1780day.year
Charles Batteux
(1713 - 1780)
French philosopher and academic
French philosopher and academic
Charles Batteux was a French philosopher and academic who played a key role in the development of aesthetics and art theory in the 18th century.
Born in Reims in 1713, Charles Batteux became a professor at the Collège de France, where he taught logic and fine arts.
His seminal work "Les Beaux-Arts réduits à un même principe" argued that all fine arts aim to imitate beautiful nature, laying the groundwork for modern aesthetics.
Batteux's ideas influenced notable thinkers such as Diderot and Kant, shaping Enlightenment debates on art and taste.
He also published works on moral philosophy and applied his aesthetic principles to literature, painting, and music.
His blend of classical scholarship with contemporary theory made his writings a cornerstone for 18th-century art critics and theorists.
Batteux passed away on July 14, 1780, leaving a lasting impact on the philosophy of art.
1780
Charles Batteux