Research Catalog

Title

The psychology of art [by] Lev Semenovich Vygotsky. Introd. by A. N. Leontiev. Commentary by V. V. Ivanov. [Translated from the Russian by Scripta Technica]

Author

Vygotskiĭ, L. S. (Lev Semenovich), 1896-1934

Publication

Cambridge, Mass., M.I.T. Press [1971]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Leontʹev, A. N. (Alekseĭ Nikolaevich)

Description

xi, 305 p.; 24 cm.

Summary

"The Psychology of Art discusses the literary genre in its classical forms - the fable, the epic, the short story, and Shakespearean tragedy. The heightened levels of perception and feeling that are created by great literature and drama are discussed by Vygotsky with clarity and conviction. Many of the appraisals in this work resulted from Vygotsky's reaction to the fallacious "solutions" proposed by the one-sided, traditional views of the literary critics of his time. An entire chapter, "Art as Technique," investigates and expresses his contradistinctive views of the formalistic view of the nature of art. For Vygotsky, form did not and could not exist independently as a valid dimension - form appeared only in relation to the medium or the material it incarnated. Vygotsky's presentation of his thesis in The Psychology of Art is a logical procession of his basic thoughts. In the first chapter, "The Psychological Problem of Art," he clarifies the major pitfall of criticism up to his day, where he points out: "The fundamental error of experimental aesthetics consists in starting from the wrong end, that of aesthetic pleasure and aesthetic appraisal, all the while intentionally ignoring the fact that both pleasure and appraisal may be arbitrary, secondary, or even irrelevant features of aesthetic behavior." From here he goes on to investigate the psychological premises of art. In viewing a work of art as "a combination of aesthetic symbols aimed at arousing emotions in people," Vygotsky proceeds to analyze these symbols and re-create the basic, "impersonal" components that make up the psychology of the work - without specific references to author-creator or reader-subject - examining only the elements of form and material that are combined in the work. For example, in his chapter on Hamlet Vygotsky examines the structure from "subjective" and "objective" viewpoints, presents the problems of "identification" of the hero, and discusses the play in its various levels of consciousness."

Uniform Title

Psikhologii︠a︡ iskusstva. English

Alternative Title

Psikhologii︠a︡ iskusstva.

Subject

• Arts > Psychological aspects
• Psychology
• Art
• Literature

Note

• Translation of: Psikhologii︠a︡ iskusstva.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

On the methodology of the problem -- The psychological problem of art -- Critique -- Art as perception -- Art as technique -- Art and psychoanalysis -- Analysis of the aesthetic reaction -- Analysis of the fable -- The subtle poison, a synthesis -- Bunin's "gentle breath" -- The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark -- The psychology of art -- Art as a catharsis -- The psychology of art -- Art and life -- Commentary by V.V. Ivanov.

ISBN

026222013X

LCCN

^^^74103904^//r853

OCLC

• 156876
• SCSB-14234208

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library