Beauty is a complex concept that has been central to both art and philosophy for many centuries. The first attempts to define it were by philosophers such as Plotinus and Aristotle, who identified beauty as a matter of harmony and proportion.
It has been used to describe the aesthetic qualities of things, including paintings, sculpture, and music. It has also been the subject of a wide range of criticisms.
The objective and subjective aspects of beauty have prompted some of the most debates in the literature. For example, whether it is a property of something (such as a painting) or an ‘intangible’ quality that depends on the emotional response of observers.
A number of theorists have argued that it is the objective properties of things that are important for beauty. Others have argued that it is the subjective experience of beauty that is most important.
It has been argued that both sides of this debate have validity in the sense that they both contribute to the overall understanding of beauty and its relation to taste. Nonetheless, it seems likely that the most coherent interpretation of beauty is that it is a property of things.