Of Art Old and New

AbstractWritten by the Czech sculpture Otto Gutfreund in 1913–14, this text offers Gutfreund’s ideas on modern sculpture in the form of a series of notes. Gutfreund values the art of the past, and stresses artistic subjectivity and the importance of the human figure as a subject in sculpture. His reflections touch on many areas and periods ranging from “oriental” art to the sculptural work of Donatello, Bourdelle and Picasso. His reflections are informed by the theoretical writings of Wilhelm Worringer on Gothic art and Theodor Lipps on aesthetics.