In the book Puzzles About Art: An Aesthetics Casebook, there is a case that exemplifies these queries. The case, called The Remains of the Incan Palace on page 30, tells the story of 4 friends hiking through the remote mountainous regions of Peru. The 4 hikers come across an ancient Incan palace, lavishly decorated with gold and jade ornaments and intricate carvings. The 4 hikers then express their opinions, each one different from the others:

The first observer merely states, “Beautiful, simply beautiful!”

The second observer acknowledges it as a wonderful discovery, but states, “It’s one of those ancient extravagances that were designed simply to be stared at; it lacks the warmth and functional humanity that makes things beautiful.”

The third observer states that since he only cares about bars and restaurants, the discovery does nothing for him.

The fourth observer says that it is wonderful, gran

The first and most simple expression is often the most important I feel. If an art work is over analyzed, often the main point of the work is over looked. There are exceptions to this, quite a few actually, that do in fact need a deep exploration to fully experience; however, the over all feeling that the artist was trying to convey should still be felt immediately upon the viewing. What if two observers still come up two completely different feelings of the work? I suppose they would both be correct, for who is to tell one he is wrong and the other is right? After all, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say.

d, and magnificent, but “knowing that it was built with the sweat, pain, and broken lives of slaves for the glorification of a ruling elite, I just cannot find it beautiful.”

By previously formulated ideas and biased opinions I mean that there are certain issues in society, (i.e. incest, slavery, abuse, neglect/abandonment, religion) that carry political or moral standings that can bias a persons point of view on something before he or she even considers the work of art for what it really is. For instance, take the fourth observers opinion: because the palace was built with the sweat and broken lives of the slaves for the enjoyment of only a few ruling elite, all of the beauty has been removed from the work. I feel this is an incorrect way to judge the aesthetic value of something because the means by which something is made should not affect the aesthetic value that the observer feels. I know this sounds contradictory because of circular reasoning; however I am not implying that the way a painter uses his

Some topics in this essay:
Incan Palace, , Aesthetics Casebook, aesthetic value, incan palace, lives slaves, broken lives slaves, affect aesthetic value, ideas biased opinions, ideas biased, eye beholder, broken lives, 4 hikers, palace built, biased opinions, affect aesthetic,