Essay on a New Method of Criticism

Albert Aurier's "Essay on a New Method of Criticism" (1890-93) proposed a mystical approach to art appreciation, advocating that viewers become "mystics" of new art, seeing it as a "last plank of salvation." This marked a shift where criticizing avant-garde art became almost sacrilegious, a reversal from earlier times when artists challenged tradition.1

Aurier was a key supporter of Post-Impressionist painters like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, writing influential essays that championed their Symbolist and emotive qualities. His critical method emphasized subjective experience and the idea that art could reveal a deeper, inexpressible reality. This approach contrasted with earlier critical methods that focused on objective evaluation or adherence to classical ideals.123