The Horizon of the Visual Arts:
An Inquiry into Artist’s Theory from Classical Origins to the Present Day

The history of artist’s theory finds a wide-ranging investigation in Giovanni Ciucci’s essay, capable of tracing a sweeping historical arc that spans from the proportional canons of classical Greece to Alberti’s Renaissance treatise, and from Leonardo’s reflections to the manifestos of the avant-gardes. Combining philological rigor with theoretical breadth, the volume reconstructs the path through which artists have shaped concepts and categories to interrogate the underlying rationale and horizons of making art. Theory is thus stripped of any incidental or subordinate character in relation to practice; instead, it reveals itself as an active thought that penetrates the creative process and redraws its boundaries.

The volume represents the culmination of years of research conducted by a figure who combines visual practice with theoretical reflection, already known for significant contributions to these same themes. At the center of this inquiry are the texts produced by the artists themselves—treatises, correspondences, manifestos, and personal writings—examined both in their textual specificity and within the historical and cultural fabric that produced them. Through this documentary excavation, Teoria delle arti visive reconstructs a tradition of thought that progresses through successive stratifications: a dialogue from afar in which creators reclaim and reorient inherited conceptions in unprecedented directions, consistently expanding the conceptual scope of artistic praxis.

The examination begins with the relationship between theoretical reflection and creative practice, demonstrating how concepts, methodologies, and perspectives develop within the artistic process itself, rather than emerging merely a posteriori to interpret a finished work. Consequently, analyzing these writings allows us to reconstruct not only the ideas that accompany artistic production but also the distinct role artists play in shaping the discourse surrounding art. The perspective adopted thus bridges the insights articulated by the makers of the artworks with the subsequent interpretations of criticism and historiography, recognizing that both possess a unique specificity and offer an independent intellectual contribution.

This approach is complemented by an expanded conception of art theory, viewed as a domain of knowledge shaped by diverse viewpoints and methodological frameworks. Artists’ reflections, philosophical inquiry, and critical discourse are not compressed into a single paradigm; instead, they are evaluated in their autonomy and their capacity to define the terms through which art is both conceptualized and practiced. Within this framework, the artists' thought does not serve as a mere documentary appendage to their works, nor as a form of reflection subordinate to other theoretical discourses; rather, it participates fully in the production of knowledge. This is one of the central insights of the volume, which proposes viewing art theory as a field of research that is unified in its scope yet nuanced in the plurality of its approaches.

The historical reconstruction develops along a diachronic perspective spanning over two millennia, from Greek antiquity to the present day. Moving from the proportional canons theorized by Polykleitos to the reflections of Roger de Piles and Joshua Reynolds, and up to the theoretical discourse of Piet Mondrian, the trajectory unfolds through figures and texts that document distinct ways of conceptualizing and grounding artistic poiesis. The analysis does not merely isolate individual contributions; instead, it contextualizes them within their specific milieu, bringing to light continuities, ruptures, and conceptual transformations. The result is an account that restores the depth of artists' reflections, revealing their pivotal role in expanding the meanings attributed to art.

The breadth of this research is also reflected in its synthesis of heterogeneous disciplines, ranging from philosophy and art history to poetics, criticism, and sociology. Furthermore, the volume examines the relationships between the artwork and the agents involved in its production, interpretation, and reception—institutions, collectors, and the public—illustrating how these interactions contribute to reshaping the functions and meanings of art. This interdisciplinary approach does not dissolve the distinctions between varying viewpoints; rather, it weaves them into a cohesive framework, sustained by rigorous scholarship and prose that remains accessible to non-specialist readers. The volume proposes a conception of art theory that expands its field of inquiry, recognizing the multiplicity of voices that contribute to the production of knowledge about art. Its distinctiveness lies in the systematic manner with which it connects differing theoretical perspectives and methodological frameworks—often addressed within separate fields of research—offering a common framework for their study.

Ciucci’s proposal does not merely reconstruct a tradition of artists' reflection; rather, it helps define a field of research capable of recognizing the plurality of perspectives through which thought on art is configured. Elaborating a theory of art based on these considerations implies understanding that knowledge is shaped not only through the interpretations of artworks, but also through the insights of those who produce them—individuals who, through practice and reflection, interrogate and transform their possibilities. It is within this expanded and nuanced conception of knowledge about art that Ciucci’s essay offers its most significant contribution.