Krutost jako umělecký princip

The concept of cruelty as an artistic principle touches on the problem of violence, bodily presence and physical expression in art. By examining this aspect in the art and texts of four important figures of Western modern culture I attempt to cover a small part of this topic, which points to the existential crisis experienced around the World War II. I would like to suggest that the cruelty reflected in their texts and paintings, which is often associated with the symbol of sacrifice, exposes something fundamental about the modern man. On these four examples I will show how the way of thinking about the violence and cruelty in art shifted after the experience of war