The field of aesthetics

• Aesthetics


  The study of art and beauty
• Aesthetics is only the beginning in analyzing an artwork, as we must also consider historical and cultural contexts
• Etymologically, 'aesthetics' comes from the Greek word 'aesthesis' meaning sensory perception
• Aesthetics (according to Alexander Baumgarten)


  The science of sensory perception, denoting a realm of concrete knowledge as distinct from the abstract where content is communicated in sensory forms
• Aesthetics (in philosophy)


  A branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of beauty and art, including the nature of beautiful things and the essence of art
• Art


  The creation and appreciation of beautiful human-made objects, distinguished from nature
• Ways of considering beauty

  • Relative beauty (beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
  • Absolute beauty (beauty is in the thing itself)
• Divisions of aesthetics


  • Theory of beauty
  • Nature of beautiful things
  • Theory of art
  • Essence of art
  • Beauty of art criticism (evaluation of merit of works of art)