title: Angelic Dynamism: Humanity in Paul Klee’s Drawing Series of 1939–1940
metadata.name: dc.contributor.author
metadata.value: Purgin, Sergey P.
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.date.accessioned
metadata.value: 2021-10-12T13:12:54Z
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.date.available
metadata.value: 2021-10-12T13:12:54Z
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.date.issued
metadata.value: 2021-09
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.identifier.citation
metadata.value: Purgin, Sergey. “Angelic Dynamism: Humanity in Paul Klee’s Drawing Series of 1939–1940”. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Arts 11, no. 3 (2021): 512–531.
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.identifier.other
metadata.value: https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu15.2021.308
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.identifier.uri
metadata.value: http://hdl.handle.net/11701/33284
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.description.abstract
metadata.value: Since Walter Benjamin in “The Theses on the Philosophy of History” showcased Paul Klee’s
  angels, they remain mysterious figures that represent time, history or soul. The article focuses
  on the series of drawings that were created in the artist’s later period (1939−1940). The series
  can be regarded as the artist’s final will and testament as it expresses Klee’s condensed philosophy
  and mature views on man’s place in the universe. It also reflects the master’s cherished
  artistic methods and techniques, consistently honed in on during the course of his life. The
  author studies the relations within the series and the series relation to other artworks by Klee.
  It is demonstrated that it is humankind that is the main theme of the series. By contrasting human
  and angelic forms in his drawings Klee reinvigorates the European tradition of defining
  humanity through its relation to angelic orders and through its position on the hierarchy of
  creation. However, Klee strives to re-imagine the universe as a whole, for him it is not the ladder
  of perfections, which rises to angels and God. Therefore, the relations between human and
  angelic creatures are intimately familial rather than hierarchical. The author highlights that
  the artistic style and techniques emphasize visual dynamic and form creation (“formation”).
  In depicting angels, the artist brings forth his concern with temporal dimension of human
  nature and its significance in human life. Thus, in this dynamic interrelation, human beings
  become “angelic grotesque” with their own ontic temporality. This temporality specific to human
  creatures is defined as the “moment that transcends itself ” — since the latter is essentially
  “ecstatic” and “self-propelling”.
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.description.sponsorship
metadata.value: This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF grant no. 19-18-00342).
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.language.iso
metadata.value: ru
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.publisher
metadata.value: St Petersburg State University
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.relation.ispartofseries
metadata.value: Vestnik of St Petersburg University. Arts;Volume 11; Issue 3
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: Klee
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: angel
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: human being
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: order of creation
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: dynamism
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: time
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: grotesque
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: moment
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.title
metadata.value: Angelic Dynamism: Humanity in Paul Klee’s Drawing Series of 1939–1940
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.type
metadata.value: Article
metadata.lang: en_GB
resources.filename: 512-531.pdf
resources.url: https://dspace.spbu.ru/bitstream/11701/33284/1/512-531.pdf
resources.format: Adobe PDF
resources.size: 2,37 MB