Ut Pictura Poesis: Humanistička teorija slikarstva

Autor Renslir R. Li (Rensselaer W. Lee)

Atelje A22 Publishing House has published the translation of the seminal work Ut pictura poesis: The Humanistic Theory of Painting, one of the most influential texts in Renaissance art theory and aesthetics, now available for the first time to readers in the Balkan region.

This study explores the complex and multilayered relationship between painting and poetry from the 15th to the 18th century, tracing how ancient literary theories — mediated through Renaissance and Baroque thought — shaped European art. Drawing on the ideas of Horace and Aristotle, the author examines the concept of ut pictura poesis, according to which painting and poetry are understood as “sister arts”: disciplines that share a common purpose — the revelation of universal truths about human nature.

The analysis presented in this volume encompasses key figures of European art, from Cimabue and Giotto to Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian, demonstrating how their works embody what is essential to art — the search for universal truth and the representation of human actions and emotions.

The text was originally published in 1940 in the renowned journal Art Bulletin, after which it saw numerous reprints and achieved the status of a canonical work in art history. With the publication of this translation, new opportunities open for the study of humanistic art theory, representing a significant contribution to the cultural and academic landscape of Montenegro and the wider region.

The author, Rensselaer W. Lee (1898–1984), was a distinguished art historian, professor, and long-standing head of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University, specializing in Baroque art and art theory. He taught at several leading universities in the United States, served as editor-in-chief of Art Bulletin, president of the College Art Association of America, and director of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas. He also held important roles in international academic institutions, including the American Academy in Rome and the International Union of Academies.

The publication of this book was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro.

Impresum

Ut pictura poesis: humanistička teorija slikarstva
Rensselaer W. Lee

Translation from English: Angelina Milosavljević
Graphic design: Atelje A22

Extent: 256 pages
Format: 12 × 18 cm
Binding: paperback

Year of publication: 2025
ISBN: 978-9940-8787-7-1

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