A Newer “Laocoon”:The Becoming and Inspiration of Greenberg’s Artistic Medium View

The 20th century American art critic Greenberg' s “Towards a Newer Laocoon” mainly showed his reflection and innovation on the literary theory of German aesthetician Lessing. The term “Laocoon”, in the title of the text of came from Lessing’s aesthetic criticism work Laocoon. Lessing’s exploration of the “boundaries between poetry and painting”, especially in terms of the difference between poetry and painting in media, coincides with Greenberg’s artistic ideas when elaborating on the concept of the “boundaries between poetry and painting”. However, Greenberg did not directly quote Lessing’s theory, he “updated” Lessing’s theory based on the actual situation of modern art. Although they both emphasized the differences between various kinds of art, there are still certain views reflect harmony in diversity, which are also the significance and inspiration of the “Newer Laocoon”.