“Roman Circle”: German formalism influence on the Anton Ažbe’s pedagogical method

Abstract

The article discusses an influence of ideas of “Roman Circle” members Konrad Fiedler, Hans von Marées and Adolf von Hildebrand, who stood at the origins of European formalism, on Anton Ažbe’s pedagogical method. For a better understanding of the cultural context and the prerequisites for the emergence of a confrontation of innovative and conservative movements the author outlines the philosophical and artistic situation in Germany in the last third of the 19th century, in particular in its main cultural center – Munich. Somehow or other all “Roman Circle” members were connected with Bavarian capital. They became founders of the theory of the vision and formalist approach, that influenced the art, philosophy, philology throughout Europe. The article deals with K. Fiedler and A. von Hildebrand philosophical ideas and the painter H. von Marées pedagogical approach based on them. At the end of 19th century, the large sector of private art schools was formed in Munich. They acted as an alternative to, and often as a complement to, formal education. Anton Ažbe’s school was one of the most famous private art schools in Munich. As an artist and teacher, he (a Slovenian) experienced a significant influence of formalism, because his artistic development took place during thetheories of formalism heyday and recognition in Munich.
The article compares with concrete examples the theory of vision, the laws of the forms-shaping and the understanding the tasks of art, manifested in the works of C. Fidler, A. Hildebrand, and H. von Marées with the fundamental ideas of the Anton Ažbe’s pedagogical method – “Sphere Principle” and “Crystallization of Color Principle”.