‘Teoria widzenia’ by Władysław Strzemiński in Italian
Teoria del vedere, as reads the title of the Italian translation, was published by the prestigious il Saggiatore publishing house.
What determines the way we perceive reality? Why did the ancient Greeks capture the world differently from 20th century avant-garde artists? And what is realism? These key questions for aesthetics are discussed by Władysław Strzemiński in his Theory of Vision.
First published in 1958, the work is a collection of lectures on the history of art given by the artist before he was dismissed by the communist authorities from the School of Fine Arts for failing to adhere to the canons of socialist realism.
Theory of Vision is the fruit of Strzeminski’s long-term reflection and a remarkable testimony to the theoretical consciousness of an artist who had a lasting impact on the development of the visual arts. It is a work that teaches one to look at changes in artistic perception over time, and explains the relationship between the evolution of society and changes in art.