Evolution of Art: Neoclassicism to 20th-Century Freedom

Neoclassicism and Rationalistic Art

For Neoclassicism, beauty is captured by what, according to Kant, is selfless, communicative, and claims universality. In Neoclassical art, all reasonable rules of good taste are followed, establishing the aesthetic canon.

Romantic Art: Passion and Sublimity

Modern art subjectivized beauty through the experience of taste. However, taste was previously dictated by the canon of reason. Romanticism adds passion to this equation, leading to the discovery of a new dimension of beauty: the sublime.

• The sublime spirit invades so violently that it produces an overwhelming annihilation, leaving the individual captivated by its beauty.
• The sublime is self-justifying, without being subject to rules or measures. In a way, this beauty is terrible.
• Despite its violence, the sublime is attractive, seductive, and deceitful. It drives the human spirit toward what it cannot resist.

The sublime can only be captured by those with the aesthetic sensibility to feel it. This sublime beauty is only available to the genius; the sublime only reveals itself to the genius, who possesses the unique ability to capture and express it in a work of art.

Passion ultimately results in transgression. If the sublime is only captured through passion, and passion tolerates neither rules nor measures, the artist must experience their passion in complete liberty. In doing so, they must transgress social conventions and the moral standards of "non-geniuses." Thus, the concept of living for art was born, even if it meant social contempt, madness, and death—marking the birth of the link between genius, madness, and art.

Art as Freedom in the 20th Century

From the Standpoint of the Author

• Liberation from aesthetic commitment: The artwork does not have to be beautiful. Therefore, the work of art can simply be a mere "sign of communication."
• Liberation from ethical commitment: Art does not have to commit itself morally.
• Release from the formal codes of "artistic traditions" through new means of expression:
  • Experimentation with new forms of artistic expression (e.g., abstract paintings).
  • Experimentation with "new materials" (e.g., collages).
  • Experimentation with new "artistic fields" (e.g., video, film).

From the Standpoint of the Viewer

The artwork is offered as an open text, subject to interpretation. This leads to:

• Reinterpreting the meaning of traditional art through new lenses.
• Offering works in which the author does not impose any single meaning onto the artistic object.