Painting And Expression: Other Approach To The Genealogy Of Modern Art

In the late19th and early20th century, the art criticismdefending modern artshared one common feature, which not merely addressed the subjectmatter of worksof art,but focusedon theirformal characteristics. Such Formalist aesthetics and theoriessoon spread in the European Avant-garde artist groups and became an important andinspired stronghold for modern art. Among them, German critic Julius Meier-Graefe,who fought the battles for French Modern Art in Germany and wrote the firstmodernist account of modern art at the turn of the century, was considered as oneofthe leaders in this area. This thesisresearches his early criticism career firstlywhichincludeshis related activitiesandideas about Art Nouveau Movement.Based onthe vitalwritings, especiallyEntwicklungsgeschichte der modernen Kunst, VergleichendeBetrachtung der bildenden Künste, als Beitrag zu einer neuen Aesthetik,the thesisthentries torevealshis aesthetics and the new system of modern art in terms of hisdescriptions and analyses onworks of art. And thatrevealshowthe critic thought aboutGerman Modern Art and the issues inside it. Finally, the thesis draws aconclusionofhisdistinctiveviewonworks of art as well as the art criticismclarifyingthe essence ofmodern art and its tradition.