C2 · 50 words
Aesthetics in Spanish
Beauty, the sublime, taste, judgement — the philosophy of art and of perception.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Five entries here begin with lo, and it is not the article el or la. Spanish has a third one that goes with no noun at all: put lo in front of an adjective and you get the quality itself — lo bello, lo sublime, lo siniestro, lo cotidiano. English has to borrow its own definite article for the same trick and only manages it in philosophy: the beautiful, the sublime. Elsewhere we change the word — lo mejor is the best thing, lo difícil is the hard part, lo de siempre is the usual, and lo bueno es que… is « the good news is ». One little word, and no noun in sight.
The words
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Phrase (47)
la estética filosóficathe philosophy that asks after the judgement, not the preferencePhraseC2
La estética filosófica pregunta por el juicio, no por el gusto.Philosophical aesthetics asks after judgement, not taste.
lo bellothe beautiful, which pleases without a conceptPhraseC2
Lo bello agrada sin concepto.The beautiful pleases without a concept.
lo sublimethe sublime, which overwhelms and pleases all the samePhraseC2
Lo sublime desborda la imaginación.The sublime overflows the imagination.
lo pintorescothe picturesque, which sits between those twoPhraseC2
Lo pintoresco se sitúa entre lo bello y lo sublime.The picturesque lies between the beautiful and the sublime.
lo siniestrothe uncanny, the familiar turned strangePhraseC2
Lo siniestro es lo familiar vuelto extraño.The uncanny is the familiar turned strange.
lo grotescothe grotesque, which mixes the laugh with the horrorPhraseC2
Lo grotesco mezcla la risa con el espanto.The grotesque mixes laughter with horror.
el juicio de gustothe verdict on taste that claims agreement without commanding itPhraseC2
El juicio de gusto reclama acuerdo sin poder exigirlo.The judgement of taste claims agreement without being able to demand it.
el desinterés estéticothe pleasure that sets aside both use and desirePhraseC2
El desinterés estético aparta el uso y el deseo.Aesthetic disinterest sets aside use and desire.
la finalidad sin finthe form that looks as if it wanted something, and wants nothingPhraseC2
La finalidad sin fin describe una forma que parece querer algo.Purposiveness without purpose describes a form that seems to want something.
la experiencia estéticathe encounter with a work, which no verdict sums upPhraseC2
La experiencia estética no se deja resumir en un juicio.Aesthetic experience will not be summed up in a verdict.
la distancia estéticathe remove at which the terrible can be enjoyedPhraseC2
La distancia estética permite disfrutar de lo terrible.Aesthetic distance makes it possible to enjoy the terrible.
la mímesis artísticathe imitation that reworks instead of reproducingPhraseC2
La mímesis artística no reproduce, reelabora.Artistic mimesis does not reproduce, it reworks.
la expresión artísticathe standard that replaced imitation: what the work says of its makerPhraseC2
La expresión artística sustituyó a la imitación como criterio.Artistic expression replaced imitation as the criterion.
la forma significantethe shape alone, held to be enough for the workPhraseC2
La forma significante bastaría para la obra.Significant form would be enough for the work.
el contenido de la obrathe substance of a work, which is not its subjectPhraseC2
El contenido de la obra no es su tema.The content of a work is not its subject.
la autonomía del artethe freedom of art from other ends, won historicallyPhraseC2
La autonomía del arte es una conquista histórica.The autonomy of art is a historical achievement.
el arte comprometidothe art that accepts a purpose outside itselfPhraseC2
El arte comprometido acepta un fin fuera de sí.Committed art accepts an end outside itself.
el arte por el artethe art that refuses onePhraseC2
El arte por el arte se opuso al uso moral.Art for art's sake set itself against moral use.
el aura de la obrathe here and now of a work, which no copy carriesPhraseC2
El aura de la obra depende de su aquí y ahora.The aura of a work depends on its here and now.
la reproductibilidad técnicathe copying by machine, which changed what an original isPhraseC2
La reproductibilidad técnica cambió qué significa original.Technical reproducibility changed what original means.
el original y la copiathe pair that grows harder to tell apart each decadePhraseC2
El original y la copia se distinguen menos cada década.Original and copy tell each other apart less with every decade.
la institución artísticathe art institution that decides what enters the museumPhraseC2
La institución artística decide qué entra en el museo.The art institution decides what enters the museum.
el mundo del artethe art world whose agreement turns an object into a workPhraseC2
El mundo del arte convierte un objeto en obra.The art world turns an object into a work.
el objeto encontradothe everyday thing put on a plinth, which forced a redefinitionPhraseC2
El objeto encontrado obligó a redefinir el arte.The found object forced a redefinition of art.
la vanguardia artísticathe art that attacks the institution from inside itPhraseC2
La vanguardia artística ataca a la institución desde dentro.The avant-garde attacks the institution from inside.
la ruptura con la tradiciónthe break with tradition, which has to know it firstPhraseC2
La ruptura con la tradición necesita conocerla.Breaking with tradition requires knowing it.
el canon estéticothe standard that looks natural for as long as it holdsPhraseC2
El canon estético parece natural mientras dura.The aesthetic canon looks natural as long as it lasts.
el gusto de épocathe taste of a period, best seen from outside itPhraseC2
El gusto de época se ve mejor desde fuera.The taste of a period is better seen from outside.
la distinción social del gustothe sorting of people by taste, which never says soPhraseC2
La distinción social del gusto opera sin decirse.Social distinction through taste operates without saying so.
la cultura de masasthe culture of the many, despised before it was studiedPhraseC2
La cultura de masas fue despreciada antes de ser estudiada.Mass culture was despised before it was studied.
la industria culturalthe making of culture in series, novelty without changePhraseC2
La industria cultural produce novedad sin cambio.The culture industry produces novelty without change.
el efecto de realidadthe impression of the real, got with useless detailPhraseC2
El efecto de realidad se logra con detalles inútiles.The reality effect is achieved with useless details.
la ilusión artísticathe illusion that is accepted knowinglyPhraseC2
La ilusión artística se acepta a sabiendas.The artistic illusion is accepted knowingly.
la interpretación de la obrathe reading of a work, which never uses it upPhraseC2
La interpretación de la obra no la agota.The interpretation of a work does not exhaust it.
el juicio crítico fundadothe verdict that gives its reasonsPhraseC2
El juicio crítico fundado explica sus razones.A grounded critical judgement explains its reasons.
la sensibilidad educadathe trained sense that hears what others do notPhraseC2
La sensibilidad educada distingue lo que otros no oyen.A trained sensibility tells apart what others do not hear.
la percepción sensiblethe perceiving by the senses, which gave the field its namePhraseC2
La percepción sensible dio nombre a toda la disciplina.Sense perception gave the whole discipline its name.
la estética de lo cotidianothe aesthetics of the ordinary, which needs no museumPhraseC2
La estética de lo cotidiano no necesita museo.The aesthetics of the everyday needs no museum.
la belleza naturalthe beauty of what nobody madePhraseC2
La belleza natural precede a cualquier obra.Natural beauty comes before any work.
el paisaje como construcciónthe landscape as something one learns to seePhraseC2
El paisaje como construcción se aprende a ver.The landscape as a construction is something one learns to see.
la fealdad como categoríathe ugly as a category, which arrived latePhraseC2
La fealdad como categoría llegó tarde a la teoría.Ugliness as a category came late to the theory.
el arte conceptualthe art that puts the idea above the objectPhraseC2
El arte conceptual coloca la idea por encima del objeto.Conceptual art places the idea above the object.
la performance artísticathe work that exists only while it is happeningPhraseC2
La performance artística existe solo mientras ocurre.The performance exists only while it is happening.
la obra efímerathe work that will not last, and unsettles conservationPhraseC2
La obra efímera obliga a repensar la conservación.The ephemeral work forces conservation to be rethought.
la participación del espectadorthe viewer's part, which completes the piecePhraseC2
La participación del espectador completa la pieza.The viewer's participation completes the piece.
el valor de exposiciónthe worth of being shown, which replaced the worth of being veneratedPhraseC2
El valor de exposición sustituyó al valor de culto.Exhibition value replaced cult value.
la crítica del gustothe criticism of taste, which argues instead of rulingPhraseC2
La crítica del gusto no impone, argumenta.The criticism of taste does not impose, it argues.
Noun (f) (2)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la contemplaciónthe long looking that takes time nobody hasNoun (f)C2
La contemplación exige un tiempo que nadie tiene.Contemplation demands a time nobody has.
la catarsisthe discharge of what the tragedy has been piling upNoun (f)C2
La catarsis descarga lo que la tragedia acumula.Catharsis discharges what the tragedy accumulates.
Noun (m) (1)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el kitschthe ready-made feeling that saves the work of feelingNoun (m)C2
El kitsch ahorra el trabajo de sentir.Kitsch saves you the work of feeling.
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This list belongs to Art and culture — 29 lists and 1 450 words that can also be practised as a whole.