이 논문은 트랜스내셔널 선회가 문학연구에 가져온 영향을 검토한다. 국가의 경계를 넘어 다양한 교차의 흔적들을 추적하는 작업은 국민문학의 범주를 넘 어서는 개별 문학의 진면목을 발견할 수 있게 해준다. 그러나 동시에 이것은 여전히 강고한 민족주의의 영향력과 주변부 문학의 활력과 개별적 특성이라는 문제를 어떻게 풀 것인가 하는 숙제를 남긴다. 이러한 문제의식을 가지고 이 논문은 트랜스내셔널 선 회를 문학연구에 수용함에 있어 발생하는 새로운 가능성과 한계를 동시에 검토한다.

This paper examines Fernand Khnopff’s Symbolism, focusing on the I Lock My Door upon Myself as a manifesto of his artistic credo in style and theme. Its title was originally in English, originating from the poem “Who Shall Deliver Me?” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s sister Christina Rossetti. I use the term “Social Symbolism” which combines a nationalist perspective with traditional French Symbolism, in order to explain how the image of Bruges is represented in his oeuvre. Symbolism calls for psychological introspection evoking death, love, silence, and solitude and recluse from realty in pursuit of the Unknown and the Ideal. Although Khnopff shared this idea, he departed from symbolist tradition by incorporating a political milieu in his paintings. First, I discuss Khnopff’s early stage in the formation of his artistic concept, including his family background as well as his early opportunity to visit the Exposition Universelle in Paris where he formed his early interests in aesthetics, philosophy, literature, mythology and Egyptian art. His early works, La Painture, la Musique, la Poesie(1880-1881), Le Crise(1881), and En ecoutant Schuman(1883) reveal his favorite subjects which were quite prevalent in the symbolist traditions of both Belgium and France. By looking at Khnopff’s paintings, I endeavor to situate his Symbolism in the context of the development of Belgian modernity and cultural nationalism. Second, my analysis of Khnopff creates a new overview of Symbolism in Europe, especially in Belgium. In the absence of socio-political integration, the Symbolist painter adds nostalgic meaning to the landscape of Bruges. The scene of Bruges illuminates the social atmosphere in Belgium at that time. Since Belgium became an independent country, it tried to differentiate its own cultural and national identity from France. There was a powerful social movement for Belgium to claim its own identity, language, and culture. Bruges was, for Symbolists, the epitome of Belgium’s past glory. This encouraged the formation of Belgian nationalism centering on Brussels, as I demonstrate in Khnopff’s Bruges-la-Morte(1892). The relationship between Symbolist artist and writers is crucial for understanding this development. Khnopff, for instance, illustrated or provided frontispieces for many Symbolist writers such as Rodenbach, Peladan, Spencer and Le Roy. Khnopff did not objectify the exact meaning, but rather provided his own subjective interpretation. In this respect, I Lock My Door, inspired by Rossetti, started from the same motif, but Khnopff seeked escape into silence and death while Rossetti searched for Christian salvation. Finally my paper deals with the social context in which Khnopff worked. He was a founding member of Les XX in 1883 and later La Libre Esthethetique he also participated in the exhibition of le Salon de la Rose + Croix. Les XX was not a particular school of art and did not have a uniform manifesto, but its exhibitions focused on decorative arts by encompassing art for all people via common, everyday objects. The Periodical, L’art moderne was founded to support this ideal by Edmond Picard and Maux. Les XX declared art as independent art, detached from all official connections. Khnopff designed the 1890 catalogue cover of Les XX and the 1891 cover. These designs show decorative element of Art Nouveau in an early example of “modern poster.” Les XX pursued all art including graphic arts, prints, placard, posters and book illustrations and design. These forms of art were l’art social and this movement was formed by the social atmosphere in Belgium in terms of social reforms and strikes by working class. Khnopff designed the book cover for la Maison du Peuple. The artist, however, did not share the ideal egalitarianism of the working class to a certain degree, while he was working in his villa he designed under the ideal motto, “on n’a pas que,” he expressed the nihilistic emotions toward society by the theme of interiority such as solitude, silence, narcissism, introspection, and introversion. In the middle of his Symbolism, we find the “cultural nostalgia” or longing that the artist develops in the I Lock My Door upon Myself. Khnopff’s longing toward the lost city of “Bruges” form the crux of his “Social Symbolism.”

As it is known, during the Second World War Greece has fought on the side of theallies and the end of the war found the country on the winners’side. However, thestruggle for authority right after 1945 was merciless and extremely difficult, as well asdangerous for the course of the country to the future. The political powers were dividedbetween the legal authorities that were represented by the king and formed the exiledgovernment on the one hand and the part of the resistance teams and the rebels of the leftthat had a soviet friendly direction on the other. Thus, the start of a civil war was just a matter of time. It finally started in 1947 andlasted for more than two years. The consequences were disastrous for the country’seconomy and decisive for the future course of Greece. The national army prevailed withthe help of, mostly, the English. Royal parliamentary democracy was established with aclear political turn to the west, as a completion and adaptation of the Agreement of theGreat Powers at Yalta. Art had a ‘similar’route. Dipolar, contradictory: conservative choices on the oneside, and a will for pioneering inspiration and perspective on the other side. The‘dominate’trend was first evident in sculpture and mainly in the public monuments. Theirconstruction aimed mostly at the public propaganda and at the promotion of the sovereignideology. On the one side we have the public sculptures composed of faces of contemporaryheroes or leading figures of the civic war and the national resistance. On the other side wehave monumental statues mainly that appeal to a ‘public’outside of the country’s bordersand mostly of the north borders, where there are countries with a communistic regime, likeBulgaria, Serbia and Albania. Their subject is derived from the heroic events of the BalkanWars (1912-1913) and ancient historical figures like Alexander the Great as the Greek armyleader, his father, Philippos II and Aristotle, who was of a north-Greek origin. The political message is twofold: on the one side the ‘inner enemy’the communiststhat were defeated and the promotion of the new liberal social system and on the otherside the north neighbours, which not only represent the East Block, but they also conspire the history and the culture of the Greeks. This is the way how the ‘Cold War’was resultedin a full and totalitarian expression in art.