Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages

Sinopse

In this authoritative and lively book, Umberto Eco, the celebrated Italian novelist and philosopher, examines the development of some of the principal aesthetic theories and problems of medieval Latin civilization. Eco sets out to explore the relationship that existed between the theories and the artistic experience and practice of medieval culture and by juxtaposing and comparing theology and science, poetry and mysticism, he creates a highly original synthesis of material that is usually kept in separate compartments. Written two decades ago and now translated into English for the first time, Eco’s learned and elegant summary of medieval aesthetic ideas will be of interest to all scholars and students of medieval thought and philosophy while offering fresh insights into those aspects of the subject that are directly relevant to our contemporary awareness of the function of art.

(Translated by Hugh Bredin)