The Legacy of Neoplatonic Philosophy

From Ancient Aesthetics to 20th-Century Film

Gina Zavota

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2024
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781350379121
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Art Theory & Criticism

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.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Figures
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I: The Neoplatonic Conception of Art and Beauty
• Chapter 1: Plotinus and the Artistic Imagination
• Chapter 2: The Beauty in Self Discovery: A Plotinian Response to “What Is Art?”
• Chapter 3: The Neoplatonic Theory of Ornament
• Chapter 4: Understanding Art through the Invisible: Proclus’ Concept of the Image
• Part II: Neoplatonism and the Arts of Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Europe
• Chapter 5: The Tradition of Platonism in Byzantine Hymns from the Fourth to Sixth Centuries
• Chapter 6: The Invention of Gothic Architecture as Epistemic Break
• Chapter 7: Giorgio Vasari’s Saint Michael: An Archangel of Neoplatonic Splendor
• Chapter 8: La Primavera as a Cultural Icon of Renaissance Esoteric Psychology
• Chapter 9: Mythologizing Monteverdi: The Marriage of Venus and Mercury
• Part III: The Neoplatonic Influence from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day
• Chapter 10: “In the Beginning Was the Sound”: Toward a Neoplatonic/Neopythagorean Musical Aesthetic
• Chapter 11: The Art of Translation in Stephen MacKenna’s Enneads
• Chapter 12: The Quest for the Absolute: Neoplatonism in the Art of Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian
• Chapter 13: Modern Art and Sacred Geometry
• Chapter 14: Rothko’s Negative Theology
• Chapter 15: Sublime Symbols and a Neoplatonic Aesthetic Unconscious
• Chapter 16: Grasping Sacred Veils: Pseudo-Dionysius for Film Theory and Criticism
• Contributors
• Index