Beyond the visible: Arthur Danto and the crisis of the image in post-historical art

Abstract

The present article aims to explore the transformation of the role of the image in contemporary art, based on Arthur Danto’s concept of the “end of art,” which argues that post-historical art no longer follows a narrative of technical or representational progress but is defined by a plurality of meanings and expressions. The image, once central to mimesis, loses its importance, giving way to art characterized by “embodied meaning,” meaning the ability to convey ideas that transcend visual appearance. This research also seeks to evaluate how modernist painting and cinema reflect this shift. Painting begins to question the very nature and limits of imagetic representation, and cinema expanding the boundaries between representation and experience. Danto criticizes Clement Greenberg’s formalist view, advocating for a pluralist approach that values content and context. Examples such as Andy Warhol’s film Empire and the works of Buñuel illustrate how post-historical art challenges traditional aesthetic conventions. In this context, interpretation and context become fundamental elements for understanding and artistic experience.