Abstract

In this book, Morrison discusses the process of aesthetic education, as defined by Johann Joachim Winckelmann on the basis of his status as arbiter of classical taste and as applied to his teaching of two pupils. Morrison identifies the key features of Winckelmann's treatment of classical beauty and elucidates how Winckelmann taught the appreciation of beauty. He argues that Winckelmann's practice of aesthetic education fell short of his aesthetic theory. Morrison concludes by looking at Goethe's aesthetic self-education, which was strongly influenced by Winckelmann.