The Secrets of Classical Beauty: Exploring Greek Aesthetics in Art and Thought

by Nava Sevilla-Sadeh

Beauty became an almost repugnant word in contemporary art and thought; and, indeed, it has been dethroned in the modern-day art discourse. Such an approach stems from the perception of beauty as external only and therefore superficial and lacking in depth. Beauty in the ancient Greek world, in contrast, was given great importance, and the approach to it was layered, focusing on aspects beyond those of the exterior and the visual.
This book engages with the essence of the concept of “beauty” in the Ancient Greek world and its manifestations in art, and questions such
- What is “Classical beauty”?
- Does such an ideal exist?
- What is the relation between physical beauty and spiritual beauty?
- What is the essence of male beauty and female beauty?
- What are the metaphorical meanings of beauty in mythology?
- How is human beauty manifested in art?
- What are the relations between politics, homoeroticism, and beauty?
- And are ancient concepts of beauty no longer relevant?
These questions are discussed discerningly in the book, based on interdisciplinary research in the history and language of art in the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods, with citations of myths and poetry, references to philosophy, religion, ancient sources, history, gender studies, and occasionally, some comparisons to contemporary contexts.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2022

Reviews

[Cheryl Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly recommended book.

A unique and original book that discusses clearly and fluidly an issue that has been dismissed in the discussion of contemporary art the meaning of beauty in a work of art the book provides a lot of knowledge that is not generally accessible and discusses in depth works of art from the classical world a book that is perfect pleasure

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeking and finding beauty in art - A superb new book!

Israeli author Nava Sevilla-Sadeh, PhD is an art researcher and curator who lectures at the Kibbutz College of Education, Technology and the Arts, as well as at Tel Aviv University. Her research articles have appeared in many journals and now she places her insights into art in a superbly illustrated book - GREEK AESTHETICS IN ART AND THOUGHT. The theme of beauty and art and history is well stated in the preface she titles ‘A Culture of Beauty’ - ‘Human beauty has always been perceived as an advantage. This is significantly evident in the visual popular culture since the twentieth century, turning beautiful women and men into stars and celebrities. Indeed, glamorous movie stars have seemingly become the new gods and goddesses to worship. Beauty, moreover, has long been associated with Classical culture, dominated by gods and goddesses dazzling in their beauty; and the term ‘classical beauty’ came to describe an elegant and delicate appearance…Beauty continued to be associated with art until the end of the nineteenth century…Beauty in contemporary art has actually been dethroned.’ And in this elegantly illustrated volume (135 photographs of mages) the author escorts us through the history of classical art, explaining the perceptions of beauty from physical characteristics and inner beauty, and the layered meanings of ancient sculptures of men and women those sculptures personified.

For both the art student and the general public, this book is an eloquent homage to classical art and encourages consideration of the true meaning of beauty. The illustrations and the impressive bibliography greatly enhance this volume. Very highly recommended