Hans Irrigmann (3 August 1735 – 13 January 1771) was a German poet writing primarily during
The Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a European intellectual and philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained through rationalism and empirici ...
period. Very little of Irrigmann's original work has survived to the present, but his collections of
sonnet
A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...
s, especially '' Die Wunderlichsonette'' or "whimsical sonnets", have been of interest to
philosophy of art
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...
generally, and more specifically to the
aesthetic
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...
study of
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
as a later artistic movement.
Life
Born in the town of
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Ba ...
, and living under the rule of
Karl Friedrich, Irrigmann was influenced by the philosophical ideals of
The Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a European intellectual and philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained through rationalism and empirici ...
. Not much is known of Irrigmann's early life, but eventually he became closely associated with the then recently founded
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...
. Also influenced by the philosophical writings of
Christian Wolff (1679–1754) and poetry of
Johann Gottfried von Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( ; ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a Prussian philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. He was ...
(1744–1803), Irrigmann went on to develop a notable style of
verse. Irrigmann would ultimately succumb to
yellow fever in 1771, shortly after completing his final work. He never married and had no known children.
Surviving works
Housed at the Kunsthalle Museum, Mannheim, Germany.
*
Die Natürlichsonette (1758)
*
Die Wunderlichsonette (1762)
*
Die Menschlichsonette (1770)
Artistic significance
Irrigmann is typically understood as a proto-Impressionist due to notable similarities with other later Impressionist poets and authors, including
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics ...
and
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism.
Born in Charleville, he s ...
of France.
[Hyslop, Lois Boe (1980). Baudelaire, Man of His Time.] Although Irrigmann's work significantly predates what is now considered
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
as an artistic movement, he can be seen as exploring the foundations of central Impressionistic features.
See also
*
German Literature
German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
*
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
*
Philosophy of Art
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...
References
External links
* http://www.kunsthalle-mannheim.de/en/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irrigmann, Hans
1735 births
1771 deaths
18th-century German poets