This book presents an engaging and sophisticated look at the debates and ideas involved in the aesthetics of painting - part of a major new series from Continuum's philosophy list."Aesthetics and Painting" introduces and opens up current debates and ideas in the aesthetics of painting. At the book's centre is an investigation of the complex relationship between what a painting depicts and the means by which it is depicted. The book looks at: how and why pictorial representation can be distinguished from other forms of representation; the relationship between the painted surface and the depicted subject; the 'rules of representation' specific to painting; abstract art and non-representational painting; painting as an historically reflexive and self-critical practice; the most recent technological and aesthetic developments and their implications; and, the contemporary challenges to painting. A sophisticated treatment of major ideas in art and philosophy, "Aesthetics and Painting" remains highly readable throughout, offering a clear and coherent account of the nature of painting as an art form." The Continuum Aesthetics Series" looks at the aesthetic questions and issues raised by all major art forms. Stimulating, engaging and accessible, the series offers food for thought not only for students of aesthetics, but also for anyone with an interest in philosophy and the arts.

Author Biography

Jason Gaiger is a Lecturer at the Open University and has published widely in the field of aesthetics and art history. He is the editor of Frameworks for Modern Art (Yale University Press, 2003) and is translator and editor of Johann Gottfried Herder's Sculpture (Chicago University Press, 2003). He is also co-editor, with Charles Harrison and Paul Wood, of Art in Theory: 1648-1815 (Blackwell, 2000) and Art in Theory: 1815-1900 (Blackwell, 1998).