Aesthetics is called the philosophical reflection oriented to the perception of beauty in general and in art in particular.. The term derives from the Greek words "aisthesis" (sensation) and "ica" (relative to). Over time, the positions taken to evaluate the beauty of objects have undergone notable variations to the point of being extremely relativized. However, many of those who toil in the craft of art have always had to deal with the problem of producing a work that is in good taste, a circumstance that is difficult to satisfy from an extremely relativistic position.
The debate on this topic dates back to classical Greece, in the context of the birth of philosophical discourse. The Platonic position is famous in which the supreme beauty resides in ideas, the sensible world being a devalued reflection of these. Aristotle, for his part, was oriented to a reflection more oriented to art and poetic language in particular. It would be extensive to go into detail about each issue; Suffice it to point out that an idea of beauty associated with order and harmony prevailed and that this evaluation had an enormous impact on the history of art.
When Christianity spread throughout Europe the idea of beauty became linked to that of God; Indeed, God supposes truth, good and beauty in the highest degree, all beings having some degree of beauty insofar as they bear the divine imprint.
As we have already advanced, with the passage of time, these positions gave way to more relativistic worldviews. A) Yes, At the dawn of the twentieth century, the avant-garde questioned the historical representations of the beautiful, trying to show new alternatives to reflect a new changing world; They failed in their task, but they left their trail of relativistic influence in the remainder of the century.
