Walter Pater
English critic and essayist whose Studies in the History of the Renaissance argued for art for art's sake and the cultivation of intense aesthetic experience. His description of the Mona Lisa influenced generations of writers. He was the spiritual father of the Aesthetic Movement.
Works
- Marius the EpicureanPhilosophical novel following a young man's spiritual quest in ancient Rome
- Imaginary PortraitsCollection of introspective fictional portraits exploring aestheticism
- Gaston de LatourUnfinished novel of a Renaissance scholar's intellectual and romantic journey
- The RenaissanceEssays tracing the development of aesthetic ideals through history
- AppreciationsCollection of essays on literary and artistic works
- Plato and PlatonismPhilosophical interpretation of Plato's thought and legacy