"The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 2 (of 4)" by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is a compilation of lecture notes published in 1835. Drawing from Hegel's university lectures on aesthetics delivered between 1818 and 1829, this work explores art as a manifestation of absolute spirit—what Hegel calls "the beautiful ideal." He traces art's development through symbolic, classical, and romantic stages, examining five major art forms in ascending order of inwardness: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and poetry. This influential text continues to shape philosophical debates about art's nature and historical evolution.
Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectures_on_Aesthetics