Wind and Riegl: the meaning of a ‘problematical’ grammar

Abstract

This article constitutes a detailed critical reading of Edgar Wind’s early work, focussing, in particular, on his German philosophical writings concerning art, art history and art-historical methodology. Through comparisons with the authors Wind tackled (Alois Riegl, Heinrich Wölfflin, Hans Tietze) and by whom he was influenced (Erwin Panofsky, Alois Riegl), this article shows Wind’s contribution towards a redefinition of art history as an autonomous discipline and his plan of a concrete systematic study of art (konkrete Kunstwissenschaft) confronting the important heritage of the thought of Riegl. By following the path which brought Wind to the definition of a systematically organized table of ‘artistic problems’ – which are fundamental to the art interrogation – supposed to work as a kind of compass for the art historian, this article aims to contribute to the understanding and interpretation of such concepts as ‘style’ and the Riegelian Kunstwollen.