Laocoon

An Essay on the Limits of Painting and Poetry

By: Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Edward Allen McCormick (Translator)

Write A Review

Paperback | 15 April 1984

At a Glance

Paperback
296 Pages

Age
22+

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 1.68

Paperback

RRP $74.99

$74.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $18.69 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

Originally published in 1766, the Laocoon has been called the first extended attempt in modern times to define the distinctive spheres of art and poetry; its author, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, has been called the first modern esthetician. As Michael Fried writes in his foreword, it is Lessing who invented the modern concept of the artistic medium, and it is in the Laocoon, ultimately, that we find the source for modernist assumptions of the uniqueness and autonomy of the individual arts. And, as Fried argues, it is a work that present an impressively coherent esthetic semiotics, a book that at once sums up and moves beyond classical thought about the nature of the sign.

Long a central text for literary critics, art historians, and philosophers, the Laocoon is here returned to print in Edward Allen McCormick's authoritative translation. McCormick's introduction, notes, and biographical appendix have been retained; the new foreword by Michael Fried emphasizes Lessing's current importance for recent trends in art history and literary theory.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.