Sezession
Encyclopedia
Secession refers to a number of modernist
artist groups that separated from the support of official academic art
and its administrations in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The first secession from the official politics occurred in France, when, in 1890, the "Salon au Champs-de-Mars" was established, headed by Meissonnier and Puvis de Chavannes. In the years following artists in various European countries took up this impulse, primarily in Germany
, Austria–Hungary, and Belgium
, which 'seceded' from traditional art movement
s and embraced progressive styles. The first secession outside France formed in Munich
in 1892, soon followed by the Berlin Secession
in the same year.
The best-known secession movement was the Vienna Secession
formed in 1897, and included Gustav Klimt
, who favoured the ornate Art Nouveau
style over the prevailing styles of the time. The style of these artists, as practiced in Austria
is known as Sezessionstil, or "Secession style".
Georg Hirth
, the editor and publisher of Jugend (Youth) from 1896 until his death in 1916, coined the term "Secession" to represent the spirit of the various modern and reactionary movements of the era. This idea was later revisited in the published thesis by Hans-Ulrich Simon (Sezessionismus. Kunstgewerbe in literarischer und bildender Kunst, 1976), who argues that the series of secessions in late 19th and early 20th century Europe together form a movement of "Secessionism" that was manifested in both the art and literature of the era.
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
artist groups that separated from the support of official academic art
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
and its administrations in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The first secession from the official politics occurred in France, when, in 1890, the "Salon au Champs-de-Mars" was established, headed by Meissonnier and Puvis de Chavannes. In the years following artists in various European countries took up this impulse, primarily in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria–Hungary, and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, which 'seceded' from traditional art movement
Art movement
An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a restricted period of time, or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined within a number of years...
s and embraced progressive styles. The first secession outside France formed in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1892, soon followed by the Berlin Secession
Berlin Secession
The Berlin Secession was an art association founded by Berlin artists in 1898 as an alternative to the conservative state-run Association of Berlin Artists. That year the official salon jury rejected a landscape by Walter Leistikow, who was a key figure amongst a group of young artists interested...
in the same year.
The best-known secession movement was the Vienna Secession
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors, and architects...
formed in 1897, and included Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...
, who favoured the ornate Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style over the prevailing styles of the time. The style of these artists, as practiced in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
is known as Sezessionstil, or "Secession style".
Georg Hirth
Georg Hirth
Georg Hirth was a German writer, journalist and publisher. He is best-known for founding the cultural magazine Jugend in 1896, which was instrumental in popularizing Art Nouveau.- Biography :...
, the editor and publisher of Jugend (Youth) from 1896 until his death in 1916, coined the term "Secession" to represent the spirit of the various modern and reactionary movements of the era. This idea was later revisited in the published thesis by Hans-Ulrich Simon (Sezessionismus. Kunstgewerbe in literarischer und bildender Kunst, 1976), who argues that the series of secessions in late 19th and early 20th century Europe together form a movement of "Secessionism" that was manifested in both the art and literature of the era.
Major secessions in visual arts
- ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
: Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, established in 1890 - MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
: established in 1892 - ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
: Vienna SecessionVienna SecessionThe Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors, and architects...
: established in 1897 - BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
: Berliner SecessionBerlin SecessionThe Berlin Secession was an art association founded by Berlin artists in 1898 as an alternative to the conservative state-run Association of Berlin Artists. That year the official salon jury rejected a landscape by Walter Leistikow, who was a key figure amongst a group of young artists interested...
, established in 1898 - CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
: Sonderbund westdeutscher Kunstfreunde und KünstlerSonderbund westdeutscher Kunstfreunde und KünstlerThe "Sonderbund" — as it is normally called; its complete name being Sonderbund westdeutscher Kunstfreunde und Künstler — was a "special union" of artists and art lovers, established 1909 in Düsseldorf and dissolved in 1916...
, established in 1909 - BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...