Reinterpreting Wölfflin: Neo-Kantianism and Hermeneutics

Abstract

Heinrich Wolfflin, widely recognized as the most important theorist of art history, was popularized early in this century by art historians of all nationalities. Many found his descriptive method of analyzing the formal characteristics of works of art useful. However, the theory behind the method often was misconstrued. Many misinterpretations occurred because his theory was not viewed in the light of his own milieu—late-nineteenth-century Switzerland and Germany—but from a later, post-World War I perspective. He was invoked, both as a prophet of positivism, by Herbert Read, and as a proponent of Hegelianism, by E.H. Gombrich, among others. To understand the real significance of Wolfflin's theory and of his contribution to the methodology of art history, it is important first to portray the individuals and ideas that led him to a neo-Kantian philosophical position. Then, by examining his theory in relation to modern hermeneutics, we can elucidate the paradoxes and strengths of his thought.