Dark Romanticism: From Goya to Max Ernst
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Dark Romanticism: From Goya to Max Ernst Details
Review Most studies of Romanticism stress its exaltation of nature, its discovery of the imagination, and the ecstatic identification of the artist/poet with both. As this exhibition catalogue's title suggests, the curators of this exhibition from Frankfurt are more interested in the irrational, nether side of human nature that the Romantics unearthed. Their survey is encyclopedic, beginning in the 18th century with the ghoulish images of Goya and the Anglo-Swiss painter Fuseli, and ending with the nightmarish paintings of German surrealist Max Ernst. Of the 13 essays, the first 3 are prefatory in nature. The catalogue takes up the next seven essays, which are chronologically arranged and lavishly illustrated. [...] Equally important are the three last essays, which are devoted to exploring the grisly themes of decadence and death in opera, literature, and cinema. (L.R. Matteson Choice 2013-08-01) Read more
Reviews
Here is an exhibition catalogue with a theme like no other: the "dark side" of Romantic art. What makes the scope of this exhibition unusual is that it's not limited to the 19th century. As the subtitle implies, the book traces the legacy of the darker side of Romanticism from its origins to its influence on surrealism. This coffee table book highlights the work of 70 artists and contains 200 plates and dozens of additional illustrations to the text. Some of the plate reproductions are postcard size, but most tend to fill the page, and all of them are printed in high quality.Thirteen essays are interwoven throughout and explore various topics and groups of artists. Each essay looks into a special aspect of Romanticism, and collectively they identify the recurring imagery of "dark Romanticism": apparitions, demons, pain, madness, nocturnal moods, dreams, the macabre, and intense psychological states. One essay, "Uncanny Images", surveys the visual arts around the turn of the 19th century, paying particular attention to Goya and Fuseli, but also Friedrich, Géricault, and Turner. Another essay, "Nightmare, Anxiety, Apocalypse" studies the essence of horror in the work of Goya, the nightmare depicted by Fuseli, catastrophic imagery of John Martin, grisly dramas of Géricault and Wiertz, and lastly the pessimistic visions of the symbolists; Klinger, Redon, Stuck, and Kubin are emphasized.The catalogue reproductions are divided into seven sections: 1) Goya, 2) Fuseli and British Art, 3) French Romanticism, 4) Dark Romanticism in German Painting, 5) Decadence in French and Belgian Symbolism, 6) Dark Romantic Symbolism, and 7) Romanticism and Surrealism. Each section is preceded by a short essay that introduces the subject and offers interpretations of the plates. These essays are accessible to the layman and should be equally insightful to the scholar. I found it refreshing that nearly all 200 plates are cited and analyzed in some way over the course of these essays. At the tail-end of the catalogue are three supplemental essays which shed light on dark Romanticism as it appears in literature, opera, and film. The essay on literature is the weakest of the three, but the one on film is very engrossing and fascinating, as it compares German Expressionist film stills with actual Romantic paintings.As for the art selection, it is quite spectacular. One could quibble over the absence of some artists, but the art assembled for this exhibition is generally powerful, distinctive, and haunting. Again, 70 artists make an appearance. Some of the best work by major Romantic artists are on display, while many second-tier and lesser-known works are spotlighted as well. Every medium is represented, from paintings and etchings to sculptures and photographs. Some notable rarities include Victor Hugo's drawings and sculptures by Jean-Joseph Carriès, Paul Dardé, George Minne, and Christian Behrens. Fans of symbolist art will find many pleasant surprises here: Léon Frédéric, Julien Adolphe Duvocelle, Eugène Laermans, Georges de Feure, and Oskar Zwintscher. Likewise the large quantity of Carus, Catel, Blechen, Lessing, and Oehme plates will impress devotees of German Romanticism.Bottom line: I cannot imagine a better exhibition catalogue for a subject like this. Both the text and reproductions are immensely satisfying. There is nothing comparable to this in print at the moment, so if the darker elements of Romantic art appeal to you, this is the definitive book. See also Gothic Nightmares: Fuseli, Blake and the Romantic Imagination and Painting the Dark Side: Art and the Gothic Imagination in Nineteenth-Century America.
