There is a path toward beauty, just as there is a path toward that which transcends human beings, and there can be no beauty outside that path.In The Path Toward Beauty, Prof. Francesca Weinmann takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the relationship between art and beauty, while astutely displacing our commonly held ideas about genius, originality, and imagination-all of which are fairly recent concepts. This journey is truly universal since it includes art objects from pre-history to the present day, and is accompanied by a thoughtful study of significantEastern and Western philosophical texts.Artists rarely produce works of art for the sake of beauty alone. Yet, there are works of art from every period and every civilization that are undeniably beautiful. Prof. Weinmann passionately argues that the invisible beauty,which underlies the visible form of the art object, reflects the aspiration of the true artist who always tries to capture a bit of the transcendental in all that he or she creates."Elegant and direct, The Path Toward Beauty illuminates the world's visual arts,explaining complex ideas in plain language. Francesca Weinmann guides us tothoughts of time and eternity, truth and beauty, and all that draws our noblest reflections higher."-Alan E. Bernstein, Emeritus Professor of History The University of Arizona