20th Century Aesthetics in Poland. Masters and Their Followers

Aesthetics understood as the philosophy of the fine arts has always been an object of lively interest in Poland. It is Józef Kremer (1802-1875, a specialist in Hegel s philosophy, a professor at the Jagiellonian University and the Cracovian School of Fine Arts) who is recognized as the first Polish academic aesthetician. His works Podróż do Włoch [A Journey to Italy] and Listy z Krakowa [Letters from Cracow] dealt with problems from the area of art and aesthetics and - like his lectures on the history of art - earned him the highest praise. Despite his clearly Hegelian background, he did not accept the theory about art being inferior to philosophy. Neither did he approve of the thesis about the end of art. In accord with the spirit of Romanticism he supported the cult of art and praised creative fantasy. He was the first to discuss systematic aesthetics and, simultaneously, his thrilling descriptions of pieces of art and aesthetic experiences presented in literary form in his A Journey to Italy influenced the aesthetic tastes of his contemporaries. Apart from Kremer, his friend Karol Libelt - a philosopher, aesthetician and a specialist in Hegelian philosophy as well - defended the autonomy of art, which was supposed to serve beauty only. The representatives of Polish aesthetics of Romanticism also included Bronisław Trentowski and August Cieszkowski.