The Sublime in Visual Art : from the Romantic To the Postmodern Sublime

Abstract

This dissertation examines the sublime and the context in which it evolved. To explore the changes that have taken place, the investigation around this concept has been situated within three moments: Romanticism, Modernism and Postmodernism. Representative artworks within these periods have been identified and compared in order to bring art and philosophy together. The Romantic understanding of sublimity finds awe in nature, in its vastness and terror. Sublimity was also found in the ability of the artist to open understanding of limitlessness and the mysteries of the mind and the universe. The Modernists developed some of the ideas of the Romantics in the essence of abstract art, but questioned Romantic aspirations of the absolute by probing the subconscious and the notion of chaos. The Postmodernists rewrite the previous movements in a vision of pluralism and (within the Neo-Romantic perspective) spirituality. The restructuring of the sublime within a contemporary paradigm attempts to point towards the future relevance of this concept.

Afrikaans: Hierdie skripsie ondersoek die sublieme en die konteks waarin dit ontwikkel het. Om die veranderinge te ondersoek wat plaasgevind het, is die konsep binne drie tydsfases geplaas: Romantisisme, Modernisme en Postmodernisme. Verteenwoordigende kunswerke binne hierdie periodes is geïdentifiseer en vergelyk sodat kuns en filosofie bymekaar gebring kan word. Die Romantiese vertolking van die sublieme vind ontsag in die natuur, in die wydheid en die verskrikking daarvan. Sublimiteit was ook te vinde in die vermoë van die kunstenaar om insig te bevorder om die grensloosheid en die misterie van beide die verstand en die heelal te begryp. Die Moderniste het sekere van die idees van die Romantici ontwikkel in die essensie van abstrakte kuns, maar het Romantiese aspirasies van die absolute bevraagteken, deur die onderbewuste ondersoek, asook konsepte van chaos. Die Postmoderniste herskryf die vorige bewegings in „n visie van pluralisme en (vanuit „n Neo-Romantiese perspektief) spiritualiteit. Die herstrukturering van die sublieme binne „n kontemporêre paradigma poog om heen te wys na die toekomstige relevansie van hierdie konsep.