Defining Aesthetics Aesthetics. A term based on the greek term aisthētikos (sense of perception), with meanings being largely unchanged for centuries. The Merriam-Webster dictionary short definition of aesthetics is “of or relating to beauty.” This definition, while tidy and concise, does not leave a lot of room for interpretation, nor does it accurately represent the variety of ideas reflected in modern thoughts and methodologies regarding aesthetics. Some other definitions include: “of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful”; “artistic”; “pleasing in appearance”; and “appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful; also : responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses.” These definitions are still more broad, and open up the floor for discussion. I think that these definitions are a fine place to start, but they are outdated.
Historical Usage of “Aesthetics” Historically, the study of aesthetics has been reserved for affluent individuals; if a family was wealthy enough to not worry about immediate income, it might hire tutors to educate its children in art appreciation. A description of aesthetics in the middle ages is described in the preface of “History of Aesthetics,” written by Władysław Tatarkiewicz. “As in previous centuries, aesthetics was largely the preserve of philosophers, and still more, of men of letters and artists.” (Tatarkiewicz, p. xviii) This was dealt with through aesthetics; teaching
Well, firstly… What is beauty? By Oxford dictionary’s definition, beauty is defined by the “combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic
-In the 1700’s a new middle class emerged. Mass print became a thing as well. Every day people started to purchase art works to display in their homes. It was a way for them to express their status and national patriotism. The diversity in patrons had a great impact on the arts of the 15th – 18th centuries. With new patrons and the demand for art work, artists were able to capture more than just religious scenes. They were able to create landscapes and everyday life in their work. Artists were commissioned by the new middle class to create art work that they were able to hang in their houses. For instance, artist Joseph Wright of Derby’s painting “A Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrey (1765).”
Art is able to evoke different feelings and emotions to each person that sets their eyes on it. The act of ‘looking’ is simple, but a lot comes from it. Where the eyes are first drawn to, the duration that the eyes are focused on a specific detail, and the thoughts that flood one’s brain when viewing art is all significant. These actions say more than the piece itself, it reveals emotions of both the artist and the audience. Art can be expressed through infinite forms, but the underlying importance is not with the art itself. It represents a place in time, displaying what was noteworthy to an individual in their own life. It serves as a lasting creation representative of human imagination with the ability to bring out a multitude of emotions from whoever views it. When art is created it represents the creativity of the human mind compacted into a physical object. Art has little usage aside from pure observation, yet it has prevailed throughout time, showing its importance to humanity. Art provides a lens into humanity, showcasing the human ability over time. When studied through history, art is a view into the development of humans and their interests. Through something as basic as commonly using symmetry to transitioning to asymmetry, the European’s perspective following the Renaissance is revealed. The making of art is solely up to one individual and their creativity. It is the pinnacle of
Art by its nature is a subject of the philosophical, social, economic, political or religious context surrounding its creator. More often than not, a work of art addresses a specific topic or somewhat revolves around a particular person. Therefore, it is impossible to separate the context of a piece of painting, either historical or cultural, to its intrinsic value or the artwork's meaning. On the other hand, different cultures and time utilized specific conventions that govern the representation of objects of creativity. This essay highlights various pieces of art and their relationship to particular cultural, political, economic, or social settings. Moreover, it pinpoints how different times influence art presentation.
Aesthetics is defined as “the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful,the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts,with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments”(Webster.) It is closely related to the philosophy of art, which determines how individual works are interpreted. Aesthetics not only examine the nature and value of art, but also examine the reaction that an individual or group has to such arts. As previously mentioned aesthetics is the philosophical study of beauty and taste, the attractive and the none, the beautiful and the ugly. It can be difficult to categorize and match objects and expressions into those two broad categories because it is possible for one to observe aesthetics from different angles.
The new emphasis on learning, especially via direct observation of the natural world, led to new artistic techniques that allowed artists to mimic those of the ancients. The Early Renaissance was, therefore, a progression of observing the works of the ancients, and undergoing a new process of trial-and-error learning from prior mistakes and tracing the path of artistic creation. The aim of the artists was to better their abilities at portraying human characteristics, both physical and emotional, while creating a more ideal finished product, something that was as significant in presence as the natural world itself. Much progress was made in these campaigns during the Early Renaissance, and the emergence of the High Renaissance was characterized by the true mastery of the method of creating mankind’s body and emotions[1], and an artwork as balanced as nature itself. Jean Hey’s “The Annunciation” demonstrates the product of this final Renaissance transition.
Whether pride, fear, or peace, art is intended to make the viewer feel an emotion. The visit to the St. Louis Art Museum had me excited to discover a new revelation. Being the second time that I had visited in two semesters, I was looking forward to a new angle to take, writing about some of my favorite pieces I was unable to include in my last paper. This semester we have been focusing on the Renaissance era (1300-1700), also known as the Rebirth. During this time, scholars and artists looked back towards the classical learning. Purposefully looking past the middle-ages, they focused on the classical past of Rome and Greece. During this time period many works of art were created, however, throughout this semester every major artist we studied
Talking about the Roman artistic environment of the early seventeenth century we can not forget to mention the conservative atmosphere created after the Council of Trent (1545-1563 ). The articles relating to the discipline in the field of visual arts were focused on the moral and
What defines beauty? This is a question that depends mainly on perception. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, beauty is defined as “the qualities of being physically attractive” it goes on to give a second definition that says it means, “the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind.” So, which is the real definition? Who determines what gets to be considered beautiful?
As literary critics, Plato and Aristotle disagree profoundly about the value of art in human society. Plato attempts to strip artists of the power and prominence they enjoy in his society, while Aristotle tries to develop a method of inquiry to determine the merits of an individual work of art. It is interesting to note that these two disparate notions of art are based upon the same fundamental assumption: that art is a form of mimesis, imitation. Both philosophers are concerned with the artist's ability to have significant impact on others. It is the imitative function of art which promotes disdain in Plato and curiosity in Aristotle. Examining the reality that art
The definition of beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty has negative and positive influences on mostly people. Beauty is described by the inside and outside of us. Due to beauty, our self-esteem has been hurt dramatically, especially towards girls. Beauty is not always about our outside looks but it’s about our inside personality also.
Debate over the definition of art has developed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. People have spent millions of dollars and given years of their lives to the craft called art. However, there has not been an agreement on what the definition of art is because it tends to be a very vague concept incorporating many cultures and ideas. It has proven itself to be an effective tool in the human expression over the years preserving deep and personal feelings along with history. Art can be defined as the creation of beauty through expression with skillful use of creativity, design, and manipulation of the viewers’ emotions.
Throughout the vast history of art, historians can find connections throughout the centuries. Artists from the beginning of humankind have been inspired by the world around them. From the Apollo 11 stones to present day, history and culture have provided inspiration and have been the focus of various pieces. Examining artwork from the 15th-18th century, viewers can be shown a whole world that would be unknown to us without these artist’s contributions. History, religion, and cultural events have sculpted the art world, and we can observe this through many pieces during the 15th-18th centuries.
For over two thousand years, various philosophers have questioned the influence of art in our society. They have used abstract reasoning, human emotions, and logic to go beyond this world in the search for answers about arts' existence. For philosophers, art was not viewed for its own beauty, but rather for the question of how art and artists can help make our society more stable for the next generation. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived during 420-348 B.C. in Athens, and Aristotle, Plato’s student who argued against his beliefs, have no exceptions to the steps they had to take in order to understand the purpose of art and artists. Though these two philosophers made marvelous discoveries about the existence of art, artists, and
Life consists of constant cycles of spontaneous outbursts of joy and unexpected disappointments; there is an upside to this repetitive tug of war. On this rock we call home, we are surrounded by the most gorgeous creations, structures, and landscapes that add a touch of serenity to our miserable existences called aesthetics. Aesthetics as an adjective is defined as concern with beauty of the appreciation of beauty. As a noun it means a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. The surrounding beauty that we take for continuous granted is significant towards our existence. In everyday interaction, we straddle the line between aesthetic judgement, where we appreciate any object, instead