Christian And Oriental Philosophy Of Art

The nine essays in this book are among author's most stimulating. They discuss such matters as the true function of aesthetics in art, the importance of symbolism, and the importance of intellectual & philosophical background to the artist, they analyze the role of traditional culture in enriching art, they demonstrate the abstract art and primitive art, despite superficial resemblances, are completely divergent and they deal with the common philosophy which pervades all great art, the nature of medieval art, folklore and modern art, the beauty inherent in mathematics, and the union of traditional symbolism and individual portraiture in premodern cultures. The author is a great Orientalist and has covered the philosophic and religious experience of the entire premodern world, east and west, and for him primitive, medieval European, and classical Indian experiences of truth and art were only different dialects in a common language. Contents 1. Why Exhibit Works of Art ? 2. The Christian and Oriental, or True, Philosophy of Art 3. Is Art a Superstition, or a way of Life ? : i. Postscript : Is Art a Superstition or a way of Life ? A Review 4. What is the Use of Art, anyway ? 5. Beauty and Truth 6. The Nature of Mediaeval Art 7. The Traditional Conception of Ideal Portraiture 8. The Nature of "Folklore" and "Popular Art" 9. Beauty of Mathematics : A Review