Why Art Makes Us Laugh and Cry. Second Royal Institute of Philosophy Lecture
The Liverpool Royal Institute of Philosophy Lecture Series is an exciting collaboration between the Philosophy Department of the University of Liverpool, the Royal Institute of Philosophy, and important cultural and civic institutions in the City of Liverpool. The Series provides a unique opportunity to hear world experts presenting philosophy that connects with the fabric and history of our City.
On March 27th, Professor Lydia Goehr, Columbia University, will explore the relationship between art and emotion at Bluecoat.
Why do musicians, painters, and poets compete with each other? Why do painters paint enraged musicians and distressed poets? This lecture uses the early contest of Apollo and Marsyas to explore William Hogarth’s pictures of different sorts of artists. Are the pictures meant to cause tears or laughter, or both at the same time? How does the art of caricature effect turns of mood and perspective?
Professor Goehr is the author of The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works: An Essay in the Philosophy of Music (1992), The Quest for Voice: Music, Politics, and the Limits of Philosophy (1998), Elective Affinities: Musical Essays on the History of Aesthetic Theory (2008), and co-editor with Daniel Herwitz of The Don Giovanni Moment: Essays on the legacy of an Opera (2006).
The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.
For tickets and information: https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/events/view/events/4082