DOI Artikel:
Bartning, Ludwig: A decorative landscape painter: Paul Schultze-Naumburg
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20710#0231
Paul Schultze-Naumburg
"SCHONBURG" BY PAUL SCHULTZE-NAUMBURG
in the independent formation of his conceptions. towards applied art, and only afterwards to the
The process that I have indicated here by reference sphere of fine art. Schultze had always con-
to two pictures only, was in reality long and tedious. sidered it a matter of course, and a fundamental
Out of the poetical dreamy impression derived artistic principle, that the artist's activity ought not
from nature, there was evolved by a natural process to end with the mere framing of his picture,
the untrammelled imaginative conception of what Experiments in applied art, to which for a time he
had been seen. now wholly devoted himself, were therefore not
His home gave him more than the resurrection new to him. His productions were distinguished
of his childhood's dreams, which he was now able by plain sober usefulness and efficiency. For it was
to reproduce in pictorial beauty. He found his conviction that after the terrible rage for pretti-
traces there of an artistic conception of actual ness prevalent during the sixties and eighties, a corn-
life such as had by process of time become pliance with the entirely neglected claims of the
unknown to us. Vestiges of an important artistic practical must be the chief consideration ; and he
culture, distinctively German in character, contended that the construction of articles for
dating from the end of the eighteenth and domestic use is artistic if their form perfectly
beginning of the nineteenth centuries, have been expresses their purpose. His book " Hausliche
preserved in Thuringia with a greater tenacity Kunstpflege" (The Study of Domestic Art) sets
than elsewhere. Houses and household furniture, forth his views upon the question logically and
gardens, parks, vineyards, roads, bridges—all that practically. His treatment of the subject is
man contributes to the formation of the landscape, authoritative, because based on the immediate
still speak plainly of the time when Goethe contemplation of an ancient artistic culture forti-
wandered there and halted for a while at each of fied by tradition ; it is new, because it assimilates
the most lovely and charming spots. The everything admirable that our own time has
remains of that particular period are but little accomplished in the way of scientific thought and
prized by us, are even despised on account of their technical invention; and it is popular, because it
admixture of classical elements ; people do not see has in view, not the individual taste of the
that besides this admixture of classicism (which is aesthetically refined few, but the deep needs of an
observable in all our German mental life), we have entire nation. His work has exercised great influ-
here the only starting-point nowadays available for ence in Germany.
a new artistic cult of life. Schultze-Naumburg is These practical experiments reacted upon his
one of the few who have fully realised this. painting. His studio-picture had now to be re-
Towards the end of the nineties there arose in garded as the ornament of a room to whose lines
Germany what we may call by the cant name of and colours it must organically accommodate itself,
the " decorative movement." This was partly in- without making the wall-surface which it decorates
spired by English influence ; it was at first directed appear to simulate a piece of nature.
214
"SCHONBURG" BY PAUL SCHULTZE-NAUMBURG
in the independent formation of his conceptions. towards applied art, and only afterwards to the
The process that I have indicated here by reference sphere of fine art. Schultze had always con-
to two pictures only, was in reality long and tedious. sidered it a matter of course, and a fundamental
Out of the poetical dreamy impression derived artistic principle, that the artist's activity ought not
from nature, there was evolved by a natural process to end with the mere framing of his picture,
the untrammelled imaginative conception of what Experiments in applied art, to which for a time he
had been seen. now wholly devoted himself, were therefore not
His home gave him more than the resurrection new to him. His productions were distinguished
of his childhood's dreams, which he was now able by plain sober usefulness and efficiency. For it was
to reproduce in pictorial beauty. He found his conviction that after the terrible rage for pretti-
traces there of an artistic conception of actual ness prevalent during the sixties and eighties, a corn-
life such as had by process of time become pliance with the entirely neglected claims of the
unknown to us. Vestiges of an important artistic practical must be the chief consideration ; and he
culture, distinctively German in character, contended that the construction of articles for
dating from the end of the eighteenth and domestic use is artistic if their form perfectly
beginning of the nineteenth centuries, have been expresses their purpose. His book " Hausliche
preserved in Thuringia with a greater tenacity Kunstpflege" (The Study of Domestic Art) sets
than elsewhere. Houses and household furniture, forth his views upon the question logically and
gardens, parks, vineyards, roads, bridges—all that practically. His treatment of the subject is
man contributes to the formation of the landscape, authoritative, because based on the immediate
still speak plainly of the time when Goethe contemplation of an ancient artistic culture forti-
wandered there and halted for a while at each of fied by tradition ; it is new, because it assimilates
the most lovely and charming spots. The everything admirable that our own time has
remains of that particular period are but little accomplished in the way of scientific thought and
prized by us, are even despised on account of their technical invention; and it is popular, because it
admixture of classical elements ; people do not see has in view, not the individual taste of the
that besides this admixture of classicism (which is aesthetically refined few, but the deep needs of an
observable in all our German mental life), we have entire nation. His work has exercised great influ-
here the only starting-point nowadays available for ence in Germany.
a new artistic cult of life. Schultze-Naumburg is These practical experiments reacted upon his
one of the few who have fully realised this. painting. His studio-picture had now to be re-
Towards the end of the nineties there arose in garded as the ornament of a room to whose lines
Germany what we may call by the cant name of and colours it must organically accommodate itself,
the " decorative movement." This was partly in- without making the wall-surface which it decorates
spired by English influence ; it was at first directed appear to simulate a piece of nature.
214