Kunstkritik als literarische Gattung. Gesellschaftliche Bedingungen ihrer Entstehung, Entfaltung und Krise

The genre of art criticism was originated in the ancient regime of France during the 18th century and spread from there over Europe. The article starts with an introductory clarification of its terminology and functions before five societal prerequisites of its genesis will be analyzed: 1. the institutionalization of art, 2. the formation of the art markets, 3. the emergence of a group of professional art critics, 4. appropriate media for publication, 5. an audience being interested in contemporary art. The social-historical reconstruction of these components will be followed by two further sections on the evolvement and heydays and of the current crisis of art criticism.