{"product_id":"9780300195118","title":"What Art Is","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat is it to be a work of art? Renowned author and critic Arthur C. Danto addresses this fundamental, complex question. Part philosophical monograph and part memoiristic meditation, \u003ci\u003eWhat Art Is \u003c\/i\u003echallenges the popular interpretation that art is an indefinable concept, instead bringing to light the properties that constitute universal meaning. Danto argues that despite varied approaches, a work of art is always defined by two essential criteria: meaning and embodiment, as well as one additional criterion contributed by the viewer: interpretation. Danto crafts his argument in an accessible manner that engages with both philosophy and art across genres and eras, beginning with Plato’s definition of art in \u003ci\u003eThe Republic\u003c\/i\u003e, and continuing through the progress of art as a series of discoveries, including such innovations as perspective, chiaroscuro, and physiognomy. Danto concludes with a fascinating discussion of Andy Warhol’s famous shipping cartons, which are visually indistinguishable from the everyday objects they represent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout, Danto considers the contributions of philosophers including Descartes, Kant, and Hegel, and artists from Michelangelo and Poussin to Duchamp and Warhol, in this far-reaching examination of the interconnectivity and universality of aesthetic production.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47076189929712,"sku":"9780300195118","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780300195118_p0.jpg?v=1763670276","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780300195118","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}