"Aesthetic Empathy" (International Lexicon of Aesthetics)

Aesthetic Empathy It. Empatia estetica; Fr. Empathie esthétique; Germ. Ästhetische Einfühlung, Ästhetische Empathie; Sp. Empatía estética. The concept of “aesthetic empathy” refers to the ability to experience and understand aesthetic phenomena through engagement with and exposure to artistic creations. This process involves empathically positioning oneself within the perspective of the artist or the artwork itself, and attempting to understand the intentions and emotions conveyed. Research on aesthetic empathy focuses on the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that are activated during art appreciation, and how these experiences shape our interpretations of the content we observe. Cognitively, aesthetic empathy requires the ability to decode the artist’s intentions and the latent meaning of the artwork. Emotionally, it involves the ability to engage with and respond to the emotions evoked by the artwork.