Alois Riegl Books

"Alois Riegl (1858-1905) was one of the greatest modern art historians. The most important member of the so-called "Vienna School," Riegl developed a highly refined technique of visual or formal analysis, as opposed to the iconological method with its emphasis on decoding motifs through recourse to texts. Riegl also pioneered understanding of the changing role of the viewer, the significance of non-high art objects or what would now be called visual or material culture, and theories of art and art history, including his much-debated neologism Kunstwollen (the will of art). At last, his Historical Grammar of the Visual Arts, which brings together the diverse threads of his thought, is available to an English-language audience, in a superlative translation by Jacqueline E

Alois Riegl significantly shaped art history as a distinct academic discipline, emerging from the Vienna School of Art History. His early work included a dissertation on the Romanesque Church of St. Jacob and a focus on medieval calendar manuscripts. As curator at the Austrian Museum, he published influential texts like Altorientalische Teppiche and Stilfragen, showcasing his interdisciplinary approach. Riegl's lectures on baroque art challenged prevailing views, contributing to a reevaluation of the period and establishing a foundational methodology in art history.

Alois Riegl's Stilfragen explores the evolution of ornamentation from ancient Egypt to the Islamic period, emphasizing the continuity of artistic expression across time. Riegl posits that creativity exists in both high art and everyday objects, asserting that change is an essential aspect of style. This new translation presents his influential ideas in accessible language, inviting readers to engage with Riegl's insights and reconsider his contributions within the context of modern revisionist discussions in art history.

Demonstrating an uninterrupted continuity in the history of ornament from the ancient Egyptians through the Islamic period, this treatise argues that art is completely independent from exterior conditions and is beyond individual volition.

In The Group Portraiture of Holland , art historian Alois Riegl (1858-1905) argues that the artists of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Holland radically altered the beholders relationship to works of art. Group portraits by artists such as Rembrandt and Frans Halls reflect an egalitarianviewpoint not found in the more hierarchically structured Italian works of the same period. First published in 1902 and here in English for the first time, the book opened up areas of inquiry that continue to engage scholars today.

Nachdruck der Originalausgabe aus dem Jahr 1901.

Der Nachdruck aus dem Jahr 1901 bietet einen Einblick in die Gedanken und Ideen der damaligen Zeit. Er präsentiert historische Perspektiven, die für heutige Leser von Bedeutung sind, und bewahrt den Charme und die Authentizität des Originals. Die Veröffentlichung ermöglicht es, die kulturellen und sozialen Kontexte der frühen 1900er Jahre zu erkunden, was das Buch zu einer wertvollen Quelle für Geschichtsinteressierte macht.

Die lange vergriffene "Historische Grammatik der bildenden Kunste" ist eine bedeutende und einflussreiche Abhandlung uber die Kunstgeschichte. IN diesem bahnbrechenden fragmentarischen Werk bietet Alois Riegl von der Antike bis zur Moderne einen Querschnitt durch die Epochen der Kunstgeschichte. DEr Autor ermittelt invariante Elemente der bildlichen Darstellung: die Zwecke der Produktion von Bildern, ihre Motive sowie die wesentliche Beziehung zwischen Flache und Form. DIese Elemente wandeln sich nach den Ausdrucksnotwendigkeiten von Ort und Zeit. ALs Interpret der Kunstgeschichte und der Geschichte der Weltanschauungen und als Gegner jeglicher Art des technizistischen Materialismus entwickelt Riegl Beobachtungen, die so unterschiedliche Autoren wie Spengler, Panofsky, Deleuze, Feyerabend und nicht zuletzt Benjamin anregen sollten. DAs ehrgeizige Projekt dieser "Historischen Grammatik", die - vielleicht nicht zufallig - ein Entwurf blieb, bietet neuartige interpretatorische Mittel zur Auseinandersetzung mit der Kunst.