The Vaulted Room : Essays on Aesthetics

Abstract

This collection of essays deals with various issues related to the history of aesthetics from antiquity to the modern day, with a view to focusing on scholarly research through a specific aesthetic lens. The highly original approach of the analysis combines philological and philosophical knowledge of ancient, medieval, renaissance and modern culture. These notions form the background to a reconstruction of the aesthetic attitudes of different ages not only philosophically, but also with an eye to the results of artistic production. The essays consider various subjects, all linked by their aesthetic relevance: Callimachus' position on poetry and his use of Plato's and Aristotle's writings is discussed in connection to his likely knowledge of the Socratic school of Cyrene. The issue of when a work of art should be considered finished is linked to the creative process from antiquity to Renaissance, when artists and thinkers reflected on the efficacy of the artistic results and engaged with Neoplatonic ideas and culture. Plotinus' views on the ethical response to human beauty shed light on man's individual responsibility within the erotic and aesthetic experience. The last essay brings the perspective of aesthetic discussion right up to date with interior design, focusing on the classically inspired interiors of Renzo Mongiardino. From poetry to philosophy, from Renaissance artistic practice to contemporary interior design and decoration, this book presents innovative points of view together with fascinating insights into the creative process and its protagonists.