The Vienna School of Art History: Empire and the Politics of Scholarship, 1847–1918

293 Pages·2013·43.742 MB·English

by  Matthew Rampl

Empire and the Politics of Scholarship, 1847–1918
The Vienna School of arT hiSTory

The V i e n n a S c h o o l
of a r t h i S t o r y
empire and the Politics of Scholarship, 1847–1918
Matthew raMPley
The Pennsylvania State University Press
University Park, Pennsylvania
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Rampley, Matthew, author.
The Vienna School of art history : empire and the politics
of scholarship, 1847 1918 / Matthew Rampley.
p. cm
Summary: “Analyzes the emergence and development
of art history as a discipline in Austria Hungary.
Focuses on the ways in which ideas
about art and its history became intertwined
with political and social identity, and
on the cultural politics that shaped the final years
of the Habsburg Empire” Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978 0 271 06158 0 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Art Austria Historiography.
2. Art historians Austria.
3. Art Political aspects Austria History 19th century.
4. Art Political aspects Austria History 20th century.
5. Art and society Austria History 19th century.
6. Art and society Austria History 20th century.
7. Austria Politics and government 1867 1918.
I. Title.
N390.A9R36 2013
707.2’2 dc23
2013018991
Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Published by The Pennsylvania State University Press,
University Park, PA 16802 1003
The Pennsylvania State University Press is a member
of the Association of American University Presses.
It is the policy of The Pennsylvania State University
Press to use acid free paper. Publications on uncoated
stock satisfy the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Material,
ansi z39.48 1992.
This book is printed on paper that contains
30% post consumer waste.
conTenTS
List of Illustrations | vii
Acknowledgments | ix
Introduction | 1
1
Founding a Discipline: Liberalism and the
Idea of Scientific Method | 8
2
Questions of Method: From Positivism to the History of Spirit | 31
3
Beyond Vienna: The Growth of Art History
Across the Habsburg Monarchy | 52
4
An Art History of Austria- Hungary? Patriotism and the
Construction of National Historiography | 74
5
Baroque Art and Architecture: A Contested Legacy | 96
6
Vernacular Cultures and National Identities:
The Politics of Folk Art | 116
7
Readings of Modern Art:
Historicism, Impressionism, Expressionism | 141
8
Between East and West | 166
9
Saving the Past: Conservation and the Cult of Monuments | 186
Epilogue: Continuity and Rupture After 1918 | 212
Notes | 217
Bibliography | 243
Index | 271

illuSTraTionS
1. Sculptural frieze of Pharaoh pursuing Moses Sázavou, Bohemia, 1719–22. Photo: Jiří
across the Red Sea, from a sarcophagus in Matějiček. | 105
the Church of St. Francis, Split, 5th century 8. Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, front
c.e., from Rudolf von Eitelberger, “Die mit- façade of the Museum of Applied
telalterlichen Kunstdenkmale Dalmatiens Arts, Budapest, 1896. Photo: Rebecca
in Arbe, Zara, Traù, Spalato und Ragusa,” Houze. | 125
Jahrbuch der k.k. Central-Commission zur 9. Ödön Lechner, interior courtyard of the
Erforschung und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, 1896.
5 (1861): plate 18. | 23 Photo: author. | 126
2. Onofrio di Giordano della Cava, The Rector’s 10. Stanisław Witkiewicz, Villa Koliba,
Palace, Dubrovnik, 1463, engraving, from Zakopane, 1892–94. Photo: Marta
Rudolf von Eitelberger, “Die mittelalterli- Filipová. | 128
chen Kunstdenkmale Dalmatiens in Arbe, 11. William Lossow and Hermann Viehweger,
Zara, Traù, Spalato und Ragusa,” Jahrbuch Dresden Heating and Electricity Works,
der k.k. Central-Commission zur Erforschung 1901, from Die Architektur des xx. Jahrhun-
und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale 5 (1861): derts: Zeitschrift für moderne Baukunst 25
plate 19. | 24 (1903). | 160
3. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, from the Vienna 12. Hugo Lederer, Bismarck monument, Ham-
Genesis manuscript (Vienna, Österreichi- burg, 1906. Photo: Janet Hartl. | 162
sche Nationalbibliothek, cod. theol. gr. 31), 13. Reinhold Begas, Bismarck monument, Ber-
6th century c.e., fol. 16r. | 47 lin, 1901. Anonymous photograph. | 163
4. Richard Moser, The Powder Gate, 14. Ivan Meštrović, Račić family mauso-
Prague, 1911, watercolor on paper. Photo: leum, Cavtat, 1923, postcard. Photo:
Dorotheum. | 64 author. | 164
5. Iconostasis from the Greek-Catholic Church 15. Theophil Hansen, Museum of Military
of the Holy Spirit, Rohatyn, Ukraine, History, Vienna, 1848–56. Anonymous
1647–50, engraving by Karl von Siegel, photograph, 1860–90. | 168
from Die österreichisch- ungarische Monar- 16. The courtyard of the Wawel Castle before
chie in Wort und Bild (the Kronprinzenwerk), the 1905 restoration. Photo: Institute of
14:743. | 90 Art History, Jagiellonian University of
6. Kilián Dientzenhofer, the Church of Cracow. | 197
St. Nicholas, Malá Strana, Prague, 1737–51, 17. The courtyard of the Wawel Castle after the
from Cornelius Gurlitt, Geschichte des 1905 restoration. Photo: author. | 198
Barockstiles und des Rococo in Deutschland, 18. The west gate (Riesentor) of St. Stephen’s
275, fig. 85. | 103 Cathedral, Vienna, 1230–45. Photo: David
7. Jan Blažej Santini Aichel, the Church Monniaux. | 207
of St. John of Nepomuk, Žďár nad

acknowledgmenTS
The intellectual debts of this book are many. Pennsylvania State University Press, in par-
My initial interest in the Vienna School ticular Eleanor Goodman, for her support for
arose out of conversation with Richard the project, and Keith Monley, for his appar-
Woodfield and Paul Crowther. The book ently inexhaustible patience in editing my
itself has benefited enormously from discus- original manuscript. Above all, however, this
sion and debates with numerous colleagues project is indebted to Marta, who encouraged
and friends, including Georg Vasold, Paul me to see the subject in a new light.
Stirton, Juliet Kinchin, Iain Boyd Whyte,
Jan Bakoš, Jiří Vybíral, Hans Aurenham- Earlier versions of parts of this book have
mer, Rebecca Houze, Chris Wood, Rachel been published elsewhere. Chapter 1 was
Rossner, Pieter Judson, Arnold Bartetzky, published as “The Idea of a Scientific Dis-
Margaret Olin, Diana Reynolds, Stefan cipline: Rudolf von Eitelberger and the Emer-
Muthesius, Milena Bartlová, Hubert Locher, gence of Art History in Vienna, 1847–1885,”
Damjan Prelovšek, Artur Rosenauer, Robert Art History 34.1 (2011): 54–79. Parts of chap-
Born, Wojciech Bałus, Enikő Roka, Andreas ter 4 appeared previously as “For the Love
Lehne, Joanna Wołanska, Michael Falser, of the Fatherland: Patriotic Art History and
Magdalena Kunińska, Tim Kirk, Malcolm the Kronprinzenwerk in Austria-H ungary,”
Gee, and Jill Steward. Thanks are also due to Centropa 9.3 (2009): 160–75, while parts of
Julia Jabłońska and Catherine Cook. Essen- chapter 8 were taken from “Art History and
tial parts of the research undertaken here the Politics of Empire: Rethinking the Vienna
were supported by the British Academy, the School,” Art Bulletin 91.4 (2009): 447–63.
European Science Foundation, Teesside Uni- I wish to thank the Association of Art His-
versity, and the University of Birmingham, torians, Wiley-Blackwell, Dora Wiebenson,
and their support needs to be acknowledged. and the College Art Association for permis-
I would also like to thank the staff of the sion to republish material.