The colonial period of U.S. history contains a variety of interesting lessons. One of these pertains to the concept of a "virtuoso." The virtuoso was primarily characterized by curiosity. Rather than being overly specialized, the virtuoso explored a wide range of interests. The study of nature, art, literature, and theology all would have been pursuits common to this stereotype. This blog aspires to take this early category and use it as a point of departure for exploration and reflection.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Hölderlin's Understanding of Greek Art
In a letter from 1800, Hölderlin writes that the sole aim of ancient poetry was, "to bring the gods and humans closer together. Tragedy shows this per contrarium. God and man appear one, upon which a fate [ein Schicksal, sc. comes], which arouses all the humanity and pride of man, and the end leaves behind, on one hand, respect for the heavenly ones and, on the other, a purified mind as the property of man. (E&L 184; SWB 3, 412)" ~Billings, 149.
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