Becoming an Artist
Explore the art of perception with our curated artist reading list, featuring Umberto Eco’s seminal works On Ugliness and History of Beauty—essential books for artists on aesthetics, visual culture, and the philosophy of art.
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History of Beauty
by Umberto Eco
Explores the nature, the meaning, and the very history of the idea of beauty in Western culture; illustrated with abundant examples of painting and sculpture and lengthy quotations from writers and philosophers. Demonstrates how every historical era has had its own ideas about eye-appeal.
Book
On Ugliness
by Umberto Eco
Acclaimed philosopher and author Umberto Eco explores mans fascination with evil, the grotesque, freakishness, and horror in art and literature. This provocative discussion explores in depth the concepts of evil, depravity, and darkness in art and literature.Rizzoli
