Ivan Gerat Lecture, "Marxist Iconology and Social Art History in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War"

Several scholars living in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War attempted to establish so-called “Marxist iconology.” What could they achieve in an environment ruled by ideological constructs of Marxism-Leninism? Was the “Marxism” of iconologists in Czechoslovakia real intellectual endeavor, or was it only a somewhat clumsy (possibly intentionally clumsy) answer to what was asked by the programmatic documents of “socialist art history,” formulated in 1951? How did they understand the word “iconology”? What did this word connote and what role did it play in the choice of topics, methodology and argumentation strategies in their research? Was there a clear demarcation line between the ideas belonging to a genuine social history of art and the opportunist acceptance of certain Marxist-Leninist doctrines motivated by pragmatic calculations beyond academic interest in the subject of investigation? In the introductory part of the lecture, these questions will be opened on a general level. Thereafter, an attempt will be made to answer them in relation to concrete persons and their works. The interpretation of "Dürer´s Apocalypse" by Rudolf Chadraba will be shown in context of his and contemporary criticism of the Roman Catholic Church. The reconstruction of ancient myths in medieval artworks, as performed by Karel Stejskal, will be contextualized in the framework of traditional iconology as well as in its relation to the Leninist theory of culture.