The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 3 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik — Georg Hegel — John Shaqi
The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 3 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik
Georg Hegel · en
From the above observations the two points to which we have already
drawn attention become more clear, namely, first, that sculpture
makes use of the human form directly, which is the actual existence
of spiritual life, instead of accepting a mode of expression which
is symbolical with a view to promoting the spiritual import of
modes of appearance that are merely _suggestive._ At the same time,
secondly, it is content, as the manifestation of that mode of
subjectivity which does not express emotion and the soul essentially
unparticularized[125], with _form_ and _nothing more_, where the
focus of subjectivity is dissipated[126]. This is also the reason
why sculpture does not on the one hand present Spirit in action, in a
series of movements, which both possess and testify to one aim nor in
undertakings or exploits, wherein a certain character is made visible,
but rather as persisting throughout in one objective way, and for this
reason preeminently in the repose of form, the movement and grouping
of which is merely a first and obvious commencement of action, not,
however, in any sense a _complete_ presentment of the subjective life
as agitated by all the conflicts that assail it whether within or
without, or as its development is variously affected in contact with
the external world. Consequently what we also miss in the figures of
sculpture is precisely this revealed focus of the subjective life, the
concentrated expression of soul as _soul_, namely, the glance of the
eye, a fact upon which we shall have something further to say later.
We miss it because such a figure presents to our sight Spirit embedded
in corporeality, and Spirit, too, which has to show itself visible in
the entire form. From another point of view an individuality, which
is not as yet essentially separated into its component parts, that
is, the object of sculpture, does not as yet require the painter's
charm of colour as means to display it, a charm which is as capable of
making visible, through the fine gradations and variety of its nuances,
the entire wealth of particular traits of character, the absolute
manifestation of spiritual presence, its ideal significance[127], as
by means of the vital flash of the eye it will concentrate in a point
all the vigour of the soul. Sculpture must not, in other words, accept
a material which is not rendered necessary by its fundamental point of
view. It only makes use of the spatial qualities of the human figure,
not the colouring which depicts it. The figure of sculpture is in
general of one colour, hewn from white not vari-coloured marble. And
in the same way metals are used as the material of sculpture, this
primitive substance, self-identical, essentially undifferentiated,
a light in fluxion, if we may so express it, without the contrast
and harmony of different colours[128]. The Greeks are indebted to
their unrivalled artistic insight[129] for having grasped and firmly
retained this point of view.