Ragnar Josephson, the Museum of Sketches and The Birth of the Work of Art

In the project Ragnar Josephson, the Museum of Sketches and The Birth of the Work of Art the role of creativity research within the discourse of art history and museology is investigated. The projects point of departure is Ragnar Josephson’s research and the creation of the Museum of Sketches in the 1930- and 40-ies. A preliminary archive study and first article will be done during 2013 and -14.

All history writing describing artistic development can be said is implicitly based on conceptions of creativity. Since the late 18th century, sketches have been considered as especially revealing the artist´s creative process and closely connected to conceptions of the genius artist. As the sketch has been upgraded in the art field the creative individuality has been emphasized in art history. Conceptions of the creative genius have consequently become an integrated part of art history. Despite this, art historians have overall been suspicious of explicit theories of creativity. One exception is Ragnar Josephson who started an archive in 1934, which resulted in the Museum of Sketches and the book The Birth of the Work of Art (1940). The purpose of the project is to investigate the role of sketches as indicator of creativity within art history and museology, with Josephson’s research and the Museum of Sketches as example. The project is based on the hypothesis that the formation of the archive had a central roll in the development of Josephson’s theory and method, and that the museum can be seen as its institutionalized form. Josephson’s theoretical framework and development of his theory on creativity will consequently be analyzed in direct connection to the formation of the archive and the museum, with its display of series of sketches. The project will combine discursive and material inquiry based on a critical historiographical approach and media archaeology.