Naturbilder / Images of Nature

Do plants have a soul? This first-ever study examines how the invisible souls of plants were depicted in French art, film, dance and science around 1900, including the way these depictions were melded with religious and biological concepts. The aesthetic and pictorial history of post-evolutionary anima vegetativa shows how plant animism questioned conceptions of nature, perception and power, and, by extension, the special status of human beings.

Ecologies of Expression　responds to recent reconsiderations of the relationships between art and nature, animacy and agency. With multidisciplinary approaches ranging from art and film history to philosophy and the history of science, the texts in this volume reimagine expression beyond the anthropocentric categories of an inherited naturalistic world-picture. The historical and theoretical manifestations of the expressive provide new insights into the manifold interconnections and mutual integrations of biological, aesthetic and psychological knowledge.　

As is well known, the term naturalism has carried a multitude of meanings. It generally designates the qualities of an artwork that are considered characteristic of a specific time period or movement, or even defines a stylistic epoch. However, even if considered systematically, meanings of naturalism diverge quite profoundly depending on the context of usage. What is true of all the various tendencies, methods and works is that they strive toward the imitation of nature or a heightened level of reality. This raises the question as to how techniques of pictorial description and varieties of illusionism produce knowledge. To what extent do instances of objectivity and claims to truth derive from the apparent withdrawal of artistic intervention?

The natural genesis of stone is particularly suitable as a production paradigm of mimicking art; examples are rock and coral formations, or the veins in marble, that are an expression of the forces of natural creation.

Art materials bridge the chasm between idea and execution and impact on the working process; shaping the material reveals levels of meaning in the piece and, likewise, the specific form of the material offers opportunities for generating meaning. Imitating natural materials is much more than a replacement of the material or a demonstration of one’s own artistic skills.

The contributions in this book take a close look at the imitation of natural stone as artistic potential to express the interplay between natural and artificial material qualities.

The literary, artistic, and scientific culture of early modern Naples is closely linked to the natural topography of the city, stretching from Iacopo Sannazaro’s poetic evocation of the Campania landscape to Giambattista Vico’s approach in which he anchors human civilization to the existential confrontation with natural forces.

With the open sea, the rocky coastline, and the menacing presence of Vesuvius, the image of Naples, more than any other city in early modern times, is associated in the collective imagination with the forces of nature. Even the populace was interpreted as a force of nature.

In this volume, art, literature, and science historians investigate the convergence of culture and nature in a unique geographic context.

Aby Warburgs Rede von der Lebendigkeit und dem Nachleben der Bilder zeugt von der Bedeutung, die Natürliches für seine Konzeptualisierung von Bildformeln hat: Die Natur tritt immer wieder als bildergenerierende Instanz auf.

Warburg identifiziert menschliche Bildproduktion vor dem Hintergrund naturmagischer, -philosophischer oder -wissenschaftlicher Vorstellungen und Beschreibungsweisen. Seine eigenwilligen Begriffsübernahmen und -prägungen wie etwa Mneme, kinetische/potentielle Energie oder Dynamogramm verweisen auf ein enges Verhältnis zu zeitgenössischen naturwissenschaftlichen Modellen. Die Beiträge des Bandes fragen nach der Bedeutung von Vererbungslehre und Evolutionsbiologie, Völker- und Affektpsychologie, aber auch von Physik und Mathematik für Warburgs Bilderdenken.

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"Liveliness" is the dominant topos in the art and discourse on art of the early modern era. It is characterized by a paradox, since the works only seem to live. But what is also reflected in the fascination with almost living works at the same time is the impossibility of drawing rigid lines of demarcation between the living and the dead. Here, art explores what also occupied natural philosophy at the time in an experimental way.

The book examines the transitions between living and dead in case studies, for instance, based on early tombs, anatomical renderings, and sculptural monochromy as well as on the history of coloring, Vasari’s teleology, Michelangelo's non-finito, and Titian's portraits. What come into play are eroticism, monetary theory, the luster of eyes, and still-lifes, and also visual poetry, princely triumphal processions, and light and sculpture in the Baroque.

Hunters’ techniques, customs and myths are representative of cultural practices and life spheres. The cultural and historical significance of the hunt lies not in the hunt itself, but rather in the power of its resulting images. Pictorial evidence, beginning with the famous cave paintings in Altamira, suggests that man represents himself as natural hunter and gatherer. Many others bear witness to the hunter’s mythic strength, like the hunting gods of Olympus – Diana, Apollo and Hercules. This book explores modern images of the hunt, determines their archeology and explains their places, functions and strengths. It shows clearly how exactly the hunt, its narrative and associated actions, continue to fascinate and function as emblems of broader cultural ideals.

A critical element in the formation of the early modern conception of art was the understanding that art was largely natural. This study examines this premise and shows for the first time the significance of the so-called occult sciences for aesthetic theory. The connection to occult images of nature helps elucidate such major questions as the role of the artist, the material process of production, and the power of imagery.

Die ästhetische Bedeutung der "Kraft" mit ihren semantischen Nachbarn "Intensität" und "Energie" wird seit einigen Jahren verstärkt in der Literaturwissenschaft untersucht und findet innerhalb der philosophischen Ästhetik zunehmend Beachtung. Eine historische und interdisziplinäre Auseinandersetzung mit diesen zentralen Begriffen künstlerischer Produktion und Wirkung steht aber noch aus. Der vorliegende Band erkundet dieses kaum vermessene und reich profilierte Gelände. Die Beiträge gehen von der Annahme aus, dass die Beziehungen zwischen ästhetischen und naturphilosophischen Wissensfeldern, zwischen künstlerischen und naturwissenschaftlichen Modellierungen im Zeichen der Kraft enger sind, als bisher vermutet wurde.

This book reflects on the broad variety of relationships to nature in 21^st century contemporary art. Key questions that are addressed include how today’s artists deal with the increasing manipulability of nature and the progressive destruction of extra-human living spaces. Art can also serve as an indicator of basic transformations in our current understanding of nature.