back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 8118

[from 'Aesthetica' by Alexander Baumgarten, in 21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 2. Art as Form ]

Full Idea

Beauty is defined by Baumgarten as a correspondence, that is, an order of parts in their mutual relations to each other and in their relation to the whole.

Gist of Idea

Beauty is an order between parts, and in relation to the whole

Source

report of Alexander Baumgarten (Aesthetica [1739]) by Leo Tolstoy - What is Art? Ch.3

Book Reference

Tolstoy,Leo: 'What is Art? and Essays on Art', ed/tr. Maude,A [OUP 1975], p.92


A Reaction

This may be one aspect of what is beautiful, but rather more than a nice arrangement is probably needed for art. We must distinguish flower arranging from poetic drama. Some masterpieces are rather messily arranged.