DOI Heft:
No. 36 (March, 1896)
DOI Artikel:Singer, Hans Wolfgang: On the work of Arnold Boecklin
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17296#0083
The Work of A mold Bcecklin
eyes of artists to new methods of treatment, of
critics to new methods of aesthetics, of the public
to new methods 01 getting enjoyment out of the
subject of paintings. Bcecklin has done no more
than place pictures before us, that were to be
enjoyed or not according to the particular dis-
position of each individual; not, however, pictures
from which anything was to be learnt, or pictures
that could in any way serve as a model. For their
great charm is that Bcecklin painted them, and
any one painting in the same way, or basing a
system of aesthetics on them, would be a bare and
over, even the school teacher, the under-official,
the university professor and other unbendingly con-
servative people, are beginning to draw honest en-
joyment from Bcecklin's art; he is a man who paints
uncommon things, and, after all, the work of such
an one is what they principally like to see. That he
is at the same time the greatest colourist and one
of the most poetic and finest painters is unmerited
good luck, for it was not because of these genuine
artistic qualities that they began to admire him.
About thirty or forty years ago there was a
period of prosiness in the world, particularly in
'THE ISLE OF THE DEAD FROM A PAINTING BY ARNOLD BCECKLIN
dry imitator. As a matter of fact, they are enjoyed
now by the great majority. Even the stolid plebs,
pulling up slowly but surely behind all good judges
(as soon as there are enough of these to have
gained a certain prestige) have reached Bcecklin,
now that he has laboured for about thirty years.
When the " Pan " society opened its campaign
a little over a year ago, they held a banquet in
honour of Bcecklin. In no better way could they
have made their aims clear. For Bcecklin seems
an impersonation of that art-character which is old,
inasmuch as it despises sensational novelty, and
which is new inasmuch as it laughs at traditional
prejudices. Now that the obligatory quarter cen-
tury of vilification and sullen reserve is happily
70
Germany. Fortunately it did not last over-long.
In those days people were rather fond of talking
about their own sound common sense. Every-
thing which put the slightest strain on the imagi-
nation was warded off with the superior smile of
the man who knows for certain that one and one
make two, never three, and that we have five
senses : what went beyond them was probably
humbug. Everybody wished to be up to the
average in all he did : not fall below, if it could
be helped, but especially not to go beyond.
Then, the long-haired young man was a source of
wonder and derision to the street urchin, and the
young woman who stepped on to a tram-car whilst
it was in motion felt she was violating the canons
eyes of artists to new methods of treatment, of
critics to new methods of aesthetics, of the public
to new methods 01 getting enjoyment out of the
subject of paintings. Bcecklin has done no more
than place pictures before us, that were to be
enjoyed or not according to the particular dis-
position of each individual; not, however, pictures
from which anything was to be learnt, or pictures
that could in any way serve as a model. For their
great charm is that Bcecklin painted them, and
any one painting in the same way, or basing a
system of aesthetics on them, would be a bare and
over, even the school teacher, the under-official,
the university professor and other unbendingly con-
servative people, are beginning to draw honest en-
joyment from Bcecklin's art; he is a man who paints
uncommon things, and, after all, the work of such
an one is what they principally like to see. That he
is at the same time the greatest colourist and one
of the most poetic and finest painters is unmerited
good luck, for it was not because of these genuine
artistic qualities that they began to admire him.
About thirty or forty years ago there was a
period of prosiness in the world, particularly in
'THE ISLE OF THE DEAD FROM A PAINTING BY ARNOLD BCECKLIN
dry imitator. As a matter of fact, they are enjoyed
now by the great majority. Even the stolid plebs,
pulling up slowly but surely behind all good judges
(as soon as there are enough of these to have
gained a certain prestige) have reached Bcecklin,
now that he has laboured for about thirty years.
When the " Pan " society opened its campaign
a little over a year ago, they held a banquet in
honour of Bcecklin. In no better way could they
have made their aims clear. For Bcecklin seems
an impersonation of that art-character which is old,
inasmuch as it despises sensational novelty, and
which is new inasmuch as it laughs at traditional
prejudices. Now that the obligatory quarter cen-
tury of vilification and sullen reserve is happily
70
Germany. Fortunately it did not last over-long.
In those days people were rather fond of talking
about their own sound common sense. Every-
thing which put the slightest strain on the imagi-
nation was warded off with the superior smile of
the man who knows for certain that one and one
make two, never three, and that we have five
senses : what went beyond them was probably
humbug. Everybody wished to be up to the
average in all he did : not fall below, if it could
be helped, but especially not to go beyond.
Then, the long-haired young man was a source of
wonder and derision to the street urchin, and the
young woman who stepped on to a tram-car whilst
it was in motion felt she was violating the canons