(...) an inner feeling called "Stimmung" by the germans and best translated as sentiment (it is to be regreted that this word, sentiment, which is meant to describe the poetical efforts of an artist living soul, has been misused and finally, ridiculed. Was there ever a great word that the masses did not try immediatly to cheapen and desecrate?) (...)Wassily Kandinsky
About This Quote
The German word "Stimmung" is not easily translated into English. It is not related to the English word "enthusiasm", which means the same thing, but comes from a Greek word meaning "in-breathable". The English word "sentiment" does not satisfactorily describe the feeling of the German poet. It implies a love or indifference towards a person or a place.
However, "stimmung" is a very special feeling that a person feels when a place has been infused with magic. This feeling can be described as an appreciation for all the work that has been done in creating that place and its surroundings. The poet feels what he calls "stimmung", and this becomes his inspiration.
Source: Concerning The Spiritual In Art
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