The Path Toward Beauty

There is a path toward beauty, just as there is a path toward that which transcends human beings, and there can be no beauty outside that path. In The Path Toward Beauty, Prof. Francesca Weinmann takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the relationship between art and beauty, while astutely displacing our commonly held ideas about genius, originality, and imagination-and above all the concept of beauty as it relates to taste. This journey is truly universal since it includes art objects from pre-history to the present day, and is accompanied by a thoughtful study of significant Eastern and Western philosophical texts. Artists rarely produce works of art for the sake of beauty alone. Yet, there are works of art from every period and every civilization that are undeniably beautiful. Prof. Weinmann passionately argues that the invisible beauty, which underlies the visible form of the art object, reflects the aspiration of the true artist who always tries to capture a bit of the transcendental in all that he or she creates. "Elegant and direct, The Path Toward Beauty illuminates the world's visual arts, explaining complex ideas in plain language. Francesca Weinmann guides us to thoughts of time and eternity, truth and beauty, and all that draws our noblest reflections higher." -Alan E. Bernstein, Emeritus Professor of History The University of Arizona ABOUT THE AUTHOR Francesca Weinmann's classical education began in Italy. She graduated with a B.A. in Art History from the Sorbonne in Paris, and went on to receive an M.A. in Art History at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Her mentors were Jean Grenier, Richard Krautheimer, and Erwin Panofsky. Professor Weinmann created the Art History Department at the American University of Paris, where she taught aesthetics and numerous Art History courses for twenty-seven years. She has been Professor Emeritus since 1999.