The matter of beauty in Winckelmann’s aesthetics Cover Image

Materia frumosului în estetica lui Winckelmann
The matter of beauty in Winckelmann’s aesthetics

Author(s): Dragoș Grusea
Subject(s): Philosophy, Metaphysics, Aesthetics
Published by: Editura Academiei Române
Keywords: beauty; infinite; matter; greek art; form; gods; history; essence;

Summary/Abstract: Winckelmann’s aesthetics, derived from his analysis of Greek sculpture, is marked by a paradox: on one hand, Greek art dematerializes existence; on the other, it expresses a perceptual plenitude of matter. This study explores this paradox, proposing that the Greek artist attains the pure idea not by abandoning matter but by elevating it to an ideal substance. Building on this, the article examines Winckelmann’s definition of beauty as indeterminacy.

  • Issue Year: LXXII/2025
  • Issue No: 6
  • Page Range: 931-941
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Romanian
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