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Georg Simmel: Rembrandt: An Essay in the Philosophy of Art, edited by Alan Scott and Helmut Staubman. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005. 176 pp. $29-95 paper. ISBN: 041592670X.
The English translation of Simmel's Rembrandt is undoubtedly a major event for the Anglophone sociological community. Despite the relatively selective interest in Simmel's work as a whole, in the sense that it is rather difficult to mention a "Simmelian school of thought," many contemporary thinkers unveil the importance of this prolific writer during the last four decades. Simmel blurs the boundaries between sociology and philosophy, since the claim for totality and special emphasis on individuality led him to be eclectic in both his intellectual choices and theoretical insights.
The book is divided into three main sections, all tightly organized around the development of a theory of life and a theory of art. The first chapter, "The Expression of Inner Life," examines the (interwoven) concepts of totality and individuality, drawing material examples from Rembrandt's portraits and drawings. The second, "Individualization and the General," situates the notions of death, character, beauty (as a symbol) and the principles of art and life within the framework of the European artistic tradition, emphasizing Rembrandt's achievements. The third chapter,...