Lectures on fine arts by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

       

 

Hegel Aesthetics from “the Introduction to Lectures on fine arts”

Hegel clears four false notions about art in his work “the work of Art as a product of Human Activity”. Besides clearing the objections, he praises the art by providing the aim of art.

The four perceptions about art were following

Firstly, it was known that art is conscious effort of some external object by individual. When that art is known, learnt and pursued, it has granted universal association. So work of art is confined to some rules. Other artists imitate that work of art through prescriptions for their practical applications.

Secondly, work of art is considered as work of talent and genius of a specially gifted spirit. Man has no power to give this talent to himself with self-conscious activity. It is considered superfluous and harmful because it is produced particularly in state of inspiration. This state excited their genius and they transpose the object by their own swing of mood.

Thirdly, work of art is ranked with the external phenomenon of nature and considered below the product of nature. Art is viewed as a dead thing because it encompasses life on surface as compared to nature. Another objection was that the things created by God has surely a higher place.

Fourth and last one is the question that arises on the work of Art. It is one the need that what is man need to produce works of art? There were two objections on the arts. At first, aim of art can be achieved by better means because it’s just a play of fancies. And the other is art satisfy the higher needs which produced from higher impulses.

Hegel gives them ingenious answers to comprehend the true conception of art. He, unlike Plato, presents the ground breaking notions about art and fulfil his duty as a critic.

Demonstration to first notion was that art is a spiritual activity of the artist. He argues that art work is not totally mechanical but the generalities like interesting themes and character dialogue according to standing remain the same.

To clear the second notion, he proclaims, production of art indeed the work of genius but it has technical side too that requires the development of thought. It is not that artist in his mood produce anything but he has to reflect on his mood which need practice and skill. It is essential for the artist to learn the skills, so that he can display the depths of the heart.

He sets forth the defense of art against third notion and rejects the aspect of external existence. As work of art originates from spirit, it goes through the spiritual journey. Elements like a human interest, individual character, an action in its complexity is penetrated in the work of art. So a thing which possess spirituality is higher than any natural product and present the divine ideal. Second argument is conferred is that anything which is living is vanished after completing his life cycle but work of art stands for long time. Third argument which was questioned about the natural production is a divine creation. He indicates that it only restricts the God work to nature only because God exists in man also and God honored by the work of spirit in man.

In answer to fourth question, he says that “man is a thinking consciousness”. Hegel gives his philosophy that the human as spirit duplicate himself in a twofold way. First theoretically and second way through practically brings himself into his own consciousness. Through theoretically as well as inwardly way, he represents, fix and recognize himself to himself and through practical way he produces himself. It’s in the nature of man to alter himself and for this reason he dresses himself.He asserts that the universal need of art is "man rational need to life inner and outer world into his spiritual consciousness as an object in which he recognizes again his own self"

                            Idea of Spirit in the Hegel Aesthetics:

Hegel gave his concept of Idea of Spirit in his work “Development of the Ideal into to the particular form of beauty”. He discussed the three forms of art. These forms of art proceed from Idea. Every form provides true basis of their own domain.

Idea of Spirit in Symbolic art:

Art is the spiritual activity and it brings before mind eye in form of Idea which is in its abstract form. When the art begins, Idea is presented in its bad determinacy and can’t be truly presented. It has not taken a form of anything, so it remains in shape of defectiveness. Idea is something that possess the quality of inwardness and first form of art. This form of art in which idea arises from the depth of heart is called symbolic form of art.

Idea of Spirit is Classical Art:

Classical art gives indeterminate Idea a shape. Idea comes into sensuous existence through a shape appropriate to Idea. The content of Classical art consists of concrete Idea as well as concretely spiritual. Classical art which, based on subjective Concept, is the unification of idea and reality. So the classics manifest the Idea as spiritual in human form. For example, Greek Gods are presented through sensuous imagination in form of Human. They look like human but possess extraordinary powers. So human body counts as natural shape of spirit.

Idea of Spirit in Romantic Art

Romantic form of art disperses the concept of Classical art form and deny the unification of Idea and its reality. It demands a transition from this immediate existence to the known unity or a higher form. Romantic art finds the defectiveness in Classical art for the Idea of spirit. For Romantics, spirit is not manifested in its true nature, if it is embodied in something subjective. Romantics assert that the true element for the realization of spirit is the inwardness of self-consciousness. Romantics coincides with Christianity who believes in the absolute unity of divine. In Christianity, the concept of God as spirit resides in their imagination not as human body which Greek portrays.

So the subject matter of Romantics in arts is the free concrete spirituality which is not bound by any bodily forms and art cannot work for sensuous intuition.

In the nutshell, the three forms of art strive for the attainment of Ideal as the true idea of beauty