The Sublime

Sublime Art is Edmund Burke's 18th-century theory that defines art as that which alludes to an immeasurable greatness beyond comprehension.

Edmund Burke introduced the theory of sublime art in his 1757 work, "A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful." He described the sublime as an artistic quality that evokes the most powerful emotions the human mind can experience, stating that anything associated with fear or terror, or anything that operates in a way similar to fear, can create a sense of the sublime.

In art, the sublime is evident in J.M.W. Turner's turbulent sea scenes and mountain vistas, as well as in Henry Fuseli's dramatic historical paintings. This idea that art can legitimately evoke unsettling or disturbing emotions played a significant role in Romantic art and remains a fundamental aspect of art to this day.