Margaret Rose, a specialist in Heine and German literature in general, has written this work as a simple but effective overview of Marx' views on art and the reception of these views in the (early) Soviet Union.
She discusses Marx' artistic taste and his struggle against the German art school known as the Nazarenes, who were reactionary romantics pining for the idylle of the Middle Ages, which was heavily supported both politically and financially by the Prussian Kings. Heinrich Heine loathed this group and satirized them often, and Bauer and Feuerbach also wrote against them, which influenced the young Marx into making his few theoretical statements on art in opposition to this starry-eyed romanticism. Rose also considers Marx' cryptic comment on Greek art being the youth of mankind, and thereby being attractive to us still, and on the possible interpretations of Marx' view of art in the context of the general development of a society, historically.
Rose makes much use of Saint-Simon's conception of art as an avant-garde, paving the way together with scientists and engineers to create the new world, to contrast it with reflectionist theories of art. The early Soviet art movements such as Constructivism are seen as supporters of a Marxist art view based on the prior idea, whereas Socialist Realism is a clear enforcement of the latter view on art theory. Margaret Rose then concludes that the claims of Socialist Realism to Marx' support are probably not tenable; however, we know too little about what Marx (and Engels for that matter) thought of art theory to be able to produce an alternative view, so the Saint-Simonian seems the most applicable for the time being.
This book is clear and interesting reading for the art theory layman. It comes with many pictures of art works discussed, but unfortunately (possibly because this is a reprint edition) their quality is rather low. It may be useful to look up the art works on the internet or in a book of art instead to get a better view. This book is short and narrow in its subject, but it covers it well and is interesting at all levels of art knowledge.
