The Aesthetic Relationship between Art and Reality
Abstract: The relationship between art and reality is the basic problem of aesthetics. This essay tries to explore this issue in classical western literary criticism by examining the critical theories of Longinus, Sidney, and Goethe and find the different aspects they lay emphasize on mimesis.
Key Words: artrealitymimesisaestheticssubjection
1    Introduction
The relationship between art and reality attracts lots of attention in critical realm because art seems to have an essential reference to reality. Reality has a great inspiration for artists, which is the major reason of the significance of mimesis as an aesthetic concept. Although in Platos dialogues mimesis has a derogatory meaning, it gives rise to a tendency in criticism intimately associated with aesthetics. This essay selects some representative arguments of three famous theorists who gave brief analysis of mimesis in the aesthetic relationship between art and reality.