Full Description
First published in 1965, Mannerism is the rediscovery and revaluation of Mannerism, that long misjudged artistic style which came into its own during the crisis of the Renaissance. Expressionism, Surrealism and Abstract Art prepared the ground for a new understanding of Mannerism, and Dr. Hauser shows how this revaluation signifies an even deeper caesura in intellectual history than the crisis of the Renaissance itself in which Mannerism arose. These propositions however, only touch on the problem which is exhaustively treated by Hauser in all its historical and thematical variations.
The author does not confine himself to the observation of development from the point of view of the history of art. In Part One he considers the emergence of the scientific worldview during the Renaissance, the economic and social revolution, religious movements and political ideas, the problem of alienation, and narcissism as keys to the understanding of Mannerism. Part Two, which deals with the history of Mannerism both in Italy and abroad, gives not only remarkable analyses of works of art with the aid of 322 reproductions, but also considers leading representatives of the literature of the Mannerism in Italy, Spain, France, and England. Again, in Part Three, parallel and connecting lines are drawn between art and literature to make the rules of form and the contents clearly recognisable. The book will be of interest to students of art history and literature.
Contents
Preface 1. The Concept of Mannerism 2. The Disintegration of the Renaissance 3. The Origin of the Scientific Outlook 4. The Economic and Social Revolution 5. The Religious Movement 6. The Autonomy of Politics 7. Alienation as the Key to Mannerism 8. Narcissism as the Psychology of Alienation 9. Tragedy and Humour 10. Outline of the History of mannerism in Italy 11. Mannerism Outside Italy 12. Mannerism in Art and Literature 13. The Principal Representatives of Mannerism in Western Literature Notes Index of Subjects Index of Names List of Plates
