The various lenses—ethical, political, sexual, religious, andso forth—through which we may view art are often instrumental ingiving us an appreciation of the work. In Art in Context: UnderstandingAesthetic Value, philosopher David Fenner presents a straightforward,accessible overview of the arguments about the importance of considering therelevant context in determining the true merit of a work of art.

Art in Context is a systematic, historically situated, and historically evidenced attempt to demonstrate the importance of considering contexts that will, in the vast majority of cases, increase the aesthetic experience. While focusing on distance, detachment, aestheticism, art for art’s sake, and formalism can at times be instructive and interesting, such approaches risk missing the larger and often central issue of the piece.

Based on the findings of philosophers and critics, and on artwork throughouthistory, Art in Context provides a solid foundation for understanding and valuing a work of art in perspective as well as within the particular world in whichit exists.