Bringing together leading scholars from philosophy, architecture, history, classics, and art history, this volume asks: what are the key concepts in Neoplatonic aesthetics? And what impact has Neoplatonic philosophy had on the arts since the 3rd century CE? Organized into three parts, in part I four authors examine the theory behind Neoplatonic aesthetics, including in particular the philosophy of beauty, ornament, and the artistic imagination. Based on the thought of Plato, Neoplatonism incorporated influences from Aristotle, Stoicism, and a variety of other philosophical traditions to create a unique school of thought within the Western canon. The second part explores the influence of Neoplatonic thought on the painting, architecture, and music of classical, medieval, and Renaissance Europe. With chapters on Byzantine hymns, the birth of the Gothic, and Vasari''s Saint Michael , the authors bring to life the Neoplatonic influence on European culture and thinking. Finally, part III uncovers the impact of Neoplatonism right up to the modern day through a range of 19th- and 20th-century artistic case studies, from Kandinsky and Malevich to literature, music and world cinema. Unique in its interdisciplinary breadth, historical coverage, and combination of theory and application, The Legacy of Neoplatonic Philosophy provides a fresh insight into the enduring influence of Neoplatonic thought on the arts of the Western world.

Autorentext
Gina Zavota is Professor of Philosophy at Kent State University, USA.****

Inhalt

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction, Gina Zavota
Part I: The Neoplatonic Conception of Art and Beauty

1. Plotinus and the Artistic Imagination, John Shannon Hendrix
2. The Beauty in Self Discovery: A Plotinian Response to the Question "What Is Art?", Michael F. Wagner
3. The Neoplatonic Theory of Ornament, Michael Harrington
4. Understanding Art through the Invisible: Proclus' Concept of the Image, Christoph Poetsch
   Part II: Neoplatonism and the Arts of Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Europe
5. The Tradition of Platonism in Byzantine Hymns from the 4th to 6th Centuries, Sarah Klitenic Wear
6. The Invention of Gothic Architecture as Epistemic Break, Jeffrey Dirk Wilson
7. Giorgio Vasari's Saint Michael: An Archangel of Neoplatonic Splendor, Liana De Girolami Cheney
8. La Primavera as a Cultural Icon of Renaissance Esoteric Psychology, Melanie Mineo
9. Mythologizing Monteverdi: The Marriage of Venus and Mercury, Angela Voss
   Part III: The Neoplatonic Influence from the 19th Century to the Present Day
10. "In the Beginning Was the Sound": Toward a Neoplatonic/Neopythagorean Musical Aesthetic, Jay Bregman
11. The Art of Translation in Stephen MacKenna's The Six Enneads, Jenny Messenger
12. The Quest for the Absolute: Neoplatonism in the Art of Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian, Gina Zavota
13. Modern Art and Sacred Geometry, Emilie Kutash
14. Rothko's Negative Theology, Matthew Lovett
15. Sublime Symbols and a Neoplatonic Aesthetic Unconscious, Marilynn Lawrence
16. Grasping Sacred Veils: Pseudo-Dionysius for Film Theory and Criticism, Mélanie Walton
    List of Contributors
    Index