Throughout history, the concept of beauty shifted with significant events. Wars, technological achievements, liberation, and suppression influenced what humanity is seeking in art.
After decades of postwar regeneration, where breaking free from the past became apparent in art, society seems to ask the question again: “Where is beauty in art?”
This question is without an absolute answer. I still ask it daily in the hopes that maybe my contemplation will deepen through the practice of simply asking.
He begins to speak about the ways of the gods and heaven. He says that in heaven, Zeus and eleven bands of gods and demigods ride their chariots to the height of heaven. On their way, they witness spectacular happenings. Souls follow their respective gods to the height of heaven where the gods witness heaven beyond and nourish themselves with its truth. Some souls, however, are not strong enough to endure the journey and fall to earth where they inhabit a human body.
Beauty on earth stimulates some souls to remember their time in heaven. The beauty on earth is but a derivative beauty set up to spark the delight initially inspired by the soul’s original celestial sights. The soul wants to take a flight back to the heavens upon seeing the beauty here on earth.
Socrates continues and describes the soul as possessing three parts: a charioteer and two horses. One horse is good, modest, clean, and honorable. The other horse is crooked, prideful, and insolent. When these three see the beautiful that reminds them of heaven, the charioteer and the good horse look with respect and reverence, and the insolent horse pulls forth with uncontrolled desire. Through practiced control and instilled harmony between these opposing forces, the soul may regain its wings to retake flight in the heavens.
When I think of beauty, I think of the above story.
“The painting and sculpture of the Greeks suggested that the Greeks possessed “something superior to nature; ideal beauties, brain-born images.” Johann Winckelmann, 18th century German academic and art historian.
Today, not everyone believes in gods, myths, and fairytales or a “beyond” that produces the beautiful. Is there still
One depiction of the loss of control of these two horses is the Fall of Phaeton by
Phaeton was accused of being an illegitimate son and requested that his father, Helios, prove that Phaeton was indeed his son. Helios agreed to give Phaeton anything he wanted. Phaeton asked to ride the chariot that carried the sun. Bound by his oath, Helios agreed. Phaeton began his journey but was unable to control the horses. He flew too close to the earth, and it began to scorch. Zeus intervened and struck the chariot with a thunderbolt to prevent any further damage, and Phaeton fell to earth.
Rubens depicts the drama of Phaeton’s fall. The moment must be after Zeus has intervened. Phaeton, along with the chariot and other figures, falls to earth. Rubens has increased the drama of the scene by suggesting movement with diagonal compositional elements. The figures fall from top right to bottom left and the rays of light from the top right reinforce this movement. Though the figures fall in diagonals, they are arranged by way of an ellipse as a whole, and this elliptical arrangement reinforces the movement of the scene. The drama is also increased through the use of light. High contrast, falling diagonals, and elliptical arrangements make for a dramatic depiction.
This version of Phaeton depicted by Rubens is embodying the qualities of the insolent horse described by Socrates in Plato’s Phaedrus. It represents the soul not being strong enough to endure the flight of the gods. The soul that takes flight is the soul that cultivates a harmony between the tempered horse and the insolent one. Phaeton, the innocent child who only wants his father to prove his love, is unable to harmonize the two horses of the chariot and falls to earth.
The 20th century was plagued by war and violence. Many artists, like the Dadaists, believed tapping into their childlike innocence would help offset a century overwhelmed with destruction. I often see Picasso’s famous quote “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up,” or in my social media feeds. Traditional notions of beauty became associated with the rationality and reason of war and violence and were discarded for an image of innocence. But sometimes, childlike innocence in a position of cultural influence can be dangerous too.
There is something to be said about avoiding extremes. Beauty without emotion loses innocence and becomes cold and static, and innocence without reason manifests as an excessive emotion that results in deformation and destruction.
Goya stated in his search for beauty: “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.”
The time is ripe to reunite this beauty and innocence, harmonize them so that we can attempt to take flight and possibly come to know a beauty nourished by our truth.
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