ABSTRACT
In 1796, there appeared an unusual text that was to set the standards by which the nature of art, of the artist, and of viewing art were delineated for Romanticism. Wilhelm Heinrich Wacken-roder’s Herzensergieffungen eines kunstliebenden Klosterbruders (translated as Confessions from the Heart of an Art-Loving Friar and as Outpourings of an Art-Loving Friar) was edited and published anonymously by Ludwig Tieck, who added the preface and 4 of his own essays to the 13 others by his close friend. It is clear, however, that Wackenroder’s texts form the core of the work. In 1799, Phantasien über die Kunst, für Freunde der Kunst (Fantasies on Art for Friends of Art) appeared, again with Tieck as editor. Here, 9 of the 21 essays are by Wackenroder, the rest by Tieck. There is some controversy as to authorship of a couple of the essays, since Tieck’s own statements are contradictory in a few cases and since he and Wackenroder shared many ideas about art. It is also possible that Tieck, when editing his friend’s essays, made some changes. Most critics have accepted Richard Alewyn’s conclusions as to authorship.
