--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even before the First World War there was…" description: "\"“Even before the First World War there was a strain in European art and music – in Germany more than anywhere – that was turning from ripeness to over-..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/douglas-murray-12950_art_even-before-the-first-world-war-there-wa_2546349.jpg" --- # Even before the First World War there was a strain in… ![“Even before the First World War there was a strain in European art and music – in Germany more than anywhere – that was turning from ripeness to over-ripeness and then into something else. The last strains of the Austro-German Romantic tradition – exemplified by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and…” quote by Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/douglas-murray-12950_art_even-before-the-first-world-war-there-wa_2546349.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/douglas-murray-12950_art_even-before-the-first-world-war-there-wa_2546349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/douglas-murray-12950_art_even-before-the-first-world-war-there-wa_2546349.jpg) > ““Even before the First World War there was a strain in European art and music – in Germany more than anywhere – that was turning from ripeness to over-ripeness and then into something else. The last strains of the Austro-German Romantic tradition – exemplified by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Gustav Klimt – seemed almost to have destroyed itself by reaching a pitch of ripeness from which nothing could follow other than complete breakdown. It was not just that their subject matter was so death-obsessed, but that the tradition felt as though it could not be stretched any further or innovated any more without snapping. And so it snapped: in modernism and then post-modernism.”” [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. European art reached a point where traditional forms exhausted themselves, leading to modernism's break. **In simple terms:** Tradition can become stagnant and break. Key Takeaway Recognize when old models limit progress. Themes art history transformation Mood reflective critical Type theoretical historical When to use this quote - academic curricula - museum curation - art criticism Key Concepts cultural fatigue creative crisis modernism postmodernism Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate a cultural paradigm is ending? - How can new movements honor past while innovating? A Different Perspective Breakthroughs may alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art and music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-and-music/) [First world war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-world-war/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Mahler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mahler/) [Modernism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernism/) [Post modernism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-modernism/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) ## Related quotes > [I don't much like post-modernism, because post-modernist has become the basket in which every mediocre person can shuffle things and pretend to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luca-guadagnino/i-don-t-much-like-post-modernism-because-post-modernist-has-become/) [Luca Guadagnino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luca-guadagnino/) > [It's a post-modern classic written way before there was any modernism to be post about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/it-s-a-post-modern-classic-written-way-before-there-was-any-modernism/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [“I used to ask myself, ‘Sergei, would you rather spend your money on drink or women?’ and thanks to the club, I spend it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melika-dannese-lux/i-used-to-ask-myself-sergei-would-you-rather-spend-your-money-on/) [Melika Dannese Lux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melika-dannese-lux/) > [“But do you imagine there’s a certain type of person in the world who conforms to the idea of a ‘bad person'? You’ll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsume-s-seki/but-do-you-imagine-there-s-a-certain-type-of-person-in-the-world-who/) [Natsume Sōseki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsume-s-seki/) > [“Having set its mark on the generation before Cocteau’s, symbolism expressed a form of inner dissidence confronting the narrow-minded materialism and utilitarian obsession of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-arnaud/having-set-its-mark-on-the-generation-before-cocteau-s-symbolism/) Claude Arnaud > [ “This intensely lyrical vision of the pregant woman in \[i\]Hope I\[i\] is set in an ambiguous context peopled with masks, death's heads and allegorical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-n-ret/this-intensely-lyrical-vision-of-the-pregant-woman-in-i-hope-i-i-is/) Gilles Néret > [“Eros and Thanatos were always the source of his inspiration, even though, from this time on, they usually appear in the guise of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-n-ret/eros-and-thanatos-were-always-the-source-of-his-inspiration-even/) Gilles Néret > [“Some elements appear in this picture which would be decisive in Klimt's subsequent work: for instance, the use of gold and the transformation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-n-ret/some-elements-appear-in-this-picture-which-would-be-decisive-in-klimt/) Gilles Néret > [“This evening : Fischl and Mayreder debated on Secession, Fischl pro and Mayreder contra - primarily against Olbrich. It's all very well to dismiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-mahler-werfel/this-evening-fischl-and-mayreder-debated-on-secession-fischl-pro-and/) Alma Mahler-Werfel > [“Klimt’s work is beautiful and painted with minute attention to detail; but looking at it, don’t you think there’s something kind of crazy about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/klimt-s-work-is-beautiful-and-painted-with-minute-attention-to-detail/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I like the transience of Klimt paintings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-like-the-transience-of-klimt-paintings/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [“The dominant theories of elite art and criticism in the 20th century grew out of a militant denial of human nature. One legacy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-dominant-theories-of-elite-art-and-criticism-in-the-20th-century/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“A Harvey Nicks chick with throwaway morals and a trustfund appetite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saira-viola/a-harvey-nicks-chick-with-throwaway-morals-and-a-trustfund-appetite/) [Saira Viola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saira-viola/) > [“We need a visible past, a visible continuum, a visible myth of origin to reassure us as to our ends, since ultimately we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/we-need-a-visible-past-a-visible-continuum-a-visible-myth-of-origin/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [The postmodern reply to the modern consists of recognizing that the past, since it cannot really be destroyed, because its destruction leads to silence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-postmodern-reply-to-the-modern-consists-of-recognizing-that-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More by Douglas Murray > [“The same uneven application of values applies in the weird worlds of academia and the think tanks. Like the media, they choose to close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/the-same-uneven-application-of-values-applies-in-the-weird-worlds-of/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“Nevertheless, although modern European guilt is currently described as though it is a terminal condition, there is no certainty that it will be. Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/nevertheless-although-modern-european-guilt-is-currently-described-as/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“But under President Obama, as much as under his predecessor, the continuing call to celebrate Islam rather than any other religion – like Christianity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/but-under-president-obama-as-much-as-under-his-predecessor-the/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [ISIS may seem un-Islamic to President Obama, but to anybody who has read Islam's core texts, it might appear to be a fairly straightforward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/isis-may-seem-un-islamic-to-president-obama-but-to-anybody-who-has/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [Fanaticism is at its very strongest when it has political or, better still, religious motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/fanaticism-is-at-its-very-strongest-when-it-has-political-or-better/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“growth solely accounted for by immigration – led to the usual strains”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/growth-solely-accounted-for-by-immigration-led-to-the-usual-strains/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [Fanatics end by subverting their own argument. For instance, animal rights activists have some point, and many people feel sympathy with them. But animal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/fanatics-end-by-subverting-their-own-argument-for-instance-animal/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“By 2015 more British Muslims were fighting for Isis than for the British armed forces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/by-2015-more-british-muslims-were-fighting-for-isis-than-for-the/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“Sad to say, this Islamophilia problem does not occur only at the low-ranking level of Director of the CIA. But at least you’ve always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/sad-to-say-this-islamophilia-problem-does-not-occur-only-at-the-low/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“Islamophilia’. And it has gripped the Western world. It could be defined as the expression of disproportionate adoration of Islam. I don’t say –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/islamophilia-and-it-has-gripped-the-western-world-it-could-be-defined/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“And so all the time the European brain has held onto two contradictory things. The first is the dominant established narrative of a generation:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/and-so-all-the-time-the-european-brain-has-held-onto-two/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“Such visible failure and a sense of lost moorings can be – for the individual as for society – not only a cause for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/such-visible-failure-and-a-sense-of-lost-moorings-can-be-for-the/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“The problem for US officials is the same problem that filters through all the other sections of our societies. It goes something like this.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/the-problem-for-us-officials-is-the-same-problem-that-filters-through/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“On 11 September 2012 crowds of friendly locals in Kabul, Afghanistan, were chanting the usual ‘Death to America’ slogans. At the same time American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/on-11-september-2012-crowds-of-friendly-locals-in-kabul-afghanistan/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [“To immerse oneself in popular culture for any length of time is to wallow in an almost unbearable shallowness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/to-immerse-oneself-in-popular-culture-for-any-length-of-time-is-to/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) [Explore all 52 Douglas Murray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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The last strains of the Austro-German Romantic tradition – exemplified by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Gustav Klimt – seemed almost to have destroyed itself by reaching a pitch of ripeness from which nothing could follow other than complete breakdown. It was not just that their subject matter was so death-obsessed, but that the tradition felt as though it could not be stretched any further or innovated any more without snapping. 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