The Symbolist Generation, 1870-1910

Rating:
Summary: A gorgeous compilation of Symbolist work. Outstanding.
Review: From the text:
"Symbolism is foremost a gallery of portraits, usually of women depicted full-face with long auburn hair and eyes that are either transfixed or dreamily shut [...]. There is little or no action in these pictures, neither story nor narrative element; one meditates, broods, dreams - never acting - in a melancholy and mournful atmosphere. Oblivious of her surroundings and often draped in jewels and brocade, the typical figure in countless Symbolist pictures [...] seems a withdrawn, unattainable princess. She could be an idol the way she is covered with precious gems, immersed in flowers.

"The choice for time for such reveries is twilight or nightfall; the preferred season, autumn or winter with their train of mist; the climate, generally northern, rarely the south. The favorite Symbolist locations are solitary spots, far from the city, or else interiors well insulated from the world outside. Nature, when shown, is frequently hostile [...].

"Water is always present. Not the flowing, living element of springs and streams, but the more opaque water that sleeps in ponds, the canals of Venice and Bruges, whose still surface mirrors the narcissist's gaze.

"Swans glide noiselessly over those waters; they are Wagnerian birds, signifying purity when immaculately white, presaging sorrow when black, their necks perfect pretexts for drawing graceful arabesques.

"The lily, another symbol of purity, is ubiquitous to the point of becoming a Symbolist cliche (20).

****

The above paragraphs, taken from a section titled "The Symbolist dream-world," is fairly representative of the art selected for this book. The Symbolists were heavily influenced by Edgar Allen Poe and Charles Baudelaire, and (in addition to the subjects listed above) their art is lush with grotesque skeletons, brooding angels, Sphinxes, Greek gods, tombs, and sin.

Regarding the text: you will be hard-pressed to find another book as comprehensive and well-organized as this one. Mathieu introduces the reader to the Symbolist generation, and those artists (too many to list here) generally thought of as "starting" the movement. At least half of the book stays in France, examining the Pont-Aven group, the Nabis, and the Rose+Croix Salons. He addresses the political and religious issues of the time, and gives special attention to the rampant gynophobia and misogyny implied in the "femme fatale" theme.

Regarding the art: outstanding. The passage quoted from the text will give you a feel for the overall style and subject matter; however, it is far from comprehensive. The art is meant to evoke a kind of haunted melancholy, a spiritual ache, and I think it succeeds. My personal favorites: Frantisek Kupka's "The Way of Silence," William Degouve de Nuncques' "Nocturnal Effect," Max Klinger's "Twilight," and Magnus Enckell's "Youth before a Skull."

Final word: an impressive, worthy tome.

Rating:
Summary: A gorgeous compilation of Symbolist work. Outstanding.
Review: From the text:
"Symbolism is foremost a gallery of portraits, usually of women depicted full-face with long auburn hair and eyes that are either transfixed or dreamily shut [...]. There is little or no action in these pictures, neither story nor narrative element; one meditates, broods, dreams - never acting - in a melancholy and mournful atmosphere. Oblivious of her surroundings and often draped in jewels and brocade, the typical figure in countless Symbolist pictures [...] seems a withdrawn, unattainable princess. She could be an idol the way she is covered with precious gems, immersed in flowers.

"The choice for time for such reveries is twilight or nightfall; the preferred season, autumn or winter with their train of mist; the climate, generally northern, rarely the south. The favorite Symbolist locations are solitary spots, far from the city, or else interiors well insulated from the world outside. Nature, when shown, is frequently hostile [...].

"Water is always present. Not the flowing, living element of springs and streams, but the more opaque water that sleeps in ponds, the canals of Venice and Bruges, whose still surface mirrors the narcissist's gaze.

"Swans glide noiselessly over those waters; they are Wagnerian birds, signifying purity when immaculately white, presaging sorrow when black, their necks perfect pretexts for drawing graceful arabesques.

"The lily, another symbol of purity, is ubiquitous to the point of becoming a Symbolist cliche (20).

****

The above paragraphs, taken from a section titled "The Symbolist dream-world," is fairly representative of the art selected for this book. The Symbolists were heavily influenced by Edgar Allen Poe and Charles Baudelaire, and (in addition to the subjects listed above) their art is lush with grotesque skeletons, brooding angels, Sphinxes, Greek gods, tombs, and sin.

Regarding the text: you will be hard-pressed to find another book as comprehensive and well-organized as this one. Mathieu introduces the reader to the Symbolist generation, and those artists (too many to list here) generally thought of as "starting" the movement. At least half of the book stays in France, examining the Pont-Aven group, the Nabis, and the Rose+Croix Salons. He addresses the political and religious issues of the time, and gives special attention to the rampant gynophobia and misogyny implied in the "femme fatale" theme.

Regarding the art: outstanding. The passage quoted from the text will give you a feel for the overall style and subject matter; however, it is far from comprehensive. The art is meant to evoke a kind of haunted melancholy, a spiritual ache, and I think it succeeds. My personal favorites: Frantisek Kupka's "The Way of Silence," William Degouve de Nuncques' "Nocturnal Effect," Max Klinger's "Twilight," and Magnus Enckell's "Youth before a Skull."

Final word: an impressive, worthy tome.