Art became a medium for actualizing the ethical diachronic self. The aesthetic necessity of beauty is accompanied by the imperative, 'Know thyself'. Nietzsche relates the Apollonian tendency to post-epic poetry, plastic illusion and contemplative art. The Kantian concept of beauty as the 'pleasure of reflection' is Apollonian. To whatever extent the apprehension of beauty overwhelms us is a measure of the Dionysian element.
Dionysian rapture is the central quality in art.
Behind the Apollonian contemplation and appreciation of Modern art lies the enigma of the Dionysian transport. The Dionysian aspect is in the experience. It includes the drunkard's visions in the D.T.'s zone as well as the listener lost in music, the action painter lost in process and the mimesis of the Greek chorus. The impact of the confrontation, the immediacy and strength of the illusion, is Dionysian. It is in the ineffable content of our first impression, realized as a temporary loss of self.