The purpose of this thesis is to explore the concept of the sublime through the medium of
painting. The theoretical section of the assignment consists of an explanation and description
of the concept of the sublime and its historical outline, first defining the term, relying on the
ancient text, <On the Sublime,= which is one of the oldest concepts of the sublime. In order to
interpret the concept we recognize today, the thesis then highlights two important philosophers
of the 18th century, Burke and Kant, analyzing and comparing their interpretation of the term
<sublime,= for an easier understanding of the term through the media of painting. Subsequently,
a brief chronological record of the notion of sublimity is presented through the key trends in
painting, where it most often appeared and dominated on the canvas. This section covers
romantic landscape paintings, later modern postwar paintings, and, finally, contemporary
paintings. Through these examples, I will try to define how we know and perceive the concept
of the sublime.
The empirical section of the assignment researches the concept of the sublime through the
author’s own work process, which is based on previously researched theory. In the process of
painting, the author reflected upon what makes a painting sublime and how their own works
could evoke the sublime in the viewer on canvas. The section focuses on the meaning of colors
in the author’s own works and, in turn, introduces the concept of blurring and showing
depictions that are between abstract and recognizable
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