The Birth Of Malrö's Art Theory Elements And The World Of Form

The present study delves into the rediscovery of Andre Malraux(1901-1976)theory of art wherein he offers a revolutionary understanding of the nature and significance of the subject through the lens of a new humanism.The principle propositions of his theory as presented in segment one delves into the notion of a rival world as a means to counter the recognition of the ultimate meaninglessness of life that Malraux deems crucial to the creation of art. He takes the view that through this other world,great art lives on as it possesses the power to transcend the present and emerge as an entirly different entity later on. So although a work of art is inextricably linked to its time of creation, the power of metamorphosis enables such a rival and coherent world to remain relevant inspite of time so as to remerge as a new presence.The second segment of this thesis highlights the thinking of art historian Henri Focillon's(1881-1943) writings on the subject of the “Life of Forms”with particular regards to the treatment of the relation of time and the world of forms that lends support to Malraux key themes on art. Lastly, Rembrandt's approach to his life's work that bears witness to the essence of Malraux's theory rounds up the segment.