Kingdom of the Soul: Symbolist Art in Germany, 1870-1920

by Hans Henrik Brummer, Ingrid Ehrhardt, Simon Reynolds

Published to accompany an important exhibition, this richly illustrated volume outlines the link between the Pre-Raphaelite artists in Britain and the Expressionists on the Continent. It focuses on the crucial contribution made by artists in Germany to the European Symbolist movement as a whole, providing for the first time a much-needed comparison to developments in England and other countries worldwide.Symbolism was a European cultural movement that was at its peak in the last two decades of the 19th century, profoundly affecting the visual arts and inextricably bound up with music and literature. While many Symbolists reacted against the materialism of 19th-century science and its implications, others sought to reconcile modern science with spiritual traditions. Symbolism stressed feeling and evocation over definition and fact, and emphasized the power of suggestion.

The British artist Edward Burne-Jones is considered one of the most important precursors for other European artists who thought of themselves as Symbolists, while in France, Paul Gauguin played a seminal role. Edvard Munch charged his oeuvre with such strong personal meaning that his style and content became a source for Expressionism. These influences fell on fertile soil in Germany where artists including Arnold Bocklin, Ferdinand Hodler, and Kathe Kollwitz worked within the Symbolist tradition. By focusing on this neglected German axis between 1870 and 1920, Symbolist Art makes an important contribution to our understanding and appreciation of this fascinating period in art history.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

334 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of essays with a very clear introduction. I would definitely recommend this over Symbolism as far as the text goes, and probably for the art reproductions as well, although there is minimal overlap. Actually the two volumes are useful to read together as they present such different sides of Symbolism.

[britany · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am reading this book at work "just for fun."