ABSTRACT

Conrad Fiedler (1841–1895) was born into a wealthy family. He studied law and practiced for a while. He began traveling (France, England, and the Mediterranean) and became interested in literature and music. In the winter of 1866/67, he met the painter Hans von Marées and with this friendship, in which other artists would eventually join, began his work in artistic theory. He wrote his most important works between 1870 and 1890. He was instrumental in identifying the human mental and intellectual abilities necessary for a viewer to make decisions about forms and their meaning. Most of his publications focused on artistic activity, artistic quality, and artistic judgment.