Transnational concepts of the subjective eye - from Munich to Manchester and Manhattan. Exploring the role of German philosophical thought in shaping

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Transnational concepts of the subjective eye - from Munich to Manchester and Manhattan. Exploring the role of German philosophical thought in shaping Victorian gallery display and art education.The founding of new public art institutions, with their core educational purpose and the establishment of the first state system of art education occurred in the context of radical debates, which often centred around German ideas. Thesefocused on the purpose and definition of art, on aesthetics and on the role of art in society. My intention is to trace the impact of this transnational dialogue, through a series of specific case studies, from Berlin and Munich to Manchester and then onwards to Philadelphia and New York. While my project focuses mainly on the experimental uses and transformation of German theories in Manchester, I will also consider the reshaping of ideas carried with the flow of people and goods along trade routes, across the Atlantic, to American cities and back again. This study will allow me to document previously unexplored interconnections, which were fundamental to the shaping of British arts institutions, and to investigate the origins of some of the intellectual debates which continue to surround approaches to contemporary arts education.Chapter 1This chapter will explore relevant wider networks of influence and routes of information transfer. The particular social and cultural context of Manchester as a point of transit between Germany and America will be examined and German linksand influences identified.Chapter 2: Schools of ArtExamining the practices of the Manchester School of Art and the disputed curriculum for the new Schools of Art. Discussion will focus on debates around the purpose and definition of art, applied art versus fine art, and the impact of this on gallery display and educational initiatives both in Manchester and in emerging American institutions.Chapter 3: Manchester Town Hall - painting and sculpture The murals by Ford Maddox Brown (1877), influenced by the philosophies of the German artists known as the Nazarenes, and the building's sculpture series will be the starting point for a broader discussion of aesthetics. This will addressdebates around content over form, disputes over classical versus "modern" aesthetics and how these ideas migrated and were reshaped from Germany to Britain and America.Chapter 4: The Albert MemorialThe Albert Memorial in Manchester was installed some 7 years before the London monument, in 186. Its form, content and the debates surrounding its installation will provide a focus for discussion of contemporary ideas of the role of artin society.Chapter 5: Conclusion