Musicologica Olomucensia

The title of this essay follows from the question, whether an analysis of art with relation to truth and non-truth does not narrow down its sense to some other than artistic criterium: "reportage criterium" (art as a copy of reality), "psychological criterium" (art as the author´s self expression), "sociological criterium" (art as the satisfaction of the preferences of a particular period). And so on. That is why the essay briefly looks into the meanings of the terms "truth" and "lie". It deals with the expressions "the truth of art" and "truth in art", "artistic truth" (which in the past, rather only covered up some dogmas), and also with a formalistic thesis about the completely unproblematic compatibility of "objectively doubtful meaning" with "high aesthetic worth". Art, the essay claims, can tell lies. Regarding the play of denotations and connotations, however, begs the question as to what degree the recipient can be deceived.