A Gesamtkunstwerk (pronounced "gə-zamt-koonst-virk") is a type of artwork that uses many different kinds of art, such as music, dance, and visual art, or tries to use them all. The word comes from German and is now used in English to describe a special idea in the study of art.

Background

The term was created by the German writer and philosopher K. F. E. Trahndorff in his 1827 essay Ästhetik oder Lehre von Weltanschauung und Kunst (or Aesthetics, or Doctrine of Worldview and Art). The German opera composer Richard Wagner used the term in two essays from 1849, and the word became closely connected to his artistic beliefs. It is not known if Wagner was aware of Trahndorff’s earlier work.

In mid-19th century France, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc supported the idea of combining major arts, such as architecture, with minor arts, like decorative arts, into un art total (a total art). His ideas opposed the views of the Beaux Arts movement in Paris, which rejected his proposed changes to art education. Although his ideas had limited success in France, they spread across Europe through his writings and teachings, especially the drawings in his book Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle. This book influenced many artists and architects worldwide. John Ruskin used it to teach his Arts and Crafts students, including William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, Christina Rossetti, and Philip Webb. His broader ideas also shaped the Art Nouveau movement in Europe and later modernist styles. Examples of the total art approach include the Tassel House (1892–1893) in Brussels, designed by Victor Horta, and the Villa Cavrois (1929–1932) in Croix, France, designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens.

In the 20th century, some writers used the term to describe certain types of architecture, while others applied it to film and mass media.

In opera

At the end of the 18th century, some parts of opera began to move toward a more 'classical' style. After opera seria and the da capo aria dominated for a long time, a movement started to give more importance to the librettist and composer compared to the singers. This movement focused on making the drama more intense and less focused on moral lessons. This movement, called 'reform opera,' is mainly linked to Christoph Willibald Gluck and Ranieri de' Calzabigi. The themes in Gluck's operas with Calzabigi continued in the works of Carl Maria von Weber, until Richard Wagner rejected both the Italian bel canto tradition and the French 'spectacle opera.' Wagner instead combined music, drama, theatrical effects, and sometimes dance in his operas.

These trends happened by chance, not because of a specific idea about art. Wagner, who admired Gluck's reforms and Weber's work, wanted to connect his ideas to his strong social and political views from the late 1840s. Before Wagner, others, such as German Romantics like Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Ludwig Tieck, and Novalis, had written about combining different arts. Carl Maria von Weber praised E.T.A. Hoffmann's opera Undine (1816) as a complete artwork where different art forms blend together to create something new.

Wagner used the term Gesamtkunstwerk (which he spelled 'Gesammtkunstwerk') only twice, in his 1849 essays Art and Revolution and The Artwork of the Future. In these essays, he described his idea of uniting all art forms through the theatre. He also used phrases like 'the consummate artwork of the future' and 'the integrated drama,' and often referred to 'Gesamtkunst.' He believed such a work would best express folk legends.

Wagner thought the Greek tragedies of Aeschylus were the best (though still imperfect) examples of combining all arts. He believed Euripides later ruined this unity. Wagner felt that over time, the arts had become separate, leading to problems like Grand Opera, which he criticized for focusing on showy singing, dramatic stage effects, and weak stories. In Art and Revolution, he used Gesamtkunstwerk to describe Greek tragedy. In The Art-Work of the Future, he applied it to his own, still-unrealized vision.

In his book Opera and Drama (finished in 1851), Wagner explained his idea of combining opera and drama (later called music drama, though he disliked the term). He believed all arts should work together toward a shared goal.

Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, especially Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, came closest to achieving his ideals. After this, Wagner became more traditional in his operatic style.

In architecture

Some architectural writers use the term Gesamtkunstwerk to describe situations where an architect is in charge of designing or managing every part of a building. This includes the structure itself, the inside details, furniture, and even the surrounding landscape. It is hard to say exactly when the term Gesamtkunstwerk was first used to describe a building and its contents, though the term itself was not used in this way until the late 20th century. However, during the Renaissance, artists like Michelangelo did not see clear differences between their roles in architecture, interior design, sculpture, painting, and engineering.

Historian Robert L. Delevoy argued that Art Nouveau reflected a decorative style that fit the idea of Gesamtkunstwerk. It is also possible that this concept developed from social ideas that came from fears about the rise of industrialization.

Evidence of complete interiors that match the Gesamtkunstwerk idea can be found before the 1890s. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many architects tried to control every part of a building project. This included not only the structure but also the design of furniture, carpets, wallpaper, fabrics, light fixtures, and even door handles. Architects like Robert Adam and Augustus Welby Pugin worked to create a unified look, sometimes even choosing designs for tableware, china, and glassware.

William Morris (1834–1896) was a British designer, writer, and activist who was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. He was influenced by John Ruskin, who believed that industrialization harmed the quality of handmade goods. Morris believed that a home should promote harmony and inspire creativity in its residents. His famous quote, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful," shows his belief in Gesamtkunstwerk.

Morris and Philip Webb designed the Red House in 1859, which is a key example of this idea. Another example is the Blackwell House in the English Lake District, designed by Baillie Scott between 1898 and 1900. This house was built as a holiday home for Sir Edward Holt, a wealthy businessman from Manchester. It is located near Bowness-on-Windermere, with views of Windermere and the Coniston Fells.

Art Nouveau artists and architects often used the Gesamtkunstwerk concept. Examples include Victor Horta and Henry Van de Velde from Belgium, Antoni Gaudí from Catalonia, Hector Guimard from France, Charles Rennie Mackintosh from Scotland, Josef Hoffmann from Austria, Franz Schechtel from Russia-Germany, and Eliel Saarinen from Finland. These architects also designed furniture and interiors.

Many Art Nouveau masterpieces were created through teamwork between artists in different fields. Examples include:

• Villa Majorelle (1901–1902) in Nancy, France: Designed by architect Henri Sauvage, furniture designer Louis Majorelle, ceramist Alexandre Bigot, and stained glass artist Jacques Grüber.
• The Municipal House (1904–1912) in Prague, Czech Republic: Designed by Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek, painted by Alphonse Mucha, and featuring sculptures by Josef Mařatka and Ladislav Šaloun.
• Gresham Palace (1904–1906) in Budapest, Hungary: Created by architects Zsigmond Quittner and Jozsef Vago, with sculptures by Géza Maróti, Miklós Ligeti, and Ede Telcs, stained glass by Miksa Róth, and metalwork by Gyula Jungfer.
• Works of Victor Horta: Hôtel Tassel, Hôtel Solvay, and Hôtel van Eetvelde, designed with stained glass artist Raphaël Évaldre. Maison and Atelier Horta was created with sculptor Pieter Braecke.
• Works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner: Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, with contributions from sculptors Pablo Gargallo and Eusebi Arnau, mosaic artist Mario Maragliano, and others.
• Works of Antoni Gaudí: Park Güell, Palau Güell, Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Casa Milá, and Casa Vicens in Barcelona, as well as Colònia Güell in Santa Coloma de Cervelló. These projects involved artists like Mario Maragliano, Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, Joan Rubió, and Josep Maria Jujol.
• Stoclet Palace in Brussels: Designed by Josef Hoffmann, with contributions from painters Gustav Klimt and Fernand Khnopff, sculptor Franz Metzner, and mosaic artist Leopold Forstner.
• Museum Villa Stuck: Created by Franz von Stuck, combining architecture, art, music, and life.
• Bruno Weber Park in Switzerland: A later example of Gesamtkunstwerk inspired by Art Nouveau.
• Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna: Designed by Otto Wagner, with mosaics and stained glass by Koloman Moser, and sculptures by Othmar Schimkowitz.

Other examples include:
– Spiral staircase in Maison and Atelier Horta (1898–1901)
– Detail of Stoclet Palace (1905–1911)
– Interior of Palau de la Música Catalana (1905–1909)
– Entrance buildings in Parc Güell (1900–1914)
– Main entrance of the Municipal House in Prague
– Interior of Willow Tearooms by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow
– Interior of Gorky Museum by Franz Schechtel in Moscow
– The Gresham Palace in Budapest

The Modernist movement also used the Gesamtkunstwerk principle. Examples include the Centre Le Corbusier, designed by Le Corbusier, and the Villa Cavrois in France, designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens.

In art

The album Gesamtkunstwerk was released by the Detroit electro band Dopplereffekt in 1999 by International Deejay Gigolos.

The multi-media style started by Dadaists like Hugo Ball is also called Gesamtkunstwerk. A graduate seminar at the University of Oregon titled Towards the Merz Gesamtkunstwerk studied themes of Dadaism and Gesamtkunstwerk, especially Kurt Schwitters’ famous work, the Merzbau. They quoted Richard Huelsenbeck from his German Dada Manifesto: "Life appears as a mix of sounds, colors, and spiritual rhythms, and is thus included—along with all the loud cries and exciting moments of daily life and the full reality of life—without hesitation into Dadaist art."

In 2011, the Saatchi Gallery in London held an exhibition titled Gesamtkunstwerk: New Art from Germany, which displayed works by 24 contemporary German artists.

An exhibition named Utopia Gesamtkunstwerk, organized by Bettina Steinbrügge and Harald Krejci, was held from January to May 2012 at the 21er Haus in Belvedere, Vienna. It was described as a "modern look at the old idea of the total work of art" and included a display by Esther Stocker based on the idea of "the untidy nursery." The exhibition featured works by artists such as Joseph Beuys, Monica Bonvicini, Christian Boltanski, Marcel Broodthaers, Daniel Buren, Heinz Emigholz, Valie Export, Claire Fontaine, gelatin, Isa Genzken, Liam Gillick, Thomas Hirschhorn, Ilya Kabakov, Martin Kippenberger, Gordon Matta-Clark, Paul McCarthy, Superflex, Franz West, and many others. A book with the same name was also published to explore the topic.

Many reviews have described the contemporary art exhibition, the 9th Berlin Biennale, as a Gesamtkunstwerk.

In 2017, visual artists Shirin Neshat and William Kentridge directed operas at the Salzburg Festival. Writer Naomi Rea noted that these works were part of a movement in which artists, including Jonathan Meese and Tino Sehgal, returned to the concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk.

Other applications

The Catholic Mass has been called an example of a Gesamtkunstwerk, and some parts of religious services can also be seen as similar examples. Beyoncé has made several works that people think are examples of Gesamtkunstwerk.

The Canadian development company Westbank, started by Ian Gillespie, uses the idea of Gesamtkunstwerk as the main concept behind the company's vision and philosophy for developing cities.