Can we grasp the arts in the diversity of their manifestations, their social and historical contexts, and their functions as well? This is the challenge taken up by Jean-Marie Schaeffer, who offers a series of spotlights on points that are particularly revealing of the life of the arts.
Artworks are far from all being « pleasant, » whether in terms of their content or form. Many (including some of the greatest) are cognitively and emotionally dissonant for those who engage with them. However, in all cases, experiencing them has a liberating and invigorating effect, as well as a soothing one, on our sensibility, intellect, and emotions.
This work presupposes no historical or technical knowledge, only curiosity. Its aim is to encourage us not to confine ourselves to what we already know about the arts but to venture into new territories.