Bergson in Britain: Philosophy and Modernist Painting, c. 1890-1914

Charlotte de Mille's book explores the impact of Henri Bergson's philosophy on British artists and critics in the UK, revealing a wider and more significant reception than previously thought. Based on archival material and primary sources, it demonstrates the artists' direct engagement with Bergson's concepts of duration, intuition, creativity, and the image. The book changes art history's standard readings of these artists and explores Bergson's relevance to key problematics for Art History, such as temporality, intuition, subjectivity, representation, and the image.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Charlotte de Mille's groundbreaking work, "Henri Bergson and British Modernism," reveals the central role of Bergson for modernist art and intellectual history in the UK. Through extensive research in archival material in Paris and the US, as well as primary sources in the UK (Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, and Strathclyde), and the US (Universities of Cornell and Texas at Austin), de Mille sheds new light on British artists' direct engagement with Bergson. This study challenges the traditional understanding of these artists as isolated figures and demonstrates their knowledge of and profound influence by Bergson's philosophy. By examining concepts such as duration, intuition, creativity, the image, and perception as they were formulated by Bergson and understood by his contemporaries, de Mille offers a fresh perspective on these artists and their contributions to art history. One of the key findings of the book is that the reception of Bergson's philosophy by British artists and critics was far more widespread and significant in the UK than previously thought. De Mille highlights the influence of Bergson's ideas on artists such as Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, John Duncan Fergusson, and artist-writers Roger Fry and Wyndham Lewis, who incorporated his concepts into their work. The book also explores the broader cultural context in which Bergson's philosophy flourished in the UK, particularly in the years immediately prior to World War One. De Mille's interdisciplinary approach integrates philosophy, art criticism, and cultural history, providing a rich and nuanced understanding of the relationship between Bergson and British modernism.

In addition to providing new evidence of British artists' engagement with Bergson, de Mille's work opens up new avenues of research and interpretation for these artists. By examining the marginalia in Bergson's editions of his texts at The University of Texas at Austin, as well as the primary sources in the UK and the US, de Mille sheds light on the ways in which these artists interpreted and applied Bergson's ideas to their own work. For example, she demonstrates how Bell's paintings, which often featured abstracted landscapes and intuitively rendered forms, reflect her understanding of Bergson's concept of duration, which emphasizes the flow of time and the interconnectedness of all things. De Mille also explores how Grant's use of color and pattern in his paintings reflects his interpretation of Bergson's notion of intuition, which emphasizes the role of the unconscious in shaping our perception and understanding of the world.

Furthermore, de Mille's work challenges the standard readings of these artists as solely influenced by Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. By demonstrating their knowledge of and engagement with Bergson, de Mille reveals the broader philosophical and intellectual influences that shaped their work. For instance, she shows how Fergusson's landscapes, which often feature abstracted forms and a sense of the sublime, reflect his understanding of Bergson's concept of creativity, which emphasizes the role of imagination and the unconscious in shaping our perception and understanding of the world.

In conclusion, "Henri Bergson and British Modernism" by Charlotte de Mille is a groundbreaking work that changes the art history's standard readings of these artists. Through her extensive research and interdisciplinary approach, de Mille demonstrates the profound impact of Bergson's work in UK culture immediately prior to World War One. By providing new evidence of British artists' direct engagement with Bergson and exploring the concepts of duration, intuition, creativity, the image, and perception as they were formulated by Bergson and understood by his contemporaries, de Mille offers a fresh perspective on these artists and their contributions to art history. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of art history, philosophy, and cultural studies, as well as anyone who is interested in the relationship between philosophy and art.

Weight: 1212g
Dimension: 218 x 221 x 43 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474492386