Plato had a love hate relationship with art. His remarks shows that he pays closer attention to what saw and heard.
Art is imitation, which is a feature of Plato's theories. Plato mentions that art imitates objects and events of ordinary life. Aristotle and Plato have different views towards art and individual expression. Plato views art as a form of "divine inspiration" while Aristotle viewed it as a "techne" and overall had a more positive view compared to Plato.
Aristotle believed that to portray an object was to reveal something important and allows you to learn and create awareness of the object, while Plato believed that imitation destroyed the original object. Marcuse leaned toward a more positive side when he said " Art cannot change the world, but it can contribute to change the consciousness.. of the men and women who could change the world".
Marcuse discusses the traditional conservative role of art in society, and what role art might still play in a liberated society.In this essay I will be discussing what Plato, Aristotle and Marcuse might say about the Mona lisa painting, which is one of the most valuable paintings in the world valued at $800 million as of 2017. Plato pays close attention to what he see's, therefore, proposed that one cannot find any truth is something that is " thrice removed from reality". Which in this case the painting is taken from reality. Plato generally places artists in a lower hierarchy then people who belong in arithmetic category.
Aristotle had respect for artists, he believed that artists must be knowledgeable and skillful, which in this case Leonardo da Vinci was beyond skillful in this painting. I believe that Aristotle is able to see the beauty of the painting and the further meanings it could have. Plato views artists differently and is hostile towards them and believed that artists did not posses skill or "techne" and threatens the stability of society. On the other half, Aristotle defines art as the realization in external form of a true idea, and is traced back to that natural love of imitation which characterizes humans.
Generally speaking Aristotle reflection is more accepting compared to Plato. However, Plato might appreciate the painting due to the fact that it was performed in precise detail, using translucent layers of colors that create blending colors so there are no clear transitions seen. Also, the subject of this painting is said to be a women named Lisa del Giocondo. While many artists and historians say that the subject of the painting are various people. This means that the painting is not necessarily a copy of an actual person, it is most likely and well known to be a unique painting, which Plato could possibly appreciate.
