Metaphysics of light in Schelling, the foundation of plastic arts

Abstract

Metaphysics of light is a branch of philosophy little known outside of German culture. In this paper, I will begin by presenting the genealogy of this discipline, dealing with some of its most important milestones: Homer, Parmenides, Plato and Plotinus. Then, I will address Schelling’s work, who in the middle of Romanticism turned the metaphysics of light into the foundation of creativity, especially in plastic arts. Finally, I will illustrate this thesis with two examples of artists who have applied these ideas to their works: Philipp Otto Runge, and Bernardí Martorell i Puig. In this way, the legacy of Schelling reveals to be more extensive than previously thought.

Keywords: metaphysics of light, genealogy, Schelling, plastic arts, Runge, Martorell i Puig