Max Dvořák and the History of Medieval Art

The intellectual development of Max Dvořák (1874-1921), one of the protagonists of the ‘Vienna School of Art History’, was characterized by a constant process of methodological self-criticism. His changing views on Medieval Art are known above all by two texts: The Enigma of the Art of the Van Eyck Brothers (1904), strongly influenced by Wickhoff and Riegl and by an ‘impressionistic’ view of modernity, and Idealism and Naturalism in Gothic Sculpture and Painting (1918), an essay dating to Dvořák’s late, ‘expressionistic’, period. Knowing only these two texts, the decisive turn undertaken by Dvořák around 1920 could be interpreted as a sudden change of paradigm. As the paper wants to show, this view has to be revised after having read and analyzed Dvořák’s hitherto unpublished university lectures on Western European Art in the Middle Ages which were given four times from 1906 to 1918

L’art (1909-1938). Révisions et transformations

La mort de Franz Wickhoff en 1909, quatre ans après celle d’Aloïs Riegl, marque la fin de la période « héroïque » de l’École viennoise d’histoire de l’art. Durant les décennies suivantes, ses prémisses méthodologiques sont approfondies et codifiées, en particulier grâce à Schlosser. Dans le contexte de la crise sociale et politique autrichienne, les historiens de l’art viennois se confrontent à d’autres disciplines, suivant une démarche autocritique productive, et dégagent de nouvelles perspectives d’avenir. Dans nos conférences, nous étudierons ces processus de révision et de transformation en mettant l’accent sur Max Dvorák, le successeur de Wickhoff de 1909 à 1921. L’année 1938 met un terme à l’histoire de la nouvelle École viennoise d’histoire de l’art dont les représentants le plus connus sont Hans Sedlmayr et Otto Pächt

Max Dvořák and the History of Medieval Art

The intellectual development of Max Dvořák (1874-1921), one of the protagonists of the ‘Vienna School of Art History’, was characterized by a constant process of methodological self-criticism. His changing views on Medieval Art are known above all by two texts: The Enigma of the Art of the Van Eyck Brothers (1904), strongly influenced by Wickhoff and Riegl and by an ‘impressionistic’ view of modernity, and Idealism and Naturalism in Gothic Sculpture and Painting (1918), an essay dating to Dvořák’s late, ‘expressionistic’, period. Knowing only these two texts, the decisive turn undertaken by Dvořák around 1920 could be interpreted as a sudden change of paradigm. As the paper wants to show, this view has to be revised after having read and analyzed Dvořák’s hitherto unpublished university lectures on Western European Art in the Middle Ages which were given four times from 1906 to 1918

Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie /

1. Lieferung: Alpha und Omega bis Albert von2. Lieferung: Albert von Trapani (Schluss) bis Antonius Eremita3. Lieferung: Antonius Eremita (Schluss) bis Augustus und die Sibylle von Tibur4. Lieferung: Augustus und die Sibylle von Tibur (Schluss) bis Blasius5. Lieferung: Blasius (Schluss) bis Christus6. Lieferung: Christus (Schluss) bis Christus und die vierundzwanzig Älteste

Wiener Jahrbuch für Kunstgeschichte

Characteristic for all contributions to the Wiener Jahrbuch in 2010 is the presentation of latest research findings with the help of methodological refinements. Thus Assaf Pinkus suggests a new interdisciplinary approach for trecento painting, which brings the viewer's perceptions into an analysis of image creation. Milena Bartlová, on the other hand, addresses the little considered subject of the iconoclasm of Bohemian Hussites. An important finding is that Hussitism was unable to give up the image in its medieval function, since the printed book - which could have taken over the communicative qualities of the image - had not yet been invented. Giovan Battista Fidanza also deals with a little considered subject - namely Michelangelo as wood carver. He is able to demonstrate convincingly that Michelangelo applied prefabricated blocks of limewood in the assemblage of his wooden crucifixes. The four subsequent articles are dedicated to Baroque art. Eckhart Leuschner defines the Baroque allegory as a constant and internationally standardised deployment of formal and semantic possibilities. At the centre of Kristoffer Neville's contribution is an early version of Fischer von Erlach's Entwurff einer historischen Architectur, with the help of which the creative process of Fischer's main architectural-theoretical work is reconstructed. In the complicated memoria programme of the state sarcophagus finished for Franz Stephan and Maria Theresia in 1754 in the crypt of the Vienna Capuchin Church, Werner Telesko identifies both Antique and Christian strands of tradition. Werner Hofmann, meanwhile, recognises the 1711 endowment decree for Lothar Franz von Schönborn as an inofficial foundation source for Schloss Pommersfelden and traces a 'hypertext' within the decree, which represents the key for the building's iconography. The amateur drawings of the Habsburgs from the 19th century are comprehended by Kerstin Merkel as autonomous non-verbal sources and integrated with historical information. Iris Wien, by contrast, sets two self-portraits of Andy Wahrhol within his known oeuvre and convincingly suggests an interpretation as Medusa. In the last four contributions to the volume, the Memorabilia, important contemporary historical documents for the history of the Vienna School are published and made accessible. Alexandra Caruso edits the memoirs of Erica Tietze Conrat. The letters of Wilde, presented by Károly Kókai, provide insights into events within the circles of Vienna art history at that time. Evonne Levy publishes for the first time a selection of letters written by Hans Sedlmayr to Meyer Schapiro in the period 1930-35. Charles Hope succeeds in portraying in convincing complexity the scholarly range of Sir Ernst Gombrich.Kennzeichnend für alle Beiträge des Wiener Jahrbuches 2010 ist die Präsentation neuester Forschungserkenntnisse mit Hilfe methodischer Raffinessen. So schlägt Assaf Pinkus einen interdisziplinären Zugang für die Trecento-Malerei vor, der Wahrnehmungen des Betrachters in die Analyse der Bilderfindung einbezieht. Milena Bartlová hingegen wendet sich der wenig beachteten Thematik des Bildersturms böhmischer Hussiten zu. Wichtig ist ihre Erkenntnis, dass der Hussitismus das Bild in seiner mittelalterlichen Funktion nicht aufgeben konnte, weil der Buchdruck noch nicht erfunden war, der die kommunikativen Eigenschaften des Bildes hätte übernehmen können. Auch Giovan Battista Fidanza beschäftigt sich mit einem wenig beachteten Thema - nämlich Michelangelo als Holzbildhauer. Er kann überzeugend nachweisen, dass Michelangelo für seine Holzkruzifixe in Assemblagetechnik vorgefertigte Blöcke aus Lindenholz verwendete. Die vier folgenden Themen sind der barocken Kunst gewidmet. Die barocke Allegorie definiert Eckhard Leuschner als konstantes und international vereinheitlichtes Dispositiv formaler und semantischer Möglichkeiten. In Kristoffer Nevilles Aufsatz steht eine frühe Version Fischer von Erlachs Entwurff einer historischen Architectur im Mittelpunkt, mit Hilfe derer der Entstehungsprozess von Fischers architekturtheoretischem Hauptwerk rekonstruiert wird. In dem komplizierten Memoria-Programm des 1754 gefertigten Prunksarkophags für Franz Stephan und Maria Theresia in der Wiener Kapuzinergruft kann Werner Telesko die beiden Traditionsstränge Antike und Christentum auffinden. Indes erkennt Werner Hofmann das Dotationsdekret von 1711 für Lothar Franz von Schönborn als inoffizielle Gründungsurkunde des Schlosses Pommersfelden und spürt in dem Dekret einen "Hypertext" auf, der der Schlüssel für die Ikonographie des Gebäudes ist. Die Laienzeichnungen der Habsburger aus dem 19. Jahrhundert begreift Kerstin Merkel als eigenständige, nonverbale Quellen und vernetzt diese mit historischen Informationen. Iris Wien dagegen verortet zwei Selbstbildnisse Andy Wahrhols in seinem bisherigen Oeuvre und schlägt eine stichhaltige Interpretation als Medusa vor. In den vier letzten Beiträgen dieses Bandes, den Memorabilia, werden wichtige zeitgeschichtliche Dokumente für die Geschichte der Wiener Schule publiziert und lesbar gemacht. Alexandra Caruso gibt Erinnerungen Erica Tietze Conrats heraus. Die von Károly Kókai bearbeiteten Briefe Wildes ermöglichen Einblicke in die Ereignisse innerhalb der Kreise der damaligen Wiener Kunstgeschichte. Evonne Levy publiziert zum ersten Mal eine Auswahl an Briefen, die Hans Sedlmayr an Meyer Schapiro in der Zeit von 1930-1935 sendet. Charles Hope gelingt es, die wissenschaftliche Vielfältigkeit Sir Ernst Gombrichs in einer bestechenden Komplexität darzustellen

Wiener Jahrbuch für Kunstgeschichte

Characteristic for all contributions to the Wiener Jahrbuch in 2010 is the presentation of latest research findings with the help of methodological refinements. Thus Assaf Pinkus suggests a new interdisciplinary approach for trecento painting, which brings the viewer's perceptions into an analysis of image creation. Milena Bartlová, on the other hand, addresses the little considered subject of the iconoclasm of Bohemian Hussites. An important finding is that Hussitism was unable to give up the image in its medieval function, since the printed book - which could have taken over the communicative qualities of the image - had not yet been invented. Giovan Battista Fidanza also deals with a little considered subject - namely Michelangelo as wood carver. He is able to demonstrate convincingly that Michelangelo applied prefabricated blocks of limewood in the assemblage of his wooden crucifixes. The four subsequent articles are dedicated to Baroque art. Eckhart Leuschner defines the Baroque allegory as a constant and internationally standardised deployment of formal and semantic possibilities. At the centre of Kristoffer Neville's contribution is an early version of Fischer von Erlach's Entwurff einer historischen Architectur, with the help of which the creative process of Fischer's main architectural-theoretical work is reconstructed. In the complicated memoria programme of the state sarcophagus finished for Franz Stephan and Maria Theresia in 1754 in the crypt of the Vienna Capuchin Church, Werner Telesko identifies both Antique and Christian strands of tradition. Werner Hofmann, meanwhile, recognises the 1711 endowment decree for Lothar Franz von Schönborn as an inofficial foundation source for Schloss Pommersfelden and traces a 'hypertext' within the decree, which represents the key for the building's iconography. The amateur drawings of the Habsburgs from the 19th century are comprehended by Kerstin Merkel as autonomous non-verbal sources and integrated with historical information. Iris Wien, by contrast, sets two self-portraits of Andy Wahrhol within his known oeuvre and convincingly suggests an interpretation as Medusa. In the last four contributions to the volume, the Memorabilia, important contemporary historical documents for the history of the Vienna School are published and made accessible. Alexandra Caruso edits the memoirs of Erica Tietze Conrat. The letters of Wilde, presented by Károly Kókai, provide insights into events within the circles of Vienna art history at that time. Evonne Levy publishes for the first time a selection of letters written by Hans Sedlmayr to Meyer Schapiro in the period 1930-35. Charles Hope succeeds in portraying in convincing complexity the scholarly range of Sir Ernst Gombrich