Umetnik

Aleksandar Kadijević (1963)

Prati umetnika

Pretraga

Aesthetics of architectural Academicism (19th and 20th Century)

In the interpretation of various appearances in architectural creative work the history of architecture is also met with the problem of inadequacy of understanding. Ambiguous, insufficiently clear or unprecisely given views became usual through their frequent use. Such is the case with the term of academicism which became customary as a scholarly term in historiography. Although this term was variously understood and terminologically expressed, the stand point prevails that it marks the submission to the authority of academic institutions, shown in uncritical imitation of their standardized program contents and current norms. Aside in theory, academicism also appears in specific artistic practice which is also studied and evaluated by
historians.


The word academicism is mainly mechanically taken over and uncritically used most frequently when the style of architectural works are to be defined and when historical periodization or reconstruction of ideological determinations of master-builders should be established. It is also used as an axiological qualifier which estimates the level of the creative production of an architect, generation of master-builders or the whole epoch of building creativities. This word is rarely and unwillingly used by scholars, because they have not an adequate terminological substitution for the occurences they describe. Considered insufficiently precise, it is sometimes described by similar terms such as conservativism, lifelessness, decadence and rigid normativism.


Until the scholarly consensus concerning the signifiance and terminological use of the term academicism is established, it will not be quite clear when the use of this word is justified and when it is inadequate and counterproductive. Although questionable and unpopular, the term academicism withstood criticism and changing terminological determinations of historians.

So that the complex notional and historical problems of architectural academicism, fragmentarily dealt with in historiography, might be explained, its indispensable to answer many questions: was academicism an original style, retrospective pseudo style or is it only an ideological standpoint of manifestable and categorial importance? Is it a specific appearance in the architecture of the 19th and 20th century or if it can be noticed in the other epochs as well? Are there recognizable programing, morphological and structural characteristic of the architecture of academicism? Are only mediocrities inclined to academicism or even those most talented creators? Is
the word academicism an abstract, terminological prop-word made up by irresponsible historians, or a suitable term relevant to the scientific discourse?

The attempt that the contradictory ideology is explained and voluminous inheritance of architectural academicism is presented, goes beyond the settled framework of the history of architecture and enters the sphere of sociology, philosophy and cultural history. Manysided approach to the theme is determined by the contents of this work in which have been dealt with notional, axiological, logical, ethical, ideological, cultural-historical, political, morphological-structural, programing and aesthetical aspects of the architecture of academicism in its epoch ( 1800 – 1950 ).

Through the review of the architectural academicism we start discussion concerning its various aspects which is not sufficiently dealt with in the world science. Perhaps the considerations systematically ranged in this work will encourage researches of academicistic analogies in the art of periods prior to the 19th century and reconsider some settled notions on the architecture of more recent times. The basic aim of this work is to pave the way to future researches and interprets of academicism and to be an impetus for further scientific critic and not as a definite interpretation which they would unquestionably follow.


FIRST PART

Chapter 1: The Term of Academicism

The first chapter of the monograph treats the terminological aspects of the word academicism, in that it underlines that it is used without a unified meaning, most frequently as a technical term which depicts a particular trend in the architecture of the 19th and 20th century, or as an axiological qualifier with critical and pejorative connotations. Then are dealt with the beginnings of academicism as a form of school dogmatism from the times of Plato’s Academy until the forms of academicism in modern theory and creative practice. The chapter sets out the definition of academicism in art and architecture bearing in mind its spiritual and cultural premises. The author considers various notions of architectural academicism in science. The conclusion is that instead of an interdisciplinary approach to academicism in the discourse on its appearances onesided approaches prevailed with the purpose to underestimate it as an improper ideological concept, although the fact is neglected that the academicistic ideal of form, contens and expression is implicitly present in every artistic poetics. In the monograph is defined the difference between academic and academicistic approach to architectural creative work aside logical and axiological starting points of the architecture of academicism. Aside this the ethics of academicism is pointed out since it was developed on art academies and took roots in everyday creative practice. At the end of the chapter it has been inferred that to the academicistic artistic codex are characteristic various social-psyhological appearances e.g. careerism, conformity, authoritarianism, itism, conservativeness, dogmatism and asocial distancing from changing and unpredictable circumstances in life. From the aesthethical viewpoint to academicism correspond stylistic and thematic eclecticism, as well as the unpreparedness regarding the changing of existing and revealing new reative ways.


Chapter 2: Academicism in Its Age ( 19th– 20th Century )

This comprehensive chapter deals with historical development of the architecture of academicism in its epoch ( 19th and 20th century) which is frequently depicted as the epoch of eclecticism and historic styles. It contains the works of the most important ideologists of academicism who marked in practice the epoch of state academic architecture: J.Guadet, T.Hansen, F.Schmidt, G.Semper etc. There have been given the representative examples of architectural academicism, spread out from Amsterdam, London and Vienna up to Athens, Melbourne, Buenos Aires and Washington. The system of education on the influential Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris has been especially emphasized as an example of strict classical education of architects. The causes have also been pointed to the extinguishing and retreating of the official academic architecture at the beginning of the 20thcentury, driven back by the movement of Art Nouveau and early modern art in Germany, Holland and France. The echoes of academicism in the architecture of totalitarian regimes in the period between the two World Wars have been treated as well as the form of strengthening of antimodern conscience. The appearance of academicism within the framework of modern architectural movement has been also pointed out. At the end of the chapter was given the estimation of the value of architectural academicism in its epoch with answers to the essential questions: i.e. whether academicism was retrograde, whether it was a style or not and in which way the free creative persons like A.Gaudi took a stand towards its ideology.


Chapter 3: Urbanistic Dimension, Morphology, Structurality and Semantics of the
Architecture of Academicism

In this chapter have been set out characteristic urban, programatic, morphological and structural characteristic of the architecture of academicism. The author has pointed to the academicistic cult of predetermined systems of projecting and shaping based on canonically established setting (cult of symmetry, threefold division of the surface of facade, selfsufficiency of individual segments of a composition, emphasizing of the main motif etc.).

Dealing with programatic and structural characteristic of the architecture of academicism the author has pointed to the main types of bases, contructions and elevations of the structures known for unfunctional inside yards, thematically linked instead of contents joined for specified purposes. It has been inferred that incorrectly measured such a way in projecting and giving form unavoidably had formalism as result.


Chapter 4: Academicism as Aspect of Political Instrumentalization in Architecture

In this chapter have been pointed out ideological and political implications of the architecture of academicism taken root in the them from the very beginning about 1800. The author has taken into account the influence of the order given on the structure and appearance of academicistic architectural compositions. He has inferred that such hierarchically established architecture in the 19th and 20th century was predominantly supported by the adherents of rigid ethical, aesthetical and social norms, which were present in all the establishments to begin with late feudal until civilian-liberal and totalitarian political systems.

In the environments where societal, economic and cultural modernization was coming slowly, academicism lasted longer. It was transferred in smaller and underdeveloped countries as a form of cultural influence of mighty centers. It also seized many democratic and developed countries being the indicator of the consolidation of their institutions happened after enourmous economic and political crises. It also survived because of strong aspirations caused by classical art about which many artists of various generations were enthusiastic. To deny the sincerity of such inspirations would indirectly mean the denial of the value of antique and Renaissance creative work.


Chapter 5: Aesthetics of the Architecture between Academicism and Modernistic
Relativism

In the fifth chapter of this work have been considered proper aesthetical aspects of the phenomenon of academicism and esteblished differences in respect of the aesthetics of modern art. The author has concluded that both creative options, academicistic and modernistic are equally legitimate and current. Art will never neglect academicism, because only it itself can oppose the chaotic modernistic impulse in continuous change. Aside this it will never remain without prospective for positive movements whose results can be of great value.

Hence architectural creative work lives in a bipolar system of values, somewhere between academicistic reactionarism and modernistic disident liberalism in the society of classically determined elite and rebellious, revolutionary avant-garde. The modernistic cult of the new becomes the law for artistic creative work similarly strict as the law of form in academicism.

When architectural critic and historiography definitely free themselves from pejorative incorrect interpretation of academicism, conditions will be created for the establishing of its stable periodization and objective evaluation. Time will come when it will be clear that academicism incorporates the notion which has both historical and categorial value, because it is integrated in the ontological status of each artistic appearance as its constitutive part. There is no artist who does not wish for his work to last in time and space as long as possible and to affect the consience of people in a specific cultural milieu.


SECOND PART

Chapter 1: View on Academistic Elements in Serbian Architecture (1850-1950)

It consists an view on academistic elements in the architecture of historicistic styles in Serbia, divided on few periods and phases, as well as with Serbian national style, modernism and socrealism. The development of Serbian academicism had been connected with similar phenomenons in Central European architecture.


Chapter 2: Interpretation of Academicism in Historiography of New Serbian
Architecture

It consists an critical view of all interpretations of academisicm in Serbian scientific and publicistic historiography. After the first period of negative evaluation, based under the influence of modernisitic ideology, in the last decade of 20th century prevailed the objective statements, highly productive for the Serbian service of architectural building protection.