In 1932 C. G. Jung (1875-1961) wrote a controversial essay on the famed Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Jung’s essay refers to the first ever museum retrospective of Picasso’s work, which was held at the Kunsthaus in Zurich. Jung’s essay appeared in print, on what was the last day of the exhibition in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, a Swiss, German language daily newspaper which was circulated throughout Zurich. In his essay Jung claimed that Picasso had a ‘schizoid’ personality, and he sought to analyse Picasso’s artwork alongside the pictorial expressions of his patients. Jung’s comments caused an international furore, and criticism was rife over the derogatory nature of his claims. However, Jung’s reception of Picasso was by no means an isolated case in his attitude towards art. It is well known, for instance, that Jung took a dislike to modern art. He confessed in a letter written in 1947 that he was: ‘only prejudiced against all forms of modern art’ finding them ‘mostly morbid and evil.’1 I find Jung’s view of modern art perplexing since he is very open to innovative thought and discovery—which are the hallmarks of modern art movements. Indeed, Jung is regarded as one of the greatest explorers of the human mind, and he was committed to seeking forms of inspiration from beyond conventional ‘scientific’ boundaries. Modern art parallels Jung’s interests: it embraces the spirit of experimentation, and uses new imagery and techniques in order to challenge creative conceptions. On the surface one would assume therefore that Jung would have been keen to build a fruitful relationship with modern artists and modern art movements. But, instead, Jung seems to express a striking prejudice towards modern art. In my study I explore the nature and extent of this seeming prejudice and possible reasons for it.
Jung’s relationship with art has been relatively overlooked. Jung was a keen collector of art and artefacts and was himself a competent artist. Ulrich Hoerni, Jung’s grandson and co-editor of The Art of C.G. Jung (2018),2 recently confirmed that for decades few people were aware of the significant role art played in Jung’s life. Furthermore, Jung’s understanding of artistic expression was influenced by the creation of his own collection of paintings. We also find, between 1913-1930, that Jung conducted a self-experiment known as his ‘confrontation with the unconscious,’ the results of which he recorded in written text, drawings and paintings. Jung engaged in a lengthy process of psychological development before transferring these writings and images into the book, Liber Novus. The book was bound in red leather and contained several of Jung’s elaborate and highly finished paintings. Jung’s book has since then always been known as the Red Book. Significantly, Jung’s choice of medium to express his profound experiences brings to light his deeply personal relationship with art and artistic forms of expression. Jung’s intense reaction to Picasso’s art therefore reveals the complexity of his own creative life in relation to art. My study seeks to address and provide important context to Jung’s understanding of modern art. In addition to exploring possible reasons for Jung’s apparent prejudice towards modern art, I will address the impact that Jung’s unwillingness to engage in a deeper exploration of modern artforms had on the development of his psychological ideas. In responding to these questions, I hope to show that Jung the ‘artist’ had more to say than he explicitly said in his writings.