The Social History of Art: Rococo, Classicism and Romanticism

by A. Hauser

First published in 1951, Arnold Hauser's commanding work presents an account of the development and meaning of art, from its origins in the Stone Age through to the "Film Age." This new edition of a classic work explores historical and social movements and the effects these have had on the production of art--the centrality of class and class struggle, the cultural roles of ideologies and the determining influence of modes of economic development. There are 144 illustrations within the four volumes and each volume has a new general introduction by Jonathan Harris which traces the history of Hauser's project, discusses the relevance of the work for art history today, provides a synopsis of Hauser's narrative, and offers a critical guide that highlights major themes, trends and arguments.

244 pages, Paperback

Published December 31, 1990

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am by no means an expert in art history. So many of the terms thrown around in this book I have only payed lip service to over the years. Rococo, Baroque, Classicism, Neo-Classicism, etc. I have known them as architectural styles and have been hard pressed to tease them apart. Luckily, this book really helped me set them straight. And it did so not by pictures and descriptions of ratios and engineering feats, but by tying architecture, painting, literature, music, and even drama together with the intellectual and economic trends of the times. Rococo succeeds the formalism and classical formulations of the Baroque, Romanticism rises with the middle class, and the novel comes into form as writers leave the world of patronage and become part of the market. Hauser's writing is so dense that it is hard to follow all of the information that he is giving you. The main points that I will take away are (1) How important the shift from aristocracy to bourgeoisie as purveyors of art was to the development of Romanticism and individualism in art. The middle class first stresses the rationality of the Enlightenment and then seeks for something beyond it. (2) Germany's odd legacy with relation to the development of European intellectual history and art. The author is highly critical of Germany's development which is not so surprising, as this book was published in the immediate Post-War era. Hauser sees Germany as missing the elementary school of the Enlightenment (his metaphor) and then never quite understanding rationalism because of this. The impotence of the German middle class during the 17th and 18th centuries is linked to its crippling during the Thirty Years' War and the political authoritarianism of the German princes that followed. As a result of their exclusion from political life, German art and philosophy develops as anti-rational: philosophy is garbled and focused on metaphysics and art never explores Classicist or Rococo genres, but seeks perfection and understanding in natural and romantic forms. It becomes dangerous when Germans start applying rationalist modes to irrational and even anti-rational ideas. Enter the Nazis.

There is a lot in this book to think about. I highly recommend it if you are interested in the "why" behind "what" and "when." I know so little about this tradition. I wonder what good sorts of critiques/responses/updates have followed up this project.