Original scientific paper

Disappearance of the Sacral from Art?

Zdenko Rus ; Gallery of Modern Art, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The article presents some major postulates on the relationship between art and religion in the modern world, established and elaborated by the French author and philosopher Andre Malraux. The new era of modern art began round 1860 when through vision of universal art in which everything seems different, the agnostic civilisation was born and it succeeded in resurrecting the sacral works of art.
With the new world by the beginning of the 15th century, Christian art was no longer referring to eternity. Mythology, history, portrait, landscape and still nature became important genres. Religious truth was secondary to the illusion of creation (e.g. Cezanne), whilst idols became works of art. The question now is: Is this a definite answer why the sacral disappeared from art?
The fact is that in the gradual process of emancipation art has been getting its autonomy in its relationship with the Church, philosophy, politics, economy, and society in general. The society opened to the unknown, and an artist opened to the feeling of loneliness and personal religion (e.g. painter Caspar David Friedrich). The mystery of religion is transferred from the world of the Church into the world of nature. The question arises: How to revive the feeling of the superior in the profane world, outside the frame of traditional Christian iconography? In this process some artistic forms of religious and pseudo-religious sort have appeared.
Spiritual aspirations and religious feelings were developed at the end of the 19th century, particularly by the French symbolists (Odilon Redon, Gustav Moreau). At the beginning of the 20th century expressionists turned entirely to the expression of inner feelings, driven mostly by religious ecstasy, inner social engagement and their deep psychological interest or vision of a possible future.
There are many misunderstandings between the Church and the creative efforts in art. The fact is that the Church failed to take into consideration all the seriousness, depth and major changes in the field of art in the last hundred and fifty years. It is therefore difficult to give an answer to the question what Christian art is supposed to be. The theory which sticks very strong in the artistic circles says that there is no trend and no artistic tendency that cannot be somehow connected to Christianity, namely creative Christianity.

Keywords

art; religious art; modern world; Church; the sacral in art; process of emancipation; creative Christianity

Hrčak ID:

25393

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/25393

Publication date:

8.4.2005.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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