The Aesthetic Appeal of Visual Qualities

Abstract

Aesthetic experience is one of the most defining and deeply valued aspects of human culture, enduring as an intriguing challenge for philosophers, artists, art historians, and scientists alike. This chapter first surveys some of the major historical and contemporary advances in the study of aesthetics and perception. It includes discourses from philosophy, art theory, art history, and science, and discusses their insights and shortcomings. It then revisits an older theory of aesthetics that is of great relevance for the future direction of the scientific discourse on the aesthetic appeal of qualities. Koffka uses the concepts of physiognomic qualities and ego-object relationship because emotions in relation to the work of art are very different to the emotions in themselves; the ego-object relation depends heavily on an individual context-be it a preexisting interest, wish, desire, or expectation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.