Da ascese na arte

Abstract

The present work aims to identify the main features of the aesthetic thought of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. This identification was drawn from the analysis of the Apology to William Abbot, in order to situate his thinking chronologically, identifying the respective theoretical and philosophical principles, and see if they have points of contact with the austerity in artistic thought and practice. Secondly, we try to detect the resonance of these principles in the achievement of a specific work: The Stations of the Cross: Lema sabachthani, by Barnett Newman. The analysis of this concretion evaluates the work beyond the strict observance of each of the assumptions identified above, allowing for a deeper understanding of issues relating to asceticism in art. Finally, we consider the same concepts in the development and implementation of a plastic intervention for the Santa Maria de Alcobaça Monastery. The proposal for Alcobaça is designed in a way not to alter or perpetuate any image in the Monastery, thus meeting the aesthetic despoliation advocated by St. Bernard and suggested by the aforementioned work of Barnett Newman