Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture
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| - | In 1755, Winckelmann published his ''[[Gedanken über die Nachahmung der griechischen Werke in Malerei und Bildhauerkunst]]'' ("[[Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture]]"), followed by a feigned attack on the work and a defense of its principles, ostensibly by an impartial critic. The ''Gedanken'' contains the first statement of the doctrines he afterwards developed, the ideal of "noble simplicity and quiet grandeur" (''edle Einfalt und stille Größe'') and the definitive assertion, "The one way for us to become great, perhaps inimitable, is by imitating the ancients." The work was warmly admired not only for the ideas it contained, but for its literary style. It made Winckelmann famous, and was reprinted several times and soon translated into French. In England, Winckelmann's views stirred discussion in the 1760s and 1770s, although it was limited to artistic circles: [[Henry Fuseli]]'s translation of ''Reflections on the Painting and Sculpture of the Greeks'' was published in 1765, but the text did not find enough readers to warrant a second edition. | + | '''''Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture]]''''' (Origingal German: '''''Gedanken über die Nachahmung der griechischen Werke in Malerei und Bildhauerkunst''''') is an essay by [[Winckelmann]] published in [[1755]], followed by a feigned attack on the work and a defense of its principles, ostensibly by an impartial critic. The ''Gedanken'' contains the first statement of the doctrines he afterwards developed, the ideal of "noble simplicity and quiet grandeur" (''edle Einfalt und stille Größe'') and the definitive assertion, "The one way for us to become great, perhaps inimitable, is by imitating the ancients." The work was warmly admired not only for the ideas it contained, but for its [[literary style]]. It made Winckelmann famous, and was reprinted several times and soon translated into French. In England, Winckelmann's views stirred discussion in the 1760s and 1770s, although it was limited to artistic circles: [[Henry Fuseli]]'s translation of ''[[Reflections on the Painting and Sculpture of the Greeks]]'' was published in 1765, but the text did not find enough readers to warrant a second edition. |
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“The only way for us to become great”, observed Johann Joachim Winckelmann “lies in the imitation of the Greeks”. With this idea, the German-born art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann encapsulated the movement of neoclassicism.
Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture]] (Origingal German: Gedanken über die Nachahmung der griechischen Werke in Malerei und Bildhauerkunst) is an essay by Winckelmann published in 1755, followed by a feigned attack on the work and a defense of its principles, ostensibly by an impartial critic. The Gedanken contains the first statement of the doctrines he afterwards developed, the ideal of "noble simplicity and quiet grandeur" (edle Einfalt und stille Größe) and the definitive assertion, "The one way for us to become great, perhaps inimitable, is by imitating the ancients." The work was warmly admired not only for the ideas it contained, but for its literary style. It made Winckelmann famous, and was reprinted several times and soon translated into French. In England, Winckelmann's views stirred discussion in the 1760s and 1770s, although it was limited to artistic circles: Henry Fuseli's translation of Reflections on the Painting and Sculpture of the Greeks was published in 1765, but the text did not find enough readers to warrant a second edition.
