Myth and Art

Author(s): PAUL Z. ROTTERDAM

Source: Social Research, Vol. 52, No. 2, Myth in Contemporary Life (SUMMER 1985), pp. 423-439
Published by: The New School
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40970379
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Mythand Art,'

By PAUL Z. ROTTERDAM

V^n May29, 1945,at sixo'clockin themorningitwas raining

in Amsterdam.Two police officersknockedat the door of
Hans Van Meegeren,painter,declaringhis arrestfor high
treasonagainstthe state.His name had been found in connectionwithpapers showingthe sale of Dutch masterpaintings to the Nazis duringthe war. Especiallythe sale to HermannGoeringof a Vermeerpainting,designatedas a national
treasure,put Van Meegerenunder suspicionof collaboration
withthe enemy.Afterweeks of denial, Van Meegerenconfessedto thecrimebutwiththeinclusionof a statement
which
stunnedthe world even in those hecticpostwartimes: the
paintingin questionwas not a Vermeerbut had been painted
by Van Meegerenhimself.He also admittedto severalnewly
discoveredDe Hooches and otherVermeers,and the greatest
of all was hisclaimto have done thefamous"Christ
nightmare
at Emmaus"byVermeer,whichbythenhad been hangingfor
Whenthis
sevenyearsin theBoysmansMuseumin Rotterdam.
in
certified
paintingwenton the market 1937,itsauthenticity
in
the
Vermeer
the
most
world,
by
outstanding
experts
acclaimedin numerouspublicationsas the ultimatemasterworkof Vermeerand sold to the museumforthe incredible
thecenterpieceof the
priceof 550,000guilders,it constituted
1938 exhibitionof 450 Dutch masters.Enormouscrowdsof
visitorswereled to a separateroomwithcarpetson the floor
and the
in order not to disturbthe silenceof contemplation
feelingof mystical
serenitywhichemanatedfromthe workas
froman altar,as criticsdescribedit. The mostpopular paintingin Hollandwas said to containall theelementsof theholy,
the mystical,the spiritualwhich convertthe viewingof a
paintinginto a pilgrimageto a sacred shrinethroughwhich
SOCIAL RESEARCH, Vol. 52, No. 2 (Summer1985)

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424

SOCIAL RESEARCH

man'sinnerstateis liberatedfromthe anxietiesof the world

and healed by a wondrous,purelyreligiousspirit.
Today, fortyyearsafterVan Meegeren'spaintingwas demotedto the museum'scorridor,it seemseasy to saythatthe
paintingrepresentsa false pathos, that the heads are like
decoratedballs floatingover the canvas,thatthe fingersare
stuckon them,that
paintedlikedead sausageswithfingernails
the hairis wetand hangingdown in strandsas if itjust came
the whole
out of the rain, that the shadows are arbitrary,
the
form
etc.
And
what
about
of
dull,
spiritual?
arrangement
Did it suddenlyevaporateby the new sun of truthwhichrose
as soon as the clouds of pretensewerelifted?Altogether,
the
exampleof Van Meegerenrevealsan unstableweathercondition witha low pressurearea surroundingthe phenomenologicalconditionsof a paintingitselfand whatwe denote as
the spiritualforcescontainedin it.
The Spiritualin Art

If thespiritualis one day containedin thephenomenonand

thenextday has escaped throughtheintroduction
of hitherto
unknownfacts,the spiritualis eithernot containedin the
phenomenonitselfor the effectof transcendenceis only
whichin
imaginedas a resultof expectationsof spirituality
itselfhoweverhas no a prioripositionin art. But whywould
ifwe
we talkaboutthespiritual,themystical,
thetranscendent
did not a prioriassume thatit can preciselybe foundin art
and thatcertainworkscontainit more than others?In fact,
the whole question of qualitycenterson the amount and
of thespiritualin art.Individualworksare criticized
intensity
in termsof theirphenomenologicalconstituents,
the formal
featureswhichare the source and the effectof a spirituality
whichrescues the paintingfromits existenceas an empty
visual matter.However,since the spiritualmay one day be
presentin thephenomenonand thenextday be absent,it can

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MYTH AND ART

425

likea ghostor a
be assumedthatthespiritualis notsomething
vapor flyingin frontof everypaintingthatcontainscertain
formalfeatures.It mustratherbe attachedto boththe painting and the beholderin a mutuallyinclusivemanner.The
of evaluavaluessoughtin a paintingpresupposeperspectives
and create the correspondingvisual
tion whichdifferentiate
values. In thissense, the Van Meegerenpaintingpossessed
the spiritualvalues attractiveat the time, namely,a postof Realistpaintingwhich
sentimentalism
nineteenth-century
was mistakenforthe heroicand the mystical.
Exactlybecause
it resemblesnothingthat Vermeer had ever done, it was
assumedto be thegreatestVermeerever,sincethemasterwas
supposed to have made the ultimatepush into a styleof
sentimental
pathosthatin the 1930swas widelyappreciatedas
of highartnot
officialartand connectedwiththeexpectations
regimesbut by muchof Europeansociety.
onlybydictatorial
A workis sometimesthis,sometimesthat,dependingon the
forceswhichtake possessionof it. The questionof essenceis
thereforeconcernedwiththe synthesisof forceswhichhave
withwhatis alreadyin the possessionof the
greatestaffinity
objectand the forceswhichstruggleforitspossession.There
is something
tragicin thisbecausenothingwouldsuitus better
than to knowan essence in art whichstandsunobscuredin
frontof our imagination,a desirable conditionfor works
which can be attainedas long as we strugglefor it hard
enough.But if a singleworkwould showus whatthe essence
to lookat otherart.The
of artis,thenitwouldbe unnecessary
our
interest
which
of
alive, is the trendof
keeps
myth art,
of realitywhichmanifestsitselfin the
generalinterpretation
of feelingexpressed by
kind of working,the particularity
in a
individualartists.In thatsense,the visualcharacteristics
of appreciation.
workare not its essencebut its possibility
Kant tellsus thata lovingcouple sittingout in natureconsiders itselfblessed when in addition to the beautyof the
startsto sing.Whenthey
surrounding
landscapea nightingale
findout,however,thatthesound of thenightingale
had been

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SOCIAL RESEARCH

produced by a mischievousboy hiding in a tree the whole

situationis destroyed.One and thesame stimuluscan produce
differentstrataof appreciation.Once the paintingsof Van
Meegeren were discoveredas productswhich pretendeda
historyof productionrequisiteto a class of paintingsbelonging to an earlier century,theirvalue changed. Our moral
indignationderivesfromour knowledgeabout the displayed
in a paintingnotbeinggenuinelyderivedfrom
characteristics
a historical
or subjectivenecessity
butfromitsrecreationof an
old masterlook. It has suddenlyshiftedinto the realm of a
All conceptualenterprises
in artdisturb
conceptualenterprise.
us in thisway.Our awarenessof a painting'sexistenceforan
intellectualpurpose disturbsour willingnessto recreateit in
termsof an emotionalnecessity.Masterworks
conceal their
intellectualpropositionsby the intensity
of a singleemotion
condensedintotheautonomyof theartobjectitself.Artworks
are notbillboardsfortheillustration
of ideas butobjectswhich
lead into theirown internalnecessityof existence.
Since awarenessof the innertruthof an aestheticobjectis
not guaranteedby itsvisualappearance,theremustbe somethingcontainedand yetconcealed in the objectwhichis the
same and yet differentfrom the exhibitedcharacteristics.
which
Aestheticscan thereforenot be a branchof psychology
observeshow Wittgenstein's
dog wags his tail in frontof his
masteror how muchpleasurewe get in frontof our masters,
but it mustbe a branch of philosophyconcernedwiththe
value systemin thebackof yourmindwhenstandingin front
of a painting.It is one thingto say"This paintingis beautiful"
and anotherto makethejudgment"This is art."The firstis a
whilethesecondis a
theoretical
judgmentbased on attributes,
which
with
values
assemblethemcritical
concerned
judgment
selvesthrougha contextualrelationshipof the phenomenon
withthe same or similarclasses of objects.The creationof
paintingsforthepurposeof appearanceor thebeautifulalone
is an unacceptableenterprisesince the effectof beauty is
alreadyand perhapsmorefullycontainedin normalreality.A

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MYTH AND ART

427

beautywhichmakesa value in artrevealsa hithertoconcealed

conditionof the world.And, mostof all, it unfoldsa truth
about the humancondition,namely,the individualsubstance
of the artist,his attitudetowardthe world,throughthe charof his work.We look at paintingsonly to look at
acteristics
painters.Paintingis the art in whicha recognitionmanifests
itselfas an emotion.We recognizefeelingsof paintersthrough
whichcarry
paintings.Paintingsforma classof characteristics
the particularattitudeof the artist:his style.
Style

Styleis notsomethingwhichtheartistcan decide upon as a

goal. It is not a mannerin whichto workbut an emotional
necessityexpressedthroughan attitude,a wayof visualpresentationwhichremainsthe same even if the outer appearance of the individualworkschanges. The spiritualis the
underlyingbasis for various phenomena and the unifying
principle.Even thoughthereis alwaysa definiteintellectual
directivefor the creationof a certaintype of work within
thereis no reasoningas to thewhyof
historical
circumstances,
a style;reason alwaysfindsits way back to inner necessity.
While it is true thatcertainworkscould have been created
is possibleat
onlyat a particulartimebecause not everything
emotionexpressed
all times,I stillbelievethatthe elementary
remainsthe same, regardlessof the visual particularsin a
or techniques
style.Even thoughcertainformalrelationships
are consolidated
or workingstrategies
are pursuedconsciously
for the future,the artistis stillbound to his own unique
energy,whichexpressesitselfin the attitudeof his style.Style
is an elementary
propositionwhichin itselfcannotbe further
analyzed.The emotionrepresentedby a sequenceof worksis
on a relativelysimplerand more condensed level than the
individualworks.Whenwe thinkof paintingswe hardlythink
of theirparticularappearance,but we thinkof theattitudeof

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SOCIAL RESEARCH

the painter.The name of each of our familiarpaintersis

connectedwitha particulartypeof feeling.The mythin artis
the mythwhichthe artisthas createdfor himself.It doesn't
make sense for the artistto workonly on his paintings;an
artisthas to workon himself.Among the manypropositions
whichare availableto painting,thepainterchoosesthosewhich
carryhis feelingwith the greatestintensity.If we put all
availablepropositionsintoa funnel,the emotionsflowfastest
in the channel where the propositionsare narrowest.A
painterwho continueshis work throughouthis life is not
adding moreworkof the same kindintothe alreadyexisting
householdof reality;by adding paintingshe is substracting
A single example is
fromthe possibilitiesof interpretation.
more complexthan a whole proposition,a style.Style,while
simpler,is also strongerbecause it shapes a more precise
visionof reality.Simplicity
of propositionis synonymous
with
in
the
visual
arts.
Value
does
not
derive
from
the
strength
introduction
of a multiplicity
of separatemeanings,as in litin
but
the
visual
artsderivesfromthecondenerature, power
sationof the visuallypresentedin one singleuninterrupted
streamof consciousnesswhichworksas a fineemotion.The
visualartsare the onlyartsin whicha recognitionmanifests
itselfas an emotion.But thisemotionis recognizedonlyin the
contextwithwhat we have recognizedin the past in either
normalreality,in art or in the worksof the same artist.We
cannotget tiredof lookingat more and more worksof the
masters because the more clearly their singular energy
emerges,themoreappetitewe have forthem.Each new work
leads us into the connectionwiththe energyor the attitude
whichwe have appreciatedalready.
The singleVan Meegerenpaintingwas connectedwiththe
and the emotionalknowledgearoused fromhigh
anticipation
art and in particularwiththe emotionintuitedor aroused by
Vermeersbecause it pretendedto belongto a chainof works
whichgeneratessuch an emotion.The entirepaintingstyleof

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MYTH AND ART

429

Vermeerand itsparticularemotionwereshiftedthroughthe
of one foreignpainting.
introduction
The emotionsaroused by a single work of art or by an
unknownartistare much more vulnerableto misinterpretation than the emotionsaroused by a whole style.Single appearances in the historyof art are less defined by family
resemblancesand thereforeeasilyattachthemselvesas parathe emotions
sitesto visuallysimilarstyles.And reversedly,
aroused by strongstylesare easilycarriedover into single,
visuallysimilarworks.This meansthatfeelingsin art do not
resideor come fromthe phenomenonitselfbut are similarto
laundryhangingbetweenpoles; the emotional,the spiritual,
in the empty
the transcendentmanifestsitselfcontextually
level in thespace
space betweenworks,or on a preaesthetic
itself.
betweencreatedimagesand reality
The conceptof style,to be sure,cannotbe takenas thesole
criterionfor the definitionof art. Even though it is an
elementary
propositionwhichcannotbe analyzedany further
and approximatessomethinglikean essencein art,we cannot
say thatthe creationof whatis knownas familyresemblance
guarantees the inclusion under the concept of art. A
shoemakerwhoproducesa certaintypeof bootforthemarket
can also be said to have styleand yethis productaspiresto no
more than craft,whichtakes for granteda certaintradition
limitedin its freedomfor new solutionsto old designproblems. The pursuitof design problemsin art is as futilean
enterpriseas the pursuitof formalbeautybecause once certainsolutionshave been foundtheyeitherbecomestaleor are
replacedby otherproblems.Mastersresistanalyticalextrapolationof the elementsof theirstylebecause whatconstituted
the formalpropertiesof theirstylein the past is not an overt
or guaranteedend for theirfuture.They live out of their
and
energy,whichtheytrustmorethanpastaccomplishments,
themselves
to
new
and
formal
risks.
Acaexpose
challenges
demicpaintersbeat thesame formsuntiltheyare dead. They

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SOCIAL RESEARCH

certainlysucceed in attachinga visual label to their name

whichidentifiestheirworksfroma hundred yardsbecause
once you have seen one paintingyou knowthemall. Their
leads the beholder
repetitionof earlierformalmanifestations
intothe phenomenonof the paintingas a formalmechanism
insteadof allowingus to transcendthe picturein termsof a
particularemotionwhichprovesitselfin a new visualexperience. All mastersare easilyidentifiablealso, not because we
see the same picturein a different
color but because we recognizetheirfeelingsthroughtheirapproachto paintingwhen
comingto gripswiththeirimagination.Paintingcannotrely
on a look. A modernistlook addressesitselfto the expectationsof modernism
as Van Meegeren'slook addresseditselfto
of old masterpainting.Workingfora look is
theexpectations
for
the
of theworld.Expectationsimply
expectations
working
knowledge.Why should a painterpursue what is generally
knownalready?
Uniqueness

The mythin art is the uniquenessof expressionwhichan

individualhas createdforhimselfapartfromall otherexamples in the historyof art. Uniquenessmanifestsitselfin the
newnessof stylebecause newnessmeans uniquenessof emotion. All great names in the historyof art have separated
themselveson the basis of innovationswhich opened new
avenuesfora new stateof consciousness.All innovationscan
be appreciatedin thecontextof whatis olderart.The greatest
artistshave thegreatestinsightsintoartbecause theirinnovationsare notsuperficialreactionsto theworksof otherartists
butderivefroma carefulanalysisof thepremiseson whichart
as a wholeis based. And sincetheemotionsin artoperateout
of real life,the mastersmusthave had a greatinsightintolife
itself,for it is life whichcontainsthe inspirationalemotions
condensed in a stylewhich carries a single uninterrupted

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MYTH AND ART

431

streamof consciousness.The feelingsexpressedin his style

representthe mythin whichhe senses the world.He redisforreality.
coversthismythin his work,whichhe substitutes
of artmusthave itsoriginin thelonging
The entireenterprise
of reality.The createdworksshiftour confortranscendence
whichcannotbe obtainedfromactual
onto
a
level
sciousness
in the contextof real
life.Worksof art affectus emotionally
life and in the contextof emotionshad from other art.
The more art and life we know,the sharperour senses of
of emotions
appreciationfor the differencesor similarities
artists.The energywhich
receivedby the worksof different
itselfin the workof the mastersas a visualattitude
manifests
does not lie exposed in the work; as a structureit can be
of past and
understoodonlyin the contextof an assimilation
can be
in
works
such
attitude
But
no
presentexperience.
experiencedby someonewho is not in touchwithhimselfor
who has never had previousexperiencewithart; he must
or bewilderment.
ratherstarein astonishment
of thethingfor
Whileitis truethatthereis a contemplation
its own sake and how pleasantlyor unpleasantlyyou are affectedby it, the apprehensionof aestheticvalue is the comof an actof lookingfor
pletedevelopmentand consummation
of a consciousness
and
the
creation
an
of
the sake
experience
whichincludesall facetsof past experiencewiththe worldas
wellas withart.But knowledgeof artdoes not guaranteethe
and
of the finestfeelingsin it becauseintellectual
recognition
We
strataof consciousness.
emotionalabilityare twodifferent
are not ready for any masterat any time.We are ready to
absorb the feelingfroma work if that whichwe absorb is
alreadycontainedin us. And in order to absorbwe need the
power of intuition.Intuitionorders knowledgeinto a manwhichpossessespersuasionabouttruth.Artdoes not
ifestation
contributeto the basketof analyticalknowledgebut it persuades you about the truthof a particularfeeling.You may
and the
about the formalconstituents
understandeverything
historyof art and yet not get the driftof the contentyou

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SOCIAL RESEARCH

supposedlyknowbecauseyou getitonlyifyou are persuaded.

You maybe convincedabout the value of a particularwork
and yetmay not be persuaded by its emotionaltruth.
To makethispointmoretangibleI wouldliketo tella story
whichI have told before.A few yearsago I lived in a tiny
villagein Texas veryclose to whattheycall the hill country
desert.Aftersome timeI noticedthateveryday at almostthe
same hour in the earlyeveninga verydistinctive
sound of an
animalcould be heard; I thoughtit mightbe a frogor some
otherrare animal.The womanin the countrystoretold me
thatit was the greenstoneeater,an animalwhichmeasuresa
littlemore than a foot,is all green, lives two feet underground,and eats nothingbut stones.Everyeveningit comes
to the surfaceand makesits sound. The people on the East
Coast would not believe thisstory,the woman said, because
they believe only what they read in books. But there are
naturalphenomenawhichare not explainedin any book of
naturalhistory.I accepted her explanationand fromthen
on I listenedto the sound of the green stoneeater.
But now I have to tellyou a totallydifferent
story.Imagine
thatwhereyou are standingyou startdrillinga hole intothe
ground.You continuedrillingto the middleof the globe and
theneven furtheruntilyou reachthe otherside of the earth.
Now you takea stoneand let it fallintothe shaft.How deep
does it fall?Does it fallto thecenterof theglobe,does itcome
out on the otherside, or what?A professorof physicsmay
aboutthe fallof thestone,but I am telling
explaineverything
youthatthestonefallsonlytwofeetbecausethenitis eatenby
the green stoneeater. Even thoughI just told you a minute
ago thatthereis an animaltwofeetundergroundwhicheats
onlystones,we wereunableto makea connectionbetweenthe
firstand thesecondstory.I am nottrying
to convinceyou,but
I persuade you to believewhat I say.
The Latinsmade a differencebetweenpersuadere
and convincere.
Convincere
is to conquer,to overcomedoubt.Persuadere

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MYTH AND ART

433

is to induce belief,to urge, which implies a fullernotion

of changinga personin the directionof a new beliefsystem.
The changeof a person'sattitudeis morethanhis conviction
about a rationaltruth.To believein the truthforwhichyou
are persuaded,you must possess the a prioriconditionsto
absorbthenewmessage.If artis doingsomethingto us it stirs
up somethingin us whichis alreadyin our possession.Aestheticjudgmentsare synthetic
judgmentswhichadd nothing
to myknowledgebut ratheramplifyit. We need thepowerof
intuition
to createthecontentof whatneedsto be expressedat
a certainmoment.To connectthe firststorywiththe second
one demandedintuitionin orderto includethe stonewhichI
throwin New York intothe eatinghabitof the stoneeater I
met in Texas.
No suchintuition
is necessarywithworkswhichare notnew
in art or withworkswhich approximateor synthesizethe
of earlierart. They don't change our attiaccomplishments
tude because the greaterworkshave changedus already.An
enlargementof consciousnessoccursthroughthe experience
of artisticinventionswhichhave an effecton the numberof
emotionalchannelsavailableto us as responsesto the world.
Whatwe call thespiritualin artis the messageforneverending changein theinnerhumancondition.The shiftfromone
stateof consciousnessto anothermaybe slow and unnoticeable or it maycome suddenly,triggeredby whatwe knowas
"primeevents"in our emotionallife:the death of a beloved,
of a piece of music,the
theparticularly
excellentperformance
of
a
whose
messagehad been hidden,etc.
discovery
painting
Of course,the moresensitivewe are, themorevariedfeelings
we have.Not onlyis artnotforeveryonebut,also,a particular
typeof art may be picked up onlyby a fewat a time.The
into the escapacityto integratenew emotionalinformation
tablishedhouseholdof our existencedepends on our flexibilto takerisks,whichis greaterthemore
ityand our willingness
emotionaladvanceswe werewillingto make in the past. The

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SOCIAL RESEARCH

ratioof existingemotionscombinedwiththedrivingcuriosity
forchangedelimitsthe amountof new aestheticinformation
availableto us at a particulartime.
The conceptof newnessand itsmeritin artis a bitof a myth
in itselflike the reportof a tornadowhichreceivesa name
even beforeit has reachedthe coast. Today, new factsabout
art are publishedearlierthan new art. The old resentment
againstchangein art has been replacedby society'surge for
sensationalism
whichstandsparamountto entertainment.
The
entertainment
industryhas even swept the otherwisemore
visual
arts
and createdan atmosphereof hysteriawhich
quiet
brokethe distinction
betweena quiet and sublimeapperceptionof artand the morefolksyappearancesforfastconsumption.As if the distinctions
betweenpunk musicand classical
musicwouldn'texistanymore,so, in thevisualarts,everything
is throwninto the same pot. The contemporary
art market
focuses on works which are able to stay in the spotlight.
Museums,dealers,and criticstryto keep up withit or, most
of theirlightness,
those
often,abreastof it. And, symptomatic
worksreceivethehighestapplause whichcarryenoughtraces
of theold so thattheirinterpretation
and instantacceptanceis
guaranteedby theirsuperficialresemblanceto an easy past.
When a few decades ago societypraised its architecture
for
being Neo-Gothic,Neo-Renaissance,Neo-Classic,it praised
the old in the mediocrity
of the modern.When theypraise
new movements
today,theymostlysupportan armyof artists
who create nothingnew but who seek happinessin sealing
in shapesborrowedfromthepast.Anyfoolcan be
themselves
moderntodayas long as he adheresto the rulesof a modern
academicismwhose concernis the conquestof men and art.
They live throughthe minds of other men and what they
thoughtor did in the past. The creator'sconcernis not the
of
conquestof artbut the conquestof realityand particularly
nature and its manifestation
in the formswhich carryhis
substance.New formscannotbe createdwithconsciousintentionsor an aestheticwillwhichaddressesothermenor history;

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MYTH AND ART

435

theyresultfroma freedomof creationwhichtakespast phenomenaforgrantedwithoutbeingenslavedbythem.Painting

is not an aestheticbut a moralenterprise.There is no linear
courseof historywhichallowsthe weathermanto predictthe
directionin which the stormis moving;anticipationmust
of the human conditionand its
focuson the unpredictability
emitted
by the process of the individual
varyingenergies
comingto termswithhis existencein the world.
Contemplation

Returningto the case of Van Meegeren,we now knowthat

his attitudeis a synthetic
layeringof the obviousfeaturesin
because all synthesis
be synthetic
can
previousstyles.No art
existsthroughthe combinationof previousaccomplishments.
Even thoughwe can say thatthe worksof Van Meegerenare
unifiedby an attitudewhichcan be denotedas style,his style
revealsa mindwhichlivesfromand throughpastmindswhich
have been applauded. As a resulthe deniesus an experience
throughwhichwe enlargeour consciousnessbecause all we
and
receivefromhis work are formalfeatures,sentiments,
a choice of subject matterthat belongs to previous centuries."Christat Emmaus"is a piece of Italian laundry(the
paintingwas said to be so great because it carried Italian
influences)whichfounditselfhangingon the same line with
the linens made in Holland. How was it possible that we
missedtheinferiorqualityof the Italianlinenwhenwe knew
the
so muchaboutthequalityof Dutchlinensand particularly
brand of Vermeer?In our defense we must say that the
meaningin a workcannotsolelybe derivedfromthe spontaneousact of perceivingthe phenomenonin frontof us but
froman experienceand an expectationwhichis governed
and tintedby past experienceand comparisonwiththe same
or a similarclassof objects.Our presentexperienceand even
perceptionof theobjectdoes notderivefroman innocenteye

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SOCIAL RESEARCH

whichis filledwiththeweightof past

butfroma consciousness
and
their
impactforprojectionsof the future.It
experiences
followsthata workof artcannotexistin itselfbut as an object
in relation.The relationshipis threefold:first,a singlework
establishesa relationto the class properto whichit belongs,
namely,the styleof an artist;second,the workor the whole
styleestablishesa relationto the styleof the timein which
it was created; and third,to realityitself.At the timewhen
Van Meegeren's "Christat Emmaus" surfaced,a relationship took possessionof our perceptionwhich ordered the
paintingintothe existingclass of Vermeerpaintings.Today,
in comparison,we possess a whole class of Van Meegeren
paintingswhichallowsus to recognizetheformalfeaturesand
of his synthe connectedsentiments
whichare characteristic
theticstyle.Even though his stylepossesses visual characwhichmaybe contemplatedand admiredby millions,
teristics
its aestheticvalue has changed because now we don't contemplatethe work for its own sake and how pleasantlyor
it affectsus, butwe apprehendtheworkin terms
unpleasantly
of an aestheticvalue whichconstitutes
a morecompletedevelof
the
and
consummation
objectin an act of looking
opment
for the sake of an experienceand knowledgeof art and the
world.In our firstencounterwithVan Meegeren'spainting
the weightof our knowledgeand our expectationto include
us fromthetruth,our own
itin thelineof Vermeerdistracted
truth,about the visual characteristics
contemplatedin Vermeer. We did not properlycontemplatethe minorpainting
was interrupted
becauseour contemplation
by thegreatmyth
whichthe opinionof the worldhad laid upon the phenomenon in frontof us. We had in factsuccumbedto the myth
createdby societybeforewe approachedthe visualmythin a
painting.
aestheticiansare claimingtoday that an
Some lightweight
object,any object,becomesa workof art as long as the art
worldhas elevatedit intothestateof art.The paintingsof the
chimpanzeeBetsyin the Chicago Zoo could become art as

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MYTH AND ART

437

long as the curatorof the Chicago Art Instituteis willingto

christentheseproductsart and displaythemon the wallsof
his museum.Such an argumentconfusestheontologicalpositionof a phenomenonwithits social standing.We sense that
ourjudgmentabouta workshouldnotderivefromadherence
to a mythwhichthe publicmighthave builtforit but thatthe
value of a workshould ontologically
be containedin it as an
vidual,
objectivenecessity,
equal to a truthwhichis superindi
of
an
artist
is
and
eternal.
That
the
universal,
original
style
and powerfuldoes notdepend on thesubjectivedispositionof
an onlookingindividualor certainopinionsabout it; it manof the work
ifestsitselfthroughthe objectivecharacteristics
in
own
direction.
The
their
which
the
onlooker
itself,
change
inclusionof an objectin the class of art demandsthe recogin the objectwhich
nitionof objectivelygivencharacteristics
which belong in
are recognizedin termsof characteristics
the class of art. It presupposesmy knowledgeabout characteristicfeaturesand theiremotionalimpact.It is howevernot
the knowledgealone or the art world which induces my
of an objectas a workof artbut theobjectitself,
classification
the phenomenonwhichmakes this recommendation
by the
in
it possesses.Of course,certaincharacteristics
characteristics
worksare preferredat differenttimes,but still the visual
elementsin a workestablishinternalrelationsand a meaning
which transcendsa tastefulappearance. The purpose of
in
paintingcannotbe seen in thepursuitof a tastemanifested
a particularmakeupbut ratherin the revelationof a content
which is separate and beyond the visuallypresented.It is
howevernot truethatthe originalartistentirelyneglectsthe
visualappearancewhichprevailsin the tasteof his timeor of
the past,but his contributions
are of an innernatureand a
of
content
which
make
his worksthetasteof his time.
strength
The contentof hisworkis thecontentof histime.The content
of his timeis his work.It is not the visualappearancewhich
makeshis art but the new and individualcontentmanifestin
the appearanceof his work.Only because the contentis new

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438

SOCIAL RESEARCH

the appearanceis new. An appearancewithouta contentfor

art cannotbe art.
We wereunableto recognizetheVan Meegerenpaintingas
not belongingto the classof Vermeeras we are unable today
to discardmanyvisualappearanceswhentheyare offeredas
art. The reason for our failureis the same as the failureof
Van Meegerento createart. We takeour intellectual
convictionsand the impactof the course of art historymore seriouslythanthetruthout of whichwe shouldlive.Whenwe fail
it is because we don't have enough powerforcontemplation.
needs to cut the normalexperienceof things
Contemplation
in a functional
mannerin orderto makeus penetrateto what
liesbeyondthevisiblethingand causesit to be. As a liberation
fromthe commonmaterialstateof thingswiththeirworldly
of loyaltyoccursfromour intellectual
conpowers,a transfer
victionsto our innermostfeelingsand the impactwhichcertainworksof art maybe allowedto exerton our lives.Contemplationrefersalwaysto a holisticperceptionof the object
in a sense of lettingan array of given perceptionsorder
themselvesinto an uninterrupted
intuition.We become one
withthetotalpicture,we are notpushedout bytheperception
of individualdetails.Being one witha paintingis the same as
being one withnature.We feel a sense of awe and wonder
throughthe visiblesituationin frontof us. It penetratesus
withsuch a clearnessof feelingthat all visibledetails lose
theirnamesand becomesubordinatefunctions
forthatwhich
is one: theintuition
aboutthewholesituation.Whenwe failed
to recognizethe Van Meegerenas a fakewe failedin our act
of contemplation.
We surrenderedto theworldlymythinstead
of listening
to thefeelingsreceivedthroughthecontemplation
of the thingitself.The unityof elementscontemplatedin
Vermeeris of a totallydifferent
naturethanthe relativedisof
elements
parateness
contemplatedin the Van Meegeren
betweenthetwocategories
painting.Our failureto distinguish
of paintingindicatesthatwe were unable to understandthe
messageconveyedby Vermeer,namely,the mythwhichhe

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MYTH AND ART

439

has createdforhimself.In thesame waywe do oftensuccumb

to modernistappearanceswithoutcontentbecause we are unable to comprehendthe messageconveyedby greaterworks.
The visual elementswhichconstitutethe spiritualin a Vermeer paintingare totallydifferentfromthe visual elements
in Van Meegeren.Anyvisual
whichaccountforthespirituality
has
the
to
appearance
potential conveya feelingwhichwe
as such
connectwiththespiritual.It is howevernotspirituality
which
whichneeds to be graspedbut the typeof spirituality
of a feeling.Anyattemptto
expressesitselfin theparticularity
which
would guaranteethe spirof
forms
a
scheme
develop
itual mustfail. There are no a priorirules and regulations
regardingthe creationof the spiritualthrougha canon of
form.Everypainting,even the worst,possessesthe potential
which
forthespiritual.But becauseit is thetypeof spirituality
is themessageof the artistforartno formalcriteriahold true
forall of art.Formalanalysiscan occurpostfactoonly.I can
establishhow Raphael paintsand whathis formalcategories
are, but nothingthatI say about Raphael mayhold truefor
Rembrandtor any otherpainter.It is morelikelythateverythingI say for the greatnessof Raphael may be terriblein
I cannotask who is a greaterspirRembrandt.And similarly,
itualpainter,Rothkoor Pollock,because we are dealingwith
differenttypesof feelings,all of whichconstitutea typeof
forwhichmyown conditionshowsa predilection.
spirituality
In thissense the historyof artcannotbe considereda history
of actualvalues- thereis also no reasonto believethatthebest
- but ratherit is a basket full withthe
necessarilysurvives
greatestmythof individualartists,the visionwhichall the
and forthegloryof man.
mastershavecreatedforthemselves

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