Hegel and de chirico

ANALYSIS OF DE CHIRICO’S METAPHYSICAL ART IN RECOGNITION OF

HEGEL’S THEORY ABOUT MANIFESTATION OF OBJECT

INTRODUCTION

Since the beginning of the art history, objects have been

identified, in fact, it’s different existences that prove

senselessness of universe with creeping but cooled down

sensations that stand against us, and look nearest level; is a

stranger to the location, also strive to answer behind of its

mystery. The place and the utilization of objects have been

emerged in different ways. Indeed, as a consequences of that,

the place and utilization of objects in art history, new

movements are constantly getting rise as well as cubism,

surrealism and metaphysics arts are acted out their ideology by

the way of objects. Manifestations of objects, entire

throughout history, are pregnant to the new movements. Here at

this point, Hegel’s theory of art, the relationship between

form and content in accordance, and the metaphysics and

surrealist artist Giorgio De Chirico’s work of art complete

each other in recognition of both Hegel’s historical

collectivism and, De Chirico’s work of art, that are reflection

of social dynamics and Hegel’s the idea of manifestation of the

truth thereby idealization of existence, and De Chirico’s

manifestation of objects by the way of metaphysical concept.

This present paper is going to focus on to examine Giorgio

De Chirico’s metaphysical work of art in terms of Hegel’s

historical collectivism and manifestation of the truth by the

way of objects. First of all, the paper is going to

intellectualize Hegel’s thought as said above; in the second

place, it is going to examine De Chirico’s metaphysical work of

art as said above too.

A. HISTORICAL COLLECTIVISM

Hegel’s historical collectivism is constituted influence from

German art theorist Johann Joachim Winckelman. Historical

collectivism, on Winckelman’s view, is a prediction of the role

to community of human. The Greek Art as an expression or a

reflection, rather than creation of artists. From this point

forth, Hegel is affected Winckelman’s idea and constituted his

theory of historical collectivism. Art cannot exist in ignored

a community that is formed whole individual’s soul and their

conditions that get involved in art in every respect. Taking

into account of all these, art is not able to become

independent regardless of periodicity and community. That’s why

art is a reflection of epoch with no ignorable human being.

According to Hegel, to exclude the time is to exclude human

being. He makes possible to identify with time and concept that

helps to identify human being. In other words, he makes

anthropology happen.

B. MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH THEORY

Let’s touch on Hegel’s theory of manifestation of the truth in

terms of idealization of existence, The truth of picture is in

picture again what does not include absolute existence that has

issue, rather the truth of absolute existence that is converted

to appearance, that is chosen, is reformed to transformed to

appearance. Picture does not represent out of the truth. In

contrast, the manifestation and the meaning combine each other

in any picture. Work of art reveals the truth thereby

idealization of existence. Art shows the truth and what’s more

as a something; not such a thing settled in absolute existence.

The figuring is not separated to give insight, because before

form, there was no such a thing that content and meaning. When

art converts absolute existence to appearance, it denies the

sensational one. However this denial is not enough for Hegel,

since work of art should be sensational to deny sensational one

again. That is why to appearance created by work of art is not

able to become integrated with spirit.

The feature of art is that content of absolute existence is

able to convert to appearance, so it is path to mean now. The

work of art never gets rid of the materiality completely. Hence

the figure cannot give up becoming the prisoner of picture that

is the reason to change materiality. When it c succeeds

completely at the moment, it is not going to be work of art

anymore. Aesthetics appearance could reach its own truth in

case of its manifestation. Definition of art is a material

mediation between its existence and its truth.

According to Hegel, art was like a language spoken badly in

previous history. That’s why death of art does not suffer to

Hegel, comparing to the others. Art loses its original function

anymore because this function, on Hegel’s view, shows its

unmediated one and its nothingness, since art needs to material

to show this.

Art is not, on Hegel’s view, a replication. As a matter of

fact, artistic representation is more worthy to product truth

than absolute existence. It makes the truth as an apparent that

speechless existence that not consists of itself. However if

art is a further step, it should wipe, destroy itself to reach

to the conception in other word art should be died.

C. COMPARING OF HEGEL AND DE CHIRICO ON THE CONCEPT OF ART

GROUND

Let’s touch on Giorgio De Chirico’s concept of art and work of

art in terms of Hegel’s historical collectivism. According to

De Chirico, art is able to set free to all kinds of

generalizations and habits above all anthropomorphic

structuring. In other words, art shouldn’t be exist separately

ignored human-specific existences. All kinds of generalizations

hinder manifestation of the truth.

In the later 19th century, social and industrial

developments have been affected to artists in a different way.

The environment what they were found; in other words, their

missing of past and nature gradually increased due to machines

and factory that had influenced over psychological and

physiological effects. These environments which artists are not

happy in, however exist artist’s dream world by necessity. When

art starts to be close to person’s individuality, it causes to

interrogate artist’s own being.

The historical process that ranging from in the later 19th

century until mid way through the 19th century that includes

variable structure in every sense. When De Chirico’s work of

art is examined, no doubt, first remarkable thing is era of

reflection of social dynamics where he lives. The era of

condition and social dynamic bring pressure to bear on to

withdraw into De Chirico’s shell. He already longs for nature

itself and pass. This era includes wild truth that goes deep

inside the personality what spreads out all art’s stage.

Human being puts in order to living place as antidote where he

is drowned in, however is obligated to live in that includes

psychological and physiological effects created by factory

giant machines and that’s a fact that includes precise return

in the meaning of both intellectual and formal.

De Chirico brings a different approach to the traditional

concept of picture during the art history, he adds dimension in

differently, and he has influence to take form to hypothetical

background of surrealism. De Chirico’s work of art includes

classical origins strikingly. When he reveals origins of Greek

and Rome that place in metaphysical view, at the same time he

shows that how they are part of mythological issue and

melancholy. De Chirico’s starting point of his enigmas is

social and environment factors what take turn his artistic

developments.

De Chirico defends that period of artist is not enough to place

art of picture to architectural sensibility, and defends that

artist should perform accordance to current conditions and

principals, not such as renaissance artists .

Let’s touch on De Chirico’s concept of metaphysical work of

art; according to De Chirico the work of art should get rescued

human being’s limits in order to be immortal. Average of human

mind and reasoning are detrimental things. The work of art

should show up artist’s most depts. There is no any voice

coming from the external world. Every object has two

perspectives first one is ordinary one, second is metaphysical

one. The work of art should tell something however it is not

related to the appearance. All things, in universe, are not

included in intelligence. Magical signs are response for this.

De Chirico’s places, in despite of all surrealists convert from

perspective of Paris, have the characteristics of classical

period and Italian architecture. In traditional sense, the

artist who adopt sensibility of place, depend nature itself in

every aspect. The object even that is accepted is like a

nature’s representation. De Chirico creates his work of art

into traditional rules of pictures within the style of

surrealism.

De Chirico does not close to the real event with chosen

constituents and consisted places. Mostly, he created the

theater stage that is organized with fictions. Our perception

of time may be stumped with his work of arts. We sometimes find

ourselves in places which classical sculpture and squares of

Italy etc. in his pictures.

When De Chirico fictionalizes metaphysical world that includes

concept of emptiness and absence, it emphasizes to come into

prominence fact of place and, he places the place as a

“subject” in picture’s general structure.

Art, on De Chirico’s view, is rescued by modern philosophers

and poets. De Chirico is affected by Nietzsche and

Schopenhauer. They teach the deep meaning of meaningless life

and they show how these issues took place in art. They assert

that art’s logicalness should be deactivated. Both give place

emotions and intuitions. We, on their view, build new objects’

new a metaphysical psychology with picture

Sensibility of picture what is just formed surfaces that are

not enough to transmit in the name of subconscious and

imaginary one for surrealist. Art, on Nietzsche’s view, is a

manifestation of subconscious’ data. In this regard, De Chirico

adopts Nietzsche’s idea. And he relays his stretcher that is

discovered by Nietzsche that is stranger, limitless, solitary

and solitude poeticalness and the alike the emotion that

metaphor of autumn evening.

De Chirico propounds metaphysical apprehensions, while putting

philosophical and poetical meanings in his pictures. He uses

geometrical forms as a symbolic. Silence of under tension

discomposes with amazing perspective. Gaps, unknown events and

creeping dreams in the midst of sleep and awareness are called

to mind.

Imaginary compositions, which evocative classical times, point

out place which is visionary but effective one. Someone who is

outside of picture but is included picture with his shadows

that is reflected to the composition object puts in an

appearance without nonexistent.

Unrelated objects are broken off from their places and they are

pieced together in different places in De Chirico’s work of

arts. Motionless elements, that each one of all, makes sense

which is emphasized with sharp lines. The objects are including

another fact secretly. De Chirico’s compositions, in terms of

the relationship between fund and form, are sweep away us as a

viewer to the indecision, uneasiness and dilemmas however he

invites us to his path of dream and secret by this way.

CONCLUSION

In the light of this information, we could understand and

examine within this context that Hegel’s theory of historical

collectivism and manifestation of the objects thereby the

idealization of the truth in terms of De Chirico’s metaphysical

works or art. In this regard their theories complete each

other. In spite of the fact that both Hegel was not interested

in metaphysics art, and as far as I read De Chirico did not

interpret Hegel’s art theory.

BEYHAN BARLIK 01150911

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1- Rothman, Roger, Between Böcklin and Picasso: Giorgio de Chirico in Paris,

1909-1913, Southeastern College Art Conference Review, Volume 15.

Number 1, 2006

2- Ozdemir, Fatih, Koca, Binnaz, Giorgio de Chirico Resimlerinde

Mitoloji ve Melankoli, İnönü Universitesi Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, Cilt 2,

Sayı 6, 2012

3- Arat, Ömer Yiğit, De Chirico: mekanın metafizik belleği. http://e-

dergi.atauni.edu.tr/index.php/gsfd/article/viewFile/3284/3173