Beauty and ugliness are two sides of the same coin; by ugliness we usually mean the opposite of beauty and we often define the first in order to understand the nature of the second. But the various depictions of ugliness over the centuries are richer and more unpredictable than is commonly thought. The striking images and anthological quotations in On Ugliness lead us on an extraordinary journey through the passions, terrors and nightmares of almost three thousand years, where acts of rejection go hand in hand with touching ...
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Beauty and ugliness are two sides of the same coin; by ugliness we usually mean the opposite of beauty and we often define the first in order to understand the nature of the second. But the various depictions of ugliness over the centuries are richer and more unpredictable than is commonly thought. The striking images and anthological quotations in On Ugliness lead us on an extraordinary journey through the passions, terrors and nightmares of almost three thousand years, where acts of rejection go hand in hand with touching instances of empathy, and an aversion to deformity is accompanied by seductive violations of all classical canons. With his characteristic wit and erudition, Umberto Eco draws on examples in art and literature from ancient times to the present day. Abundantly illustrated with demons, madmen, vile enemies and disquieting presences, with freaks and the living dead, On Ugliness is conceived for a vast and diverse readership, and is an invaluable companion volume to On Beauty.
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Mr. Eco has written a fascinating, often hilarious survey of "ugliness" in western art history. The book is also full of wonderful reproductions, so it's an unusual coffee-table browser as well as an informative read.
DanielSSaxMD
Oct 22, 2008
Umberto Eco once again shows his mastery of language and art. This companion piece to the History of Beauty once again uses art to illustrate the changing faces of ugliness to illustrate society and thought during the history humanity from antiquity to modern times. It is a book that compliments beauty and will supply a visual and verbal panorama of man's-woman's thought and expression of him-herself.
