Aesthetics：Lectures on Fine Art Volume I

InhisAestheticsHegelgivesfullexpressiontohisseminaltheoryofart.HesurveysthehistoryofartfromancientIndia,Egypt,andGreecethroughtotheRomanticmovementofhisowntime,criticizesmajorworks,andprobestheirmeaningandsignificance;hisricharrayofexamplesgivesbroadscopeforhisjudgementandmakesvividhisexpositionofhistheory.ThesubstantialIntroductionisHegel'sbestexpositionofhisgeneralphilosophyofart,andprovidestheidealwayintohisAesthetics.InPartIheconsidersthegeneralnatureofart:hedistinguishesart,asaspiritualexperience,fromreligionandphilosophy;hediscussesthebeautyofartanddifferentiatesitfromthebeautyofnature;andheexaminesartisticgeniusandoriginality.PartIIprovidesasortofhistoryofart,divdedintothreeperiodscalledSymbolic(India,Persia,Egypt),Classical(Greece),andRomantic(medievalandpost-medievaluptotheendoftheeighteenthcentury).PartIIIdealsindividuallywitharchitecture,scuplture,painting,music,andliterature.