The Magus of the North: Johann Georg Hamann’s Treatment of the Artistic Genius

Abstract

In the 18th century, questions abound on the new branch of sciencethat is the discipline of aesthetics. In connection with this, first inFrance and England, then also in the German sphere of thought,artistic genius as the producer of an aesthetically valued artworkbecomes an object of interest. The term ‘genius’ enters Germanvernacular in the middle of the 18th century, when the scholarand philosopher Johann Georg Hamann commences his life work.Interpretations of the works of Hamann, an influential irrationalistor anti-rationalist of the Enlightenment era, are topical even today.At the time, the Enlightenment-inspired, nascent German geniustheory is greatly influenced by the French tradition. However,Hamann becomes a radical changer of the concept of genius. Duringhis sojourn in London (1757–1758), Hamann undergoes a religiousconversion, which subsequently becomes a catalyst for his entireworks and philosophy. Influenced by the British empiricist geniustradition, from his first writings (Socratic Memorabilia and Aestheticsin a Nutshell), Hamann enters into dispute with the spirit of theEnlightenment that dominates German aesthetics, represented byGottsched, Mendelssohn, Lessing, etc., remaining in oppositionthroughout his creative career. In his innovative literary works, richin metaphors, he proposes his own holistic idea of genius, whichcentres around an artistic genius with a God-given talent, whosecreativity is directly connected to his faith in God and the perfectnature he created. Hamann’s poetic artist, who creates his worksthrough divine sensation, is not limited by a single rule or law, noris he bound by the taste preferences of his audience. Hamann doesnot see artistic creation as a pleasurable artefact which enhancesnature by rational rules, which has to adhere to the limits of goodtaste – that view was prevalent and dominant at the time, especiallyin the French and German Enlightenment ideology. He highlightsthe idea of art as a metaphysical creative process which stems fromfeelings and sensations through faith, which has a deep spiritual meaning. Hamann’s works, in which he addresses the questions ofart and genius, are not dry postulations, but the author’s originalvisions of ingenious creation, which stand out by their intriguinginnovative structure, and often by ironic and humorous undertones.Hamann’s concept of the artistic genius is one of the cornerstonesof German early romanticism, it has influenced numerous authorsin the 19th century and extended into the 20th century throughexistentialist literature. Hamann’s vision of genius does not haveequivalents in the list of genius treatments, it is unique in both contentand form. Hamann’s ideas of genius will remain topical in every erawhen subjective views of art are in focus, which stem from the innercreative freedom of the artist, a creative who crosses boundaries andignores conventions, whose aspiration is guided by something thatcannot be subjected to ordinary explanations. The time has arrivedon the spiral of history today when the phenomenon of the artist isyet again at the centre of discussions, and there is no reason to doubtthat artistic genius will continue revealing itself in times to come.