Oil on board
1907
Catalogue raisonné 140
Belmont Music Publishers, Pacific Palisades/CA
“A painter (Prof. Ernst Vollbehr – shouldn’t that be “Vollbart” [full beard]) answered a journalist (Josef M. Jurinek), who wrote this:
‘Painting in an aeroplane is new territory for the palette, new territory for the sphere of fine art as a whole.’ This means that it must be new territory for sculpture in particular. I cannot imagine which impression it makes on a palette, looking down from above on this new territory, because a palette usually looks upwards, but all the same, the fact that it is new territory (!) for this sphere must mean that it will definitely make such an impression on it that it will personally endeavour to obtain its personification and will find its fulfilment in the identification with painting. The chisel gets less than its fair share with these artists, though, but this is recompensed by the fact that those who chisel how this man writes use it in their mouth rather than in their hand: so at least this means that the worst is avoided.
Paint, artist, do not speak! – But this man mainly paints while he speaks (e. g.: incorrect constructions, incorrect phrases); but as he is not a talent, nor is he talented, he does not do this silently.
– – – that an intoxication of color opens up above the clouds which embodies overwhelming beauty. !!!!!!!! he says further below.
It appears to be the journalist after all, because his own declarations follow, which he describes in his own words:
‘– – – and must declare that a blaze of color fills (!) the canvas but not in a wild turmoil, rather it seems – – – as if a constant stream of new symphonies of color (!) are blazing towards you.’
Who do the blazing symphonies of colors blaze towards? – Dreadful!
What does the beauty of color do? It embodies!!
Who or what does the intoxication of color embody? Overwhelming beauty. (In other words, it cannot be seen, but at best perceived.)
Where does the beauty of color embody? Where else than ‘within itself’!
It’s a tough one, this beauty of color!”
Arnold Schönberg: New Territory for the Palette. How the Germans Deal With Their Language, 1923
Response to: Josef M. Jurinek: Der Maler über den Wolken, in: Neues Wiener Journal (May 25, 1923), p. 4, 5