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

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 as:
– 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.