacy had not yet penetrated the principles of
art history, even more than fifteen years after his death,
otherwise he would not have felt the need to define his
programme with his teacher's values. Perhaps Lhotsky's
observation is not so untrue, as there was no real conti-
nuation of Wickhoffs sober programme addressed to the
readers in 1904.
34 'Kollektive Werke einer Gruppe von Autoren' .M. Middell, 'Vom
allgemeinhistorischen Journal zur spezialisierten Liste im H-Net.
Gedanken zur Geschichte der Zeitschriften als Elemente der In-
stitutionalisierung moderner Geschichtswissenschaft', in Histori-
sche Zeitschriften im internationalen Vergleich, ed. idem, Leipzig
1999, p. 11.
35 See ibidem, pp. 8-9.
36 Noteworthy in this context is S. Troger's Kunstpopularisierung
und Kunstwissenschaft. Die Wiener Kunstzeitschrift »Die Gra-
phischen Kunste« (1879-1933), Berlin 2011, which tries in part to
investigate the connection between the analysed journal and the
Vienna School. Another interesting volume is M. Rennhofer,
Die Kunstzeitschriften der Jahrhundertwende in Deutschland und
Osterreich 1895-1914, Augsburg 1997, but it is rather peripheral to
the present discourse as it concentrates on art journals.
37 I am currently working on an article that will take a closer look
at selected reviews in the journal. On this occasion, I would like
to thank Richard Woodfield for his keen interest and his motiva-
tional advises.
38 'haben ein Jahrzeit lang durch ihre rucksichtslose Bekampfung
des Dilettantismus ihren Zweck erfullt.' See A. Lhotsky, Ge-
schichte, p. 341 (as in note 17).
39 'Nicht irgendein Gerippe eines die Entwicklungen zerstuckeln-
den Systems, sondern die Totalitat der historischen Momente. In
Summa: ein historisches Erlebnis[,] aber ein objektiviertes Erleb-
nis zugleich.' Estate Dvorak, box 14, IKG, University of Vienna.
journals as the collective works of a group of authors'34,
which made the following contribution to institutionali-
sation:
1) Stabilisation of a communication framework between
researchers;
2) Establishment of solid rules;
3) Academic socialisation of the individual research pro-
cess and the resulting establishment of representative-
ness (in the sense of either a national historiography
or a separation of the professional from the amateur
sector).35
Although the author refers to the discipline of history
in his study, his observation can be applied effectively to
the situation of the KA in the context of the art-historical
discipline and to the desire of their editors. It was noted
at the beginning that there are no further studies on the
KA and generally little research on art history journals.36
In my opinion, however, this deficiency can in no way be
linked to the wealth of information and facets that these
journals offer. It would therefore be desirable to give more
consideration not only to the case studies of individual
KA reviews within the system of the Vienna School,37 but
also to art-historical journals in general as an important
channel of communication within the historical establish-
ment of the discipline.
In his comprehensive history of the IÓG, Alphons
Lhotsky noted that the KA 'have fulfilled their purpose
for a decade through their ruthless fight against dilettan-
tism'38 and that due to stricter saving measures, the jour-
nal was suspended in 1914. From the missing continuation
during Dvorak's lifetime, he concluded that after the end
of the war no importance was given to it and that at the
latest when Schlosser took over the chair in 1922, after
Dvorak's death, any thought of it had died out anyway. In
conclusion, I would like to correct this observation, be-
cause Dvorak's estate in the archives of the Vienna IKG
contains a draft concept for a new KA programme from
1920. As its 'Bescheidenes Programm' (humble program),
Dvorak calls for not natural scientific experimental psy-
chology, but historically descriptive psychology, not some
skeleton of a system that fragments phenomena, but the
totality of historical moments. In sum: a historical expe-
rience [Erlebnis] but an objectified experience at the same
time.'39 The notes suggest an avant-garde manifesto, writ-
ten in an almost feverish tone, rather than a factual in-
troduction to a specialised journal. Evidently, Dvorak felt
that Riegl's legacy had not yet penetrated the principles of
art history, even more than fifteen years after his death,
otherwise he would not have felt the need to define his
programme with his teacher's values. Perhaps Lhotsky's
observation is not so untrue, as there was no real conti-
nuation of Wickhoffs sober programme addressed to the
readers in 1904.
34 'Kollektive Werke einer Gruppe von Autoren' .M. Middell, 'Vom
allgemeinhistorischen Journal zur spezialisierten Liste im H-Net.
Gedanken zur Geschichte der Zeitschriften als Elemente der In-
stitutionalisierung moderner Geschichtswissenschaft', in Histori-
sche Zeitschriften im internationalen Vergleich, ed. idem, Leipzig
1999, p. 11.
35 See ibidem, pp. 8-9.
36 Noteworthy in this context is S. Troger's Kunstpopularisierung
und Kunstwissenschaft. Die Wiener Kunstzeitschrift »Die Gra-
phischen Kunste« (1879-1933), Berlin 2011, which tries in part to
investigate the connection between the analysed journal and the
Vienna School. Another interesting volume is M. Rennhofer,
Die Kunstzeitschriften der Jahrhundertwende in Deutschland und
Osterreich 1895-1914, Augsburg 1997, but it is rather peripheral to
the present discourse as it concentrates on art journals.
37 I am currently working on an article that will take a closer look
at selected reviews in the journal. On this occasion, I would like
to thank Richard Woodfield for his keen interest and his motiva-
tional advises.
38 'haben ein Jahrzeit lang durch ihre rucksichtslose Bekampfung
des Dilettantismus ihren Zweck erfullt.' See A. Lhotsky, Ge-
schichte, p. 341 (as in note 17).
39 'Nicht irgendein Gerippe eines die Entwicklungen zerstuckeln-
den Systems, sondern die Totalitat der historischen Momente. In
Summa: ein historisches Erlebnis[,] aber ein objektiviertes Erleb-
nis zugleich.' Estate Dvorak, box 14, IKG, University of Vienna.