Qiongyue Zhang1,*, Ying Shen2
1College of Mechanical and Material Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, China.
2College of Architecture and Art, North China University of Technology, Beijing, China.
*Corresponding author: Qiongyue Zhang
Abstract
Pevsner's approach to historicism has been a subject of controversy for generations, as he favored an innovative interpretation of 'historicism' while opposing a straightforward restoration of historical styles. This paper firstly discusses Pevsner's historicism. Pevsner predicted future design trends, such as rationalism, functionalism, and pragmatism, by studying past design history. He adhered closely to these trends but faced criticism, with the reasons for these criticisms gradually emerging in discussions. The first issue is his paranoia regarding the spirit of the times. This leads to the notion that in his historicism, "characters" and multiple styles are no longer important. Instead, only the "spirit of the times" is considered crucial for the historical existence of all types of design and its continuous progress. The second issue is his heroism, where the selection of specific historical figures is deemed unimportant. Secondly, in his heroism, his selection of some historical figures is biased. His paranoia about the spirit of the times and his insistence on heroism are what bind him. Pevsner, as a pioneer in the study of modern design history, is irreplaceable in his influence on the field and remains a foundational figure in modern design historiography.
References
David Watkin. A Study of Nikolai Pevsner's "Historicism". World Art, No. 03, pp. 46-50, 1993.
He Zhaowu. Review of Popper's The Poverty of Historicism. Social Science Front, No. 04, pp. 213-220, 2019.
Nicholas Pevsner. Outline of European architecture (translated by Yin Lingyun and Zhang Yujie). Shandong. Shandong Pictorial Publishing House, 2018.
Nicholas Pevsner. Pioneers of Modern Design—From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Translated by Wang Shenhu and Wang Xiaojing). Beijing: China Architecture Press, 2020.
Nikolaus Pevsner, review of O. Stonorov & W. Boesiger, (eds.). Le Corbusier und Jeanneret, Pierre. Ihr gesamtes Werk von 1910 bis 1929, Dr. H. Girsberger & Cie., Zurich, 1930, Göttingische Gelehrte Anzeigen, vol. 193, pp. 306-307, 1931.
Nikolaus Pevsner. An Outline of European Architecture. London: Penguin Group, 1990.
Nikolaus Pevsner. An Outline of European Architecture. 1st ed. London: Penguin Group, 1943.
Paul Crossley. "Giants of Contradiction"—The Life and Scholarship of Art Historian Pevsner. World Art, No, 01, pp. 82-89, 2019.
Qiu Boshun. Pevsner's Outline of the History of European Architecture—a practice of architectural historiographical progression of Hegel's system of thought. New History, No. 03, pp. 185-205, 2022.
Reyner Banham. Pevsner’s Progress. Times Literature Supplement, February 17, 1978:191.
Wang Fatang,Wang Shuai. Integration in Confrontation—Design History Research of Pevsner and Forty. Architecture & Culture, No. 07, pp. 96-97, 2020.
Xu Chenxi. A Study of Pevsner's Thought on the History of Design. Nanjing University of the Arts, 2014.
Yan Pin. A study of the thought of Nicholas Pevsner. Shanghai Normal University, 2021.
Zhou Xian. The Bauhaus as Another Side of Modernism. Academic Research, No. 06, pp 141-147, 2018.
How to cite this paper
Heroes Make History—Reviews Pevsner's View of History and Its Shaping of Art History
How to cite this paper: Qiongyue Zhang, Ying Shen. (2024) Heroes Make History—Reviews Pevsner's View of History and Its Shaping of Art History. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 8(3), 763-766.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.03.038