DOI Artikel:
Rosales Rodríguez, Agnieszka: Nieuchwytny obraz Rembrandta: Georga Simmla filozoficzna próba interpretacji "œuvre" holenderskiego mistrza
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14573#0272
258
AGNIESZKA ROSALES RODRIGEZ
Twórczość XVII-wiecznego holenderskiego malarza poddana filozoficznej refleksji zaowocowała ob-
razem ahistorycznym, ale niezwykle sugestywnym, wydobywającym z dzieła Rembrandta pierwiastki, które
intuicyjnie próbowała nazywać już krytyka artystyczna, a wcześniejsza historiografia sprowadzała do zbyt
wąskiej w rozumieniu Simmla kategorii ekspresji namiętności. Choć dla historii sztuki interpretacja ta może
być tylko metaforą, to jest ciekawym przykładem żywej recepcji Rembrandta na początku XX w. - próbą
stworzenia nowego ideału w miejsce przewartościowanej klasycznej normy piękna, a zarazem szkicem go-
rączkowej wrażliwości „nowoczesnej", próbą uchwycenia tego, co w twórczości Rembrandta powszechnie
odczuwane, a werbalnie trudno uchwytne - pulsującego życia.
ELUSIVE PAINTING BY REMBRANDT. GEORG SIMMEL'S PHILOSOPHIC ATTEMPT TO INTERPRET
THE ŒUVRE OF THE DUTCH MASTER
Summary
The purpose of this paper is to présent and analyze the interprétation of Rembrandt's art in the thought of the German phi-
losopher and sociologist Georg Simmel (1858-1918). His essay Rembrandt. Ein kunstphilosophischer Versuch (Leipzig 1916) is an
example of the postromantic réception of work of the XVIIth century painter in Germany, especially in the intellectual and artistic
milieu of Berlin, where he participated in the course of art history and spent many years sińce 80. of the 19th century till 1914.
Simmel - a friend of Rilke, Weber and Rodin - took part in the discussion on the modern culture and society. At the highest point
of the Worldwide interest in Rembrandt's art and life and at the crucial moment of scientific research on his work and professional
connoisseurship, created Simmel a sketch, which is - in the method of description an amalgam of art philosophy and critics. Sim-
mel's ahistorical interprétation, focused on Rembrandt's portraits, was an illustration of his philosophy and its main category of life
(Leben). In the opinion of the German philosopher the Dutch artist found a way to express the absolute continuity of life. On the
contrary to the timeless and abstract beauty of classical and renaissance portraits, Rembrandt's effigies were distinguished by an
intimate depiction of the human existence and a new kind of narration, opposed to the Lessing's idea oïfruitful moment. Rembrandt
regarded as a painter who caught the stream oflife was to achieve the greatest results in the portraits of old people, in particular his
self-portraits. The artist, compared by Simmel with Titian, found an artistic form which was adéquate and close to life in the "pain-
terly", wide manner of painting, exposition of colour and spécifie unfinished (Unendliche) of the work. Some of Simmel's ideas had
however an anticipation in earlier historiography. The critical and esthetical context of his catégories is analyzed in this article.
Simmel's essay on Rembrandt's painting is an interesting trial of creating a new ideał of modern art existing beyond the clas-
sical norms. According to Simmel's discourse art is able to recover the lost spiritual unity of the human being, who cannot find
in life.
Translated by Agnieszka Rosales Rodrigez
AGNIESZKA ROSALES RODRIGEZ
Twórczość XVII-wiecznego holenderskiego malarza poddana filozoficznej refleksji zaowocowała ob-
razem ahistorycznym, ale niezwykle sugestywnym, wydobywającym z dzieła Rembrandta pierwiastki, które
intuicyjnie próbowała nazywać już krytyka artystyczna, a wcześniejsza historiografia sprowadzała do zbyt
wąskiej w rozumieniu Simmla kategorii ekspresji namiętności. Choć dla historii sztuki interpretacja ta może
być tylko metaforą, to jest ciekawym przykładem żywej recepcji Rembrandta na początku XX w. - próbą
stworzenia nowego ideału w miejsce przewartościowanej klasycznej normy piękna, a zarazem szkicem go-
rączkowej wrażliwości „nowoczesnej", próbą uchwycenia tego, co w twórczości Rembrandta powszechnie
odczuwane, a werbalnie trudno uchwytne - pulsującego życia.
ELUSIVE PAINTING BY REMBRANDT. GEORG SIMMEL'S PHILOSOPHIC ATTEMPT TO INTERPRET
THE ŒUVRE OF THE DUTCH MASTER
Summary
The purpose of this paper is to présent and analyze the interprétation of Rembrandt's art in the thought of the German phi-
losopher and sociologist Georg Simmel (1858-1918). His essay Rembrandt. Ein kunstphilosophischer Versuch (Leipzig 1916) is an
example of the postromantic réception of work of the XVIIth century painter in Germany, especially in the intellectual and artistic
milieu of Berlin, where he participated in the course of art history and spent many years sińce 80. of the 19th century till 1914.
Simmel - a friend of Rilke, Weber and Rodin - took part in the discussion on the modern culture and society. At the highest point
of the Worldwide interest in Rembrandt's art and life and at the crucial moment of scientific research on his work and professional
connoisseurship, created Simmel a sketch, which is - in the method of description an amalgam of art philosophy and critics. Sim-
mel's ahistorical interprétation, focused on Rembrandt's portraits, was an illustration of his philosophy and its main category of life
(Leben). In the opinion of the German philosopher the Dutch artist found a way to express the absolute continuity of life. On the
contrary to the timeless and abstract beauty of classical and renaissance portraits, Rembrandt's effigies were distinguished by an
intimate depiction of the human existence and a new kind of narration, opposed to the Lessing's idea oïfruitful moment. Rembrandt
regarded as a painter who caught the stream oflife was to achieve the greatest results in the portraits of old people, in particular his
self-portraits. The artist, compared by Simmel with Titian, found an artistic form which was adéquate and close to life in the "pain-
terly", wide manner of painting, exposition of colour and spécifie unfinished (Unendliche) of the work. Some of Simmel's ideas had
however an anticipation in earlier historiography. The critical and esthetical context of his catégories is analyzed in this article.
Simmel's essay on Rembrandt's painting is an interesting trial of creating a new ideał of modern art existing beyond the clas-
sical norms. According to Simmel's discourse art is able to recover the lost spiritual unity of the human being, who cannot find
in life.
Translated by Agnieszka Rosales Rodrigez