Art Needs No Justification [Paperback]

H. R. Rookmaaker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1978

Artists often agonize over their work, even to the point of despair, in the modern world. This booklet by one of the twentieth century's most incisive art historians and cultural critics is a prophetic call to artists-craftsmen, musicians, visual artists and others-in all walks of life to "weep, pray, think and work."

Hans R. Rookmaaker (1922-1977), founder of the art history department and professor of the history of art at the Free University of Amsterdam, made a significant contribution to the Christian understanding of art and is well known as the author of Modern Art and the Death of a Culture (1970). The Complete Works of Hans Rookmaaker (6 vols.) was published in 2003.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 61 pages
• Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press (1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877843236
• ISBN-13: 978-0877843238
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,017,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

H. R. ROOKMAAKER (1922-1977) grew up in the Dutch East Indies. As a young man in wartime Holland, he was interned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets and became a Christian during that time. In 1948 a lifelong friendship with Francis Schaeffer began. In 1959 Rookmaaker published his doctoral thesis on the artist Gauguin, and in 1965 he was invited to the Chair of Art History at the Free University of Amsterdam. Rookmaaker was also highly respected as a jazz critic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian View of Art, March 6, 2010

By 

Janice M. Hidey (Sykesville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art Needs No Justification (Paperback)

H. R. Rookmaaker worked with Francis Schaeffer and I loved his book Modern Art and the Death of a Culture. This was a really short book that gives an overall view of the arts from a Christian perspective. He talks about the view of high art, really since the Renaissance, vs. crafts. He has very good insights and gave me things to share with my students as we look at the arts during our study of Western Civilization. Our textbook right now Barzun's Dawn of Decadence does a real good job of sharing the art as he discusses the philosophy, science, etc of each period. Rookmaaker helped to clarify some things for me and is written for the layman.

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the most important & inspiring book on art, October 18, 2011

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Chris - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Art Needs No Justification (Paperback)

Well - my title sums it all up. If you aren't motivated to make art after reading this, then you are either a tough person to inspire or dead. I think this book is the tip of the iceberg, bringing forth tons of ripe ideas like the basic fact that art does not need to fulfill a function - it is - therefore, it is and that's it's function, to be art, a unuseful thing that is filled be beauty and awe and creativity. Simply put - best book I've read on this topic.

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Pondering, October 17, 2011

By 

William J. Veilleux (Berryville, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art Needs No Justification (Paperback)

This is a great companion book to Dr. Rookmacher's other books. Well thought through from a Chriatian world view, but not in any sense judgemental. Easy to follow.