Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy is an art critic and spokesperson for the perennial philosophy of Plato, Plotinus, Bonaventura, Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. There is not a word in these nine essays about the aesthetic theories by authors writing at the same time as Coomaraswamy, writers such as John Dewey, George Santayana, or Ernest Gombrich. Why? Because Coomaraswamy does not have the slightest interest in aesthetics or aesthetic experience. To have a clear understanding of Coomarasway's foundational and key ideas about art, here are several quotes from his main essay in this collection. Beneath each quote is my own brief commentary."The artist is not a special kind of man, but every man who is not an artist in some field, every man without a vocation, is an idler." Coomaraswamy tells us in traditional societies the artist is not a special kind of man but every man is a special kind of artist. Think here of a medieval cathedral that was built by vast numbers of craftsmen who wouldn't think of signing their work. He rebels against our modern world were we make a sharp distinction between an artist (the special kind of man) painting his artwork to be displayed in a museum and the factory worker (an ordinary or `un-special' kind of man) on the assembly line. Thus, Coomaraswamy says, "Industry without art is brutality.""(The practice of art) can never be, unless for the sentimentalist who lives for pleasure, an "art for art's sake," that is to say a production of "fine" or useless objects only that we may be delighted by "fine colors and sounds" . . . The greater part of our boasted "love of art" is nothing but the enjoyment of comfortable feelings." For Coomaraswamy, the fine colors of impressionist painters like Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, and Seurat are only that, fine colors, the aesthetic surface of life, where the viewer is encouraged to `love art' and enjoy comfortable feelings. These fine colors are a world away from the metaphysical and spiritual ideas represented by statues in a medieval monastery or an ancient Buddhist temple."It is just insofar as we do now see only the things as they are in themselves, and only ourselves as we are in ourselves, that we have killed the metaphysical man and shut ourselves up in the dismal cave of functional and economic determinism." Here Coomaraswamy observes how we in our modern technological world of high specialization have shattered the wholeness of our spiritual inner selves; our everyday life of activity (making of things) and interaction with the world is not an expression of our total human nature, but rather is reduced to mere function and utility. The art produced in such a society also reflects this alienation. One can imagine what must have gone through Coomaraswamy's mind when viewing Duchamp's Fountain (a porcelain urinal) or a painting of Max Ernst or Piet Mondrian. ."Our conception of art as essentially the expression of a personality, or whole view of genius, our impertinent curiosities about the artist's private life, all these things are the products of a perverted individualism and prevent our understanding of the nature of medieval and oriental art." How many biographies and commentaries have been written on the life of Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol? Coomaraswamy would not be impressed; rather, he would see all such writing as so much obsession with personality and an expression of perverse individualism. What would be at the absolute opposite end of the artistic spectrum from Coomaraswamy's philosophy? How about three quotes from Andy Warhol - 1) Art is what you can get away with. 2) An artist is a person who produces things that people don't need to have. 3) I am a deeply superficial person."We have emphasized that art is for the man, and not the man for art: that whatever is made only to give pleasure is a luxury and that the love of art under these conditions becomes a mortal sin." I recommend a careful reading of this collection of Coomaraswamy's essays. You don't necessarily have to agree with his philosophy of art to appreciate his perspective on how art was integrated into traditional societies and how our modern world has gone off in other directions.

_Christian & Oriental Philosophy of Art_ (1956, reprinted by Dover) by traditionalist author and philosopher Ananda K. Coomaraswamy is a fascinating series of essays and lectures which explain such issues as the role and importance of art as it relates to Christian and Oriental traditional culture. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877 - 1947) was an Indian philosopher, orientalist, and art historian who served as curator of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Coomaraswamy was also active as one of the founders of the Traditionalist School (along with Rene Guenon) and in promoting the Perennial Philosophy that underlies the world's mystical religious traditions. In this book Coomaraswamy focuses on the role of art and art symbolism, the importance of folklore, and the role of museums.This book contains the following chapters -Why Exhibit Works of Art? - Coomaraswamy comments on the nature of museums explaining the importance of exhibiting works of traditional art and contrasting such art with "modern art", relating it to such issues as utility, arts and handicrafts, Platonic philosophy, and the "reign of quantity".The Christian and Oriental, Or True, Philosophy of Art - Coomaraswamy considers the art forms of Christianity and the Orient, relating these to the mystical traditions of Christianity and Hinduism. Coomaraswamy explains the role of "primitive art", revelation, aesthetics, the Middle Ages, and relates these to Christian and Hindu theology and the nature of God.Is Art a Superstition, Or a Way of Life? - Coomaraswamy explains what he means by superstition as something that "stands over" from a previous time. He notes the importance of art and relates this to class system of modern society. He maintains that in his time, the artist is unfree to pursue leisure, and contrasts this to ancient society where art takes on a special purpose. He also comments on the role of factory production, noting how such products differ profoundly from traditional forms of art. He relates these notions to the theories of Marx, noting where the traditional conception differs from both capitalism and Marxian analysis.What Is the Use of Art Anyway? - Coomaraswamy explains what he sees as the use of art, contrasting different notions such as "art for art's sake" or utility and relating them to modern and ancient societies.Beauty and Truth - Coomaraswamy explains the role of beauty and truth in the theories of Augustine and Aquinas and relates this to modern architecture, Dante's Comedy, and the Rig Veda.The Nature of Medieval Art - Coomaraswamy explains the importance of medieval art, relating this to the Philosophia Perennis, and the "Universal and Unanimous Tradition".Traditional Conception of Ideal Portraiture - Coomaraswamy explains the role of "portraiture" relating this to Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Renaissance art.The Nature of "Folklore" and "Traditional Art" - Coomaraswamy explains the role of "folklore" and the notion of the "folk" by examining the ancient Hindu doctrines and Indian society. Coomaraswamy explains the importance of folklore and fairy tales for traditional art. He writes, "What has been preserved in folk and fairytales and in popular peasant art is, then, by no means a body of childish or entertaining fables, or of crude decorative art, but a series of what are really esoteric doctrines and symbols of anything but popular invention."Beauty of Mathematics: A Review - Coomaraswamy reviews the work of mathematician G. H. Hardy noting the role and importance of mathematics and relating the mathematician to the artist in his search for truth. He maintains that the importance of generality and depth (related to difficulty) for the mathematician is also found in art and painting. Both seek out truth.This book provides a fascinating series of lectures on traditional art forms in both the Christian and Oriental traditions. One can see the perennial philosophy reflected in these works of art in terms of symbolism, traditional culture, and arts and handicrafts versus "modern art". Coomaraswamy provides for a fascinating study.

Although now dated, Coomaraswami's ideas on art have particular relevance to post-modern aesthetics, posing a radical alternative to the shift from beauty to sublimity.

This book is certainly a good read in terms of making clear distinctions between the art and the metaphysics of the ancient and Medieval world in contrast to the world views that developed in the Renaissance and beyond. The reader should be aware that the essays do cover similar territory and are somewhat redundant as to insight development, however that being said, the book is overall an important read in order to grasp the vital importance of archaic and Medieval art, as well as the philosophies behind the art.

A master.

Great book. This should be compulsory reading for any ‘artist’. Unfortunately the opposite is taught in art schools.

A very interesting book.