Kitsch
A term for art seen as imitative, sentimental, or of banal taste.
Kitsch is a term applied to art and design perceived as naïve imitation, overly eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. Originating in the art markets of Munich in the 1860s and 1870s, it described cheap, popular, and marketable pictures. The concept has been central to debates about taste, mass production, and the boundaries between high and low art.
- origin
- Munich, Germany, 1860s–1870s
- field
- Art theory, aesthetics, cultural criticism
- key_associated_scholars
- Hans Reimann, Walter Benjamin, Hermann Broch, Milan Kundera, Celeste Olalquiaga
- related_concepts
- Camp, Pop Art, totalitarian kitsch, melancholic kitsch, nostalgic kitsch
Lore & Background
As a descriptive term, kitsch originated in the art markets of Munich, Germany in the 1860s and the 1870s, describing cheap, popular, and marketable pictures and sketches. The study of kitsch was done almost exclusively in Germany until the 1970s, with Walter Benjamin being an important scholar in the field. Kitsch is regarded as a modern phenomenon, coinciding with social changes such as the Industrial Revolution, urbanization, mass production, modern materials and media, the rise of the middle class and public education.
Reader's Guide
Kitsch has been a contested term in art theory and aesthetics. Modernist writer Hermann Broch argued that the essence of kitsch is imitation: it mimics its immediate predecessor with no regard to ethics, aiming to copy the beautiful, not the good. Walter Benjamin saw kitsch as a utilitarian object lacking critical distance, offering instantaneous emotional gratification without intellectual effort. Tomáš Kulka proposed three essential conditions: it depicts a beautiful or highly emotionally charged subject; the subject is instantly identifiable; and it does not substantially enrich associations. Milan Kundera, in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, defined kitsch as an 'aesthetic ideal' that excludes everything unacceptable in human existence, linking it to totalitarian politics. Celeste Olalquiaga distinguished 'melancholic kitsch' from 'nostalgic kitsch', arguing that melancholic kitsch functions as a Benjaminian dialectical image, a ruin reflecting utopian possibilities. Since the emergence of Pop Art in the 1950s, kitsch has taken on newfound highbrow appeal, often used in knowingly ironic, humorous, or earnest manners. The term remains often pejorative, though not exclusively.
Did You Know?
- The term kitsch originated in the art markets of Munich, Germany in the 1860s and 1870s.
- Walter Benjamin described an artist who engages in kitschy reproductions as a 'furnished man'.
- Milan Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being defines kitsch as an 'aesthetic ideal' that excludes everything unacceptable in human existence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kitsch in painting and visual arts?
Kitsch is a label applied to artwork or design that viewers perceive as a shallow imitation, excessively sentimental, or of mediocre taste. It typically describes pieces that chase mass appeal and commercial success rather than genuine artistic depth.
Where did the term "Kitsch" come from?
The word surfaced in the art markets of Munich, Germany, during the 1860s and 1870s. It was originally used to tag inexpensive, widely distributed pictures made for the general public rather than for discerning collectors.
Which thinkers are most closely tied to the concept of Kitsch?
Walter Benjamin, Milan Kundera, and Celeste Olalquiaga have each examined the idea through the lenses of mass culture, totalitarian aesthetics, and consumer desire. Hans Reimann and Hermann Broch also offered influential critical perspectives on the phenomenon.
How does Kitsch relate to Camp, Pop Art, or other art movements?
Kitsch overlaps with Camp and Pop Art in probing the boundary between "high" and "low" culture, though it usually carries a more dismissive tone. Related subtypes include nostalgic kitsch, melancholic kitsch, and what critics call totalitarian kitsch.
Why does Kitsch still matter in art criticism?
The concept remains a central reference point in ongoing debates about taste, mass production, and where to draw the line between popular and refined art. It pushes both viewers and critics to examine their own assumptions about what qualifies as "real" art versus mere decoration.
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