"This volume, which includes discussions of artists from Rothko to Sun Ra to Buñuel, makes the case that Neoplatonic thought, far from being confined to any particular historical era, has something to offer the interpretation of any artistic medium or movement." --Edward P. Butler, Director of the Center for Polytheism Studies, Indic Academy, India "Neoplatonism has redefined the study of ancient philosophy today. Its influence on aesthetics and the arts throughout the ages and in modern times has been in tow for reassessment until now. The Legacy of Neoplatonic Philosophy: From Ancient Aesthetics to Twentieth-Century Film does more than that. It offers a panorama of the riches of Neoplatonic reception in the well-lit corners of Classical, Medieval and Renaissance art in Europe and the less familiar terrain of modern art, musical aesthetics, semiotics, and film, in the hands of experts who have a seasoned eye for the complexity of Neoplatonic thought and its undying appeal in literature and music, painting and architecture, film theory and criticism. A strength of the collection is its accessibility to experts from other fields and popular audience. Neoplatonism is the avantgarde philosophical school of late antiquity and is served well by the avantgarde intellectual achievement of this edited volume.
" --Svetla Slaveva-Griffin, Professor of Classics, Florida State University, USA "This beautifully curated collection of essays focuses on the Neoplatonic philosophy of aesthetics and affords the reader a historical grounding in central Platonizing theories of the image and the relationship between art, mind, and reality. At the same time, this revolutionary volume ventures far beyond the confines of Neoplatonic texts, into the vast world of art history, from late antique Christian hymnody, to Gothic architecture, to the Pythagorean compositions of Sun-Ra. The reader will come away from this work with fresh eyes, and be able to experience both Neoplatonic philosophy and Western art (including painting and music) in a luminous new cast, imbued with meanings and depth hitherto unsuspected. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the spiritual dimensions of culture." --Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Professor of Classics, University of Michigan, USA.