Che cosa è l'arte?

In this thoughtful essay, the author turns a critical eye toward the very essence of art, asking what it truly means to create and experience a work of beauty. He argues that genuine art must spring from a sincere feeling within the artist, a feeling that is then transferred to the audience, rather than being a hollow display of technique or spectacle.

The discussion moves quickly to a critique of contemporary creators who paint, sculpt, or write without love or hatred for their subjects, reducing their output to mere tricks that provoke astonishment. By contrasting the crowd’s craving for sensational thrills with the more discerning few who seek true beauty, the author reveals how modern society often confuses shock with artistic value. He also touches on the historic tension between aesthetic appreciation and moral restraint, hinting at how past movements have grappled with the role of beauty—especially the beauty embodied in the human form—in shaping art’s purpose.