Provenential Properties, Style, and the Aesthetic Value of History

In this paper, I propose a reconfiguration of the ongoing debate surrounding the aesthetic value of history. Specifically, I contend that this debate can be recast as a fundamental disagreement concerning the nature of properties that genuinely contribute to our aesthetic appreciation of art. Central to this discussion is the inquiry into whether context-dependent properties, which rely on the historical background of a work of art, should also be deemed aesthetic properties in the proper sense of the term. Furthermore, we must address whether these properties can directly engender aesthetic appreciation. Resolving these questions hinges, to a significant extent, upon our understanding of the term ‘aesthetic’ and its various connotations. This paper does not address this issue directly, though; rather, it delves into a nuanced exploration of specific examples of artworks’ properties. My aim is to scrutinize which of these properties possess aesthetic relevance and, in cases where not all properties meet this criterion, how one can discern the distinction. While certain properties inherently hold obvious aesthetic significance, as they command our attention during encounters with artworks, others do not, or not so obviously. These particular properties pertain to the provenance and historical background of the artwork.