Introduction
History of art and architecture appeared at some point during the history of humanity. The way it was firstly written was standard. As years passed the methodologies started to vary and a theory of methodologies of the history of art and architecture started being developed.
One of these methodologies is anonymous history of art and architecture. This essay will examine this type of methodology. Anonymous history means that there are no names mentioned while referring to the past. Instead of referring to individual people and individual actions it refers to society as a whole. It examines the parameters that can shape architecture and art. An example of these parameters are the available materials, the available tools, the available knowledge, the socioeconomic needs etc. In general anonymous history tries to find the ways of how a specific artistic or architectural form is born.
Another aspect of anonymous history is connected to traditional architecture. The latter is produced by people that do not have an academic training on architecture. They are not mentioned in the history of traditional architecture as units. Usually the traditional architecture of a place bears similarities amongst its buildings and they are considered as a group.
A good source to get familiar with anonymous history is the work of Sigfried Giedion. Also the work of his professor Wolfflin, the work of Alois Riegl and the work of Auguste Comte, that influenced it. Giedion in his texts refers to anonymous history. He analyses it because it’s the methodology that he uses to write his history. Specifically, he points out the technological developments of the 19th and early 20th century more than analyzing the work of individual architects. Although at this point there is a contradiction that can be mentioned. Giedion often praises the work of certain architects of Modern movement and also dedicates a book to Gropius.
Wollflin too developed a methodology of anonymous history of architecture. During his time there were others that took part in a discussion of anonymous history. One of them was Riegl.
In this essay I will examine these first references of a methodology of anonymous history. Riegl and Wolfflin lived during in Europe. They were influenced by the philosophical theory of positivism whose main proponent was Auguste Comte. This essay will refer to Comte and how he influenced Riegl and Wolfflin and it will end by analysing the formthat this type of methodology takes in the work of Giedion.
Concerning Giedion and anonymous architecture this essay will refer to his work about romantic classicism, his work about french mechanical innovations, Space TIme and archtecture, Mechanization takes command and his work The Eternal present.
Lastly the essay will refer to what is happening today concerning the methodologies of architectural history, and will draw a conclusion on this subject.
Where the idea comes from
The methodology of a history without names stems from the positivism that was a philosophical history that was expressed in France mainly by Auguste Comte around the 18th century.
Positivism was a theory according to which human society progresses as time passes by. It is destined to reach at some point an ideal situation. According to Comte’s theory there are three periods in human history. The first is the , the second and the third which is the most progressed. This means that there is no point in referring to specific incidents in history but rather try to identify in which one of these periods we belong to. Seeing society as a whole and not focusing on individuals is what August Comte proposes for history writing.
Comte inspired many academics of the 19thcentury. One of them was Wolfflin. He was a professor at the University of . He wrote about the differences between baroque and renaissance architecture. His aim was to identify the manners by which one style proceeds its latter. By that he wanted to foresee what will happen in the future and towards which forms was it preferable to guide architecture to.
Riegl also mentioned this polarity of the individuality of an artist or an architect and on the other hand the general tendency of an era. He called the will of the individual artist as Kunstwollen.
Giedion ideas and work concerning anonymous history
Giedion used this methodology of anonymous history in order to find the definition of architecture. He wanted to examine architecture in parallel to human society. He considered that progress in sciences and technology influenced architectural forms greatly. The appearance of new materials during the 19th and 20th century like concrete and iron were about to change architecture. He analysed ths changes in his book where he dedicates one chapter for each new material.
In general his work is not typical historical piece on architecture. It does not contain a chronological sequence of events. It contains information about the past but it also contains information about the theory of architecture and about the methodology of history of architecture.
Giedion first work
What is happening today concerning this methodology of anonymous history
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