Philosophy of Painting: Ancient, Modern, Contemporary

What can philosophy reveal about painting and how might it deepen our understanding of this enduring art form? Philosophy and Painting investigates the complex relationship between the painted surface and the depicted subject, opening up current debates to address questions concerning the historicality of art. Covering contemporary painting, it examines topics such as the post-medium condition and the digital divide, and the work of artists such as Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Amy Sillman, and Katharina Grosse.

Highly readable throughout, the book provides a philosophically rigorous defence of the relevance of painting in the 21st-century, making an original contribution to the major ideas informing painting as an art. Illustrated with 24 colour plates, it provides a clear and coherent account of the contemporary significance of painting and the pressures and possibilities that distinguish it from other art forms.