FRANCINE ESTANISLAU

The objective of this dissertation is to identify the influence of the concepts of the metaphysics of beauty, by the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, on the work of North American abstract expressionism painters. To do so, we explored Schopenhauer's concept of the sublime – which was widely added by him. For this reason, it is important to highlight the mathematical and dynamic sublime, which is necessary for analyzing the works. And also highlight the sublime in terror, since Schopenhauer associates the sublime with a moment that can cause astonishment and even fear in the beholder. We observe how the concept of the sublime, which is essential in Schopenhauerian aesthetics, is present in the works of painters Joseph Mallord William Turner and Jackson Pollock. In the analysis, we use the idea that genius is the one who has the primacy of capturing the idea and transforming it into a work of art. We use paintings by these painters to observe Schopenhauerian concepts and point out how they manifest themselves in their works.