The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art » (Reprint)

Arthur C. Danto is Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy,Columbia University

Mr. Danto argues that recent developments in the artworld, in particular the production of works of art that cannot be told from ordinary things, make urgent the need for a new theory of art and make plain the factors such a theory can and cannot involve. In the course of constructing such a theory, he seeks to demonstrate the relationship between philosophy and art, as well as the connections that hold between art and social institutions and art history.

The book distinguishes what belongs to artistic theory from what has traditionally been confused with it, namely aesthetic theory and offers as well a systematic account of metaphor, expression, and style, together with an original account of artistic representation. A wealth of examples, drawn especially from recent and contemporary art, illuminate the argument.

Marcia M. Eaton - Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism

One of the most philosophically interesting books to date in the philosophy of art. Concerned with defining 'work of art'...Danto demonstrates an enviable breadth of knowledge in both philosophy and art history. The result is a volume that is certain to be at the center of discussion in this area in the coming years.

1. Works of Art and Mere Real Things

2. Content and Causation

3. Philosophy and Art

4. Aesthetics and the Work of Art

5. Interpretation and Identification

6. Works of Art and Mere Representations

7. Metaphor, Expression, and Style

Index