Why Nietzsche’s Philosophy Was So Important to Artists
A call to creativity from a controversial thinker
When Edvard Munch painted his homage to the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, he brought into play many of his favourite motifs: a dreamlike sky, a strong diagonal line dividing the canvas in two, and a brooding figure looking out over a swirling landscape below.
It’s not surprising to find that Munch chose to apply his most idiosyncratic techniques to this personal portrait, since it was Nietzsche’s philosophy that helped to reinforce the artist’s instinct for self-expression.
And it wasn’t just Munch for whom Nietzsche was an important influence. Other artists, like the painter Leon Spilliaert, the sculptor Max Klinger, and the artist Salvador Dali, responded directly to the work of the notorious German philosopher.
A major reason why countless others found inspiration and stimulus in his ideas, is because of his view of art as the highest expression of a noble existence.
By contrast, most of society led a compromised form of life, characterised as moral obedience and a convergence of societal norms. Artists were different. For Nietzsche, artists were uniquely placed to break with convention and assert their own ethical and aesthetic values.
