27. The Symbolist Movement (1865-1915)
“. . . you want me to look for truth and lies at the end of a stick with weasel hair tied to it? … I have knives, big knives… I’ll give you a fifty-yard head start... and take my glasses off. Good luck...” - Ilaekae, from conceptart.org
What was it about? What were the goals?
Symbolism is basically a confusing name for what should be called Late or Gothic Romantic Art, made in the second half of the 19th century (of course, calling it Gothic is also confusing, because that usually refers to art made before the Renaissance, from 1200-1400 AD). Symbolism was a small, short-lived movement having more to do with poetry than painting, and centering in France. And, since Symbolism had more to do with theory and less to do with style it’s hard to tell just by looking whether an artwork is Symbolist or not.
Symbolism was a rebellion against Realism. Whereas Realists only painted what they saw, portraying reality, however brutal or banal, Symbolists focused on spirituality and chose to portray the supernatural, exploring dreams, ideals, and their own imaginations. They wanted their work to express pure emotions as does music and poetry. Like Realists, Symbolists also claimed to paint what’s “true”, whatever that means, but stressed the importance of metaphor and, well symbolism. They felt the greatest truths couldn’t be painted directly or objectively, but subjectively––that any attempt by an artist to look at the world objectively was a form of denial and therefore dishonest. As the artist Cazalis wrote, he wanted, “to depict not the thing but the effect it produces.” You may wonder how this is possible without painting both, and how this differs from any previous artists and their work. So do I.
Even weirder, try this quote by the poet Gustave Khan, “The essential aim of our art is to objectify the subjective (the externalization of the Idea) instead of subjectifying the objective (nature seen through the eyes of a temperament).” Good luck wrestling with that idea…
A bit of historical context:
Symbolism was one of the first art movements to have a manifesto, written in 1886 by Jean Moréas. It describes Symbolism primarily as a new literary movement, and makes the same arguments outlined above. Symbolism was promoted by the art critic (and occultist), Joséphin Péladan, who hosted several exhibitions in the 1890’s. While short-lived, Symbolist art is seen as a major influence in modern art, especially Expressionism and Surrealism.
The underlying philosophy of the period:
Symbolist writers were influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer, known as the philosopher of pessimism. He argued that art was, “a refuge from the world of strife of the will.” Schopenhauer argued that a person’s basic state is one of suffering, based on insatiable cravings and urges, primarily of “the will”––our urge to procreate and continue our existence, a base and meaningless urge simply to live. And, even when we get what we want, and our desire is satisfied, we immediately replace it with another, so that we can never be happy. Art helps us ignore these urges and problems for a time, while at the same time teaching us about the world in a way that science and logic can’t.
If that makes sense, this next bit won’t. Schopenhauer went further to say that a great artist must be such a genius that, while working, he completely forgets who he is, what his desires are, and thereby frees himself from "the will". My first reaction to this: doesn’t the artist desire to complete a good painting? How is this different from any other desired project or undertaking? And after he or she finishes it, doesn’t he want to start another? Anyway, from this argument we get the stereotype of the Schopenhauerian artist – a misunderstood genius who neglects “the business of life” being obsessed with his art.
Wait a minute, isn't other art symbolic too? Were these the only artists to use symbolism?
Of course, symbols have been used in art for thousands of years. We've covered this in previous lessons. That's why I titled this lesson "The Symbolist Movement", to signify a specific moment in history, and not Symbolism which would refer more generally to the use of symbols through all of art history.
How was it represented in the other arts – music, architecture, and literature?
Symbolism was primarily a movement in French poetry, with the leaders being Baudelaire, Stéphane Mallarmé, and Paul Verlaine. The most famous novelist was Paul Adam. Playwrights included Maeterlinck and Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam. Symbolism played a big role in music too, as Schopenhauer considered it the highest art form. Symbolist writers loved the music of Wagner. In turn, these writers were a great influence for Claude Debussy, who used many of Verlaine’s and Maeterlinck’s writings in his works. They also influenced Scriabin and Schoenberg.
Was it great?
While there’s a lot of variety in style and quality, it’s fair to say some Symbolist art is really great. The greatest star is far-and-away Gustav Klimt. However complicated and confusing the philosophy may have been, it worked for Klimt. His artworks rank among some of the best and most sought after of all time.
Some leading figures:
Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) poet
Théodore de Banville (1823-1891) poet
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898)
Gustave Moreau (1826-1898)
Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901)
Félicien Rops (1833-1898)
Odilon Redon (1840-1916)
Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898) poet
Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) poet
Jacek Malczewski (1854-1929)
Jean Moréas (1856-1910) poet
Jan Toorop (1858-1928)
Gustave Khan (1859-1936) poet
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)
Gaston Bussière (1862-1929)
Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
Carlos Schwabe (1866-1926)
Alfred Jarry (1873-1907)
Some of the most famous artworks of the time:
This painting’s title quotes a poem by Christina Rossetti (sister of the Pre-Raphaelite painter, Dante Rossetti), and her poem quotes a Bible passage (Romans 7:24) dealing with inner-conflict. This causes us to wonder what the painting has to do with internal conflict – is it in the woman’s calm expression? The wilting flowers in the foreground? The geometric shapes of the background? Is Khnopff suggesting that looking yourself in is a good thing? It’s hard to say. Much of this painting is deliberately mysterious. Is that a spear beside the woman? Who is she anyway? Where is she? Why is there a bust of the Greek god Hypnos? We don’t know, and yet, something about the mood of this painting is clear. The puzzle it presents mirrors the existential struggles we face daily – to find meaning in life and our actions.
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