With special attention being paid to the development in the city of Brno, the dissertation focuses on the issue of applying artworks in Czechoslovak architecture after World War II. The main research questions – Why were in Czechoslovakia after 1945 artworks again integrated in architecture and what strategies were applied in the case of the newly built housing estates in the city of Brno? – are answered in two successive sections. First, the institutional background for application of art in architecture in the light of the events in Brno (1945–1993) is examined; the closing part is devoted to three case studies that illustrate local development in the period of socialist realism, creative release of the1960s and political normalization. The aim is to highlight the complexity of the examined subject and refute a popularly handed down conviction that integration of artworks into architecture in the period of socialism was motivated exclusively by the communist propaganda, and to show that the attempts to create a synthesis of art and architecture were also based both on earlier theoretical considerations about the educational function of art and its effect on humans and the need to improve poor economic situation of artists after World War II.

The term "ekphrasis" is indisputably problematic. In fact, depending on which definition one might use ekphrastic processes can either be broad, that is extended to any type of description as it was taught in rhetoric treaties during antiquity, or according to its modern definition circumcised to literary representations of works of art. Since ekphraseis are a key feature of Huysmans's work, this study strives to explore their scope through describing the sacred art in the so-called "catholic novels" Huysmans wrote after his religious conversion and the Church's representation that stems from them. This study focuses on two forms of religious art: the plainchant and the architecture. Based on a broad theoretical frame ranging from ekphrasis and hypotyposis figures of speech to intermediality, the study shows that the medieval Church is considered as quintessentially a pluri-medial entity or as Wolf puts it, a "syncretistic medium". Thus, it seems possible to establish a connection between this image of an ideal Church and the notion of Gesamtkunstwerk. Last but not least, this depiction which arises from Huysmans's work sheds light on a broader societal phenomenon that occurred in the transitional period which was the late 19th century, namely a strong interest in medievalism.

La ricerca condensata in questa tesi di dottorato trae spunto dall’assenza di studi specifici riguardo all’influenza di Wagner e del wagnerismo sulle arti visive in Italia tra il 1880 e il 1920. Partendo dall’analisi della concezione wagneriana del Gesamtkunstwerk e del ruolo attribuito da Wagner alle arti visive, se ne prende in esame il triplice influsso esercitato sulla riflessione critica ed estetica e sulla produzione artistica (pittura, scultura, illustrazione, cartellonistica, caricatura, scenografia): da una parte l’iconografia, che comprende sia i ritratti di Wagner, sia le opere ispirate ai personaggi e alle situazioni dei suoi drammi; vi è poi la tendenza “musicalista”, tipica del Simbolismo, che mira a comunicare emozioni, sensazioni e contenuti propri della musica con i mezzi delle arti visive; e infine l’orientamento sinestetico in direzione dell’“opera d’arte totale”. / The research whose results are recollected into this essay took its origin from the absence of specific studies about Wagner’s and Wagnerism’s influence on visual arts in Italy between 1880 and 1920. Starting from the analysis of Wagner’s conceptions of Gesamtkunstwerk and from the role assigned by Wagner to visual arts, I examined the triple influence of these ideas on the critical and aesthetical reflection and artistic production (painting, sculpture, illustration, caricature, scenography): on one side the iconography, including both Wagner’s portraits and works inspired to his dramas’ characters and situations; moreover, there’s the ‘musicalist’ tendence, typical of Symbolism, which aims to communicate feelings and emotions which are proper of music by the means of visual arts; eventually, the synaesthetical tendence towards the “Universal Artwork”.

Aquesta tesi explora els orígens de la pintura abstracta des d'un punt de vista eminentment conceptual. Parteix de la hipòtesi que l'abstracció es pot considerar la culminació dels ideals estètics del Simbolisme finisecular; i considera que un dels elements de continuïtat entre Simbolisme i abstracció fou l'ideal de l'obra d'art total o Gesamtkunstwerk. La tesi estudia els pintors Vassily Kandinsky i Piet Mondrian per mostrar, a través de l'anàlisi de les seves obres i textos, que aquest ideal d'obra total fou per ambdós un leit-motiv fonamental en la seva evolució vers l'abstracció. En el cas de Kandinsky s'estudien especialment les seves composicions escèniques, i en el cas de Mondrian, l'arranjament del seu estudi, projectes en el marc dels quals es va desenvolupar la seva pintura. En ambdós casos, com també en el Simbolisme, el projecte de l'obra d'art total es considera tant des de la vessant artística, com en relació al seu valor utòpic. / This thesis explores the origins of abstract painting from a predominantly conceptual point of view. It begins with the hypothesis that abstraction may be considered as the culmination of the aesthetic ideals of turn of the century Symbolism, and considers that one of the elements of continuity between Symbolism and abstraction was the ideal of the total work of art, or Gesamtkunstwerk. The thesis studies the painters Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian to show, through analysis of their works and texts, that this idea of the complete artwork was a fundamental leitmotif for both artists in their evolution towards abstraction. In the case of Kandinsky, it studies in particular his scenic compositions and, in the case of Mondrian, the layout of his studio, the framework within which their painting was developed. In both cases, as in Symbolism, the project of the total work of art is considered as much from the artistic viewpoint as in relation to its utopian value.

Charlotte Salomon's Life? or Theater? is a complex compilation of painting, musical notations, autobiography, cinematic layouts, and literary text. Salomon scholars have neglected a crucial element of Life? or Theater?, which is the significant influence of Salomon's friend, Alfred Wolfsohn. This thesis fills this void by examining the correlation between stylistic influences in Salomon's work and by exploring Wolfsohn's theoretical practices. Using a framework informed by Jungian psychology and Wolfsohn's extensive music theory, this thesis argues that Salomon portrayed her own story via Wolfsohn's philosophy of catharsis. As trauma became a reoccurring theme in Salomon's life, painting and creation became her purification and the means by which she recovered her own sanity. To expound the importance of Salomon's emotional expulsion in Life? or Theater?, this thesis considers her biography, traumatic life events, and her formal art training at the Vereinigte Staatsschulen für Freie und Angewandte Kunst. The combination of her chaotic life events, her training as a visual artist, and her inclusion of musical and theatrical elements emphasize her ability to efficiently call upon the most effective and expressive artistic style for her catharsis. In its synthesis, Salomon's Life? or Theater? becomes a Gesamtkunstwerk that is the pinnacle of German Expressionism. Lastly, this thesis will look to the relationship and influence of Wolfsohn. Arguing that Wolfsohn's influence was more than encouraging Salomon to paint, this thesis will draw connections between Wolfsohn's theories and Salomon's approach to Life? or Theater?. In arguing for the importance of Wolfsohn's theories, and by understanding her work as catharsis via Gesamtkunstwerk, this thesis has contributed new ways of understanding Salomon's complex work, Life? or Theater?, as more than an illustrated autobiography.

Summary in German and English / Text in German / Diese Arbeit ist eine detaillierte Analyse von Gottesdiensten und Predigten, die im Rahmen öffentlicher Gedenkveranstaltungen nach katastrophalen Krisenereignissen gehalten wurden. Untersucht wurde die Frage, wie angesichts einer heterogenen Ge-sellschaft und einer breiten Öffentlichkeit, in öffentlichen Trauergottesdiensten Trost gegeben und von Hoffnung geredet wurde. In Thesen werden mögliche Kriterien ge-geben, wie in ähnlichen Situationen angemessen von der christlichen Hoffnung gere-det werden kann. Die Schlussfolgerung ist, die Predigt als Teil des Gesamtgeschehens wahrzunehmen und den Gottesdienst, mit der Musik, den Liedern, Lesungen und Ri-tualen, als eine Art Gesamtkunstwerk und auch als kontextualisiertes Antwortgesche-hen an die Teilnehmenden unterschiedlichen Hintergrunds zu verstehen. Die Predigt, profiliert in der christlichen Botschaft, soll respektvoll die Unterschiede in Gesell-schaft, Glaube und Person achten. Der reiche Schatz des biblischen Kanons kann in der Predigt, im Gebet, Gesang und in den Ritualen reflektiert werden, insbesondere durch die Psalmen mit ihrer formulierten Klage, und mit der christlichen Hoffnung ins Gespräch gebracht werden. / This work is a detailed analysis of worship services and sermons delivered during pub-lic commemoration events after catastrophic events of crisis. The question is explored how, in the face of a heterogeneous society and a broad public presence, comfort was given in public commemoration services and how hope was reflected. In closing the-ses, possible criteria are given for adequately speaking of Christian hope in similar sit-uations. The conclusion is that the sermon should be perceived as part of the whole process and that worship, with its music, songs, readings and rituals, should be under-stood as a kind of Gesamtkunstwerk and also as a contextualized response to the par-ticipants of different backgrounds. The sermon, profiled in the Christian message, should respect the differences in society, faith and person. The rich treasure of the biblical canon can be reflected in preaching, prayer, song and ritual, in particular through the psalms, with their formed lament, and brought into conversation with the Christian hope. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Phil. (Theology)

In all their various categories, the arts serve as the dominant subject matter of Gesamtkunstwerk and Other Trifles. The title itself begins with a German word-meld—gesamt (total) + kunstwerk (work of art). Thus a primary aim of these poems is to bring as many elements of art together as possible and to use their various forms (self-portraits, nocturnes, odes, etc.) as metaphorical frameworks that inform abstractions such as regret ("How to Draw Regret"), psychological disorders ("Insomnia Nocturnes") and confusion in how one should feel about living realities as opposed to inanimate objects ("Dead Starling"). Most of the poems that are not related in some way to the arts (other than their inseparable relation to the art of poetry itself) deal with death or some other form of loss. Some of them humorous ("Commencement Speech"), others poignant ("In Places Where We Store Our Deaths"), these poems ironically find their place as the "other trifles" of the work. The purpose of this somewhat irreverent categorization of death and tragedy is to create ironic commentaries on the triviality of humankind's grand designs and accomplishments and to show the many similarities shared by comedy and tragedy alike, a project Tony Hoagland took up in his first book of poems, Sweet Ruin. My aim in writing these poems is to better understand how various art forms relate to each other and how aligning those arts in poetry allows the various genres to be "in conversation" one with another. I hope that readers will come away with a better understanding of how art forms are interconnected, but at the same time, I always aim to construct my poems in such a way that multiple readings can occur.

This essay aims to examine the manifestations of physical movement in two paintings by the Swedish modernist Otto G. Carlsund and to show aesthetic similarities to other modernist artists of the 1920s avant-garde. The method applied is Erwin Panofsky's Iconology to interpret the illusions of physical movement as expressions of the same ideas and visions that were conveyed by other artists during the same time in history. The results show that all painters included in this essay strived to communicate through motion in order to advocate for their visions of social change they believed their art could contribute to. The ambition to reform societies is interpreted as expressions of a Gesamtkunstwerk, a totalizing project aimed at all institutions of their day.

Cette thèse vise à répondre à la question L’entreprise d’ameublement IKEA peut-elle être envisagée comme les prémices de réalisation d’une œuvre d’art totale ? La réflexion est menée en deux grandes parties distinctes. La première se concentre sur le concept wagnérien d’œuvre d’art totale. Grâce à la littérature scientifique sur le sujet, il est montré l’importance du wagnérisme pour la culture occidentale du XXe siècle et l’intérêt du concept au sein du champ des études intermédiales. Puis, l’exposition des origines du concept et de plusieurs applications ou réappropriations, telle que celle du Bauhaus, permet d’en souligner la nature socioesthétique et d’en distinguer deux dimensions : une purement idéaliste, celle de l’utopie sociétale en devenir (l’œuvre d’art totale accomplie) ; et une dimension plus concrète, visant l’atteinte de cet idéal grâce aux arts, ce que je nomme les amorces partielles de l’œuvre d’art totale (outil de mise en place de l’œuvre d’art totale). Enfin, en vue de l’étude d’IKEA, l’attention se concentre sur la dimension concrète du concept et est ainsi proposée une liste de caractéristiques propres aux amorces partielles permettant d’évaluer l’objet d’étude. Celle-ci concerne : l’impact massif des actions de l’objet étudié, l’expression d’ambitions sociales, voire utopiques, par celui-ci, et sa capacité à représenter un « commun » du peuple. La seconde partie entièrement dédiée à IKEA vise à vérifier la correspondance entre l’entreprise (les actions de ses acteurs, ses produits et ses effets) et les trois caractéristiques identifiées des amorces partielles de l’œuvre d’art totale. Ceci est réalisé à partir de trois recherches différentes : une étude stylistique comparative entre certaines icônes du design du Bauhaus et du design scandinave avec les produits IKEA ; l’exposition du storytelling mis en place par l’enseigne et l’observation des déclarations de son fondateur, Ingvar Kamprad ; une étude des mises en scène d’aménagements intérieurs au sein des catalogues et des showrooms de la marque. Les résultats de l’ensemble semblent indiquer qu’IKEA est un élément socioculturellement structurant de notre rapport aux objets du quotidien et de notre domesticité . Et que, sous condition d’une authenticité des valeurs exprimées par l’entreprise et d’une correspondance de celles-ci avec les actions mises en place par ses acteurs, elle pourrait peut-être atteindre ses ambitions de créer « a better everyday life for the many people ». En ce sens, IKEA pourrait être considérée comme une manifestation d’une amorce partielle, tout en étant porteuse d’une évolution conceptuelle bien plus fondamentale qu’il n’y paraît. / This thesis aims to answer the question Can the IKEA furniture company be seen as the beginnings of a total work of art? The reflection is carried out in two main parts. The first part focuses on the Wagnerian concept of the total work of art. Through the scientific literature on the subject, the importance of Wagnerism for twentieth-century Western culture and the interest of the concept within the field of intermedial studies are shown. Then, the exposition of the origins of the concept and of several applications or reappropriations, such as that of the Bauhaus, allows us to underline its socio-aesthetic character and to distinguish two dimensions: a purely idealistic one, that of the societal utopia to become (the accomplished total work of art); and a more concrete one, aiming at the attainment of this ideal thanks to the arts, what we call the amorces partielles (partial triggers) of the total work of art (a tool for fulfillment of the total work of art). Finally, in view of the study of IKEA, attention is focused on the concrete dimension of the concept and a list of characteristics of the amorces partielles is proposed to evaluate the object of study. This concerns: the massive impact of the actions of the object studied, its expression of social, even utopian, ambitions, and its capacity to represent a "commun" (common) of the many people. The second part, entirely dedicated to IKEA, aims to verify the correspondence between the company (the actions of its agents, its products and its effects) and the three characteristics identified as amorces partielles of the total work of art. This is achieved through three different research projects: a comparative stylistic study between certain Bauhaus and Scandinavian iconic design objects and IKEA products; the exposition of the storytelling set up by the brand and the observation of the statements of its founder, Ingvar Kamprad; a study of the staging of interior design in the brand's catalogues and showrooms. The results of all these studies seem to indicate that IKEA is a socio-cultural element shaping our relationship with everyday objects and our domesticity. And that, provided that the values expressed by the company are authentic and correspond with the practices adopted by its agents, it could perhaps achieve its ambitions to create "a better everyday life for the many people". In this sense, IKEA could be seen as a manifestation of an amorces partielles, yet at the same time as the bearer of a much more fundamental conceptual shift than it appears.

Die Dissertation untersucht die Entwicklung des Gesamtkunstwerk-Konzeptes und seine Aktualität, Möglichkeit und Notwendigkeit in Bezug auf ein modernes filmisches Gesamtkunstwerk. Ausgegangen wird von der ästhetischen Theorie und Praxis der deutschen Frühromantik, in der das Konzept wurzelt. In einer umfassenden Betrachtung und Analyse der ästhetischen und gesellschaftspolitischen Dimension des Konzeptes in den Schriften und dem Werk Richard Wagners sollen wesentliche Strukturmerkmale erkundet und soll ein Maßstab für ein ‚positives‘ zeit-genössisches Gesamtkunstwerk gebildet werden, das sich von seinem ideologischen Missbrauch befreit. Erforscht wird, inwiefern der Farb- und Tonspielfilm ein geeignetes Kunstmedium für die Anwendung des Konzeptes darstellt und wie sich die Frage seiner gesellschaftspolitischen Dimension in der globalen Epoche übersetzen lässt. / The dissertation explores the evolution of the concept of the Total Work of Art (ʹGesamtkunstwerkʹ) as well as its actuality, feasibility and necessity in the form of a modern cinematic Gesamtkunstwerk. Starting point is the aesthetic theory and praxis of the Early German Romanticism, in which the concept is rooted. An extensive consideration and analysis of the concept in both its aesthetic and socio-political dimension as developed in the writings and works of Richard Wagner aims to define its essential structural features and to set the standard for a ʹpositiveʹ contemporary Gesamtkunstwerk beyond its ideological abuse. Key is the examination of how and to what extend the sound and colour feature film constitutes a legit artistic medium for the application of the concept as well as how its sociopolitical facet translates within the global era.