Hans Maes is senior lecturer in history and philosophy of art at the University of Kent. He has authored and edited a number of books including: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight: A Philosophical Exploration (Routledge 2021); Portraits and Philosophy (Routledge, 2020); Conversations on Art and Aesthetics (Oxford University Press, 2017); Pornographic Art and The Aesthetics of Pornography (Palgrave MacMillan, 2013); and Art & Pornography (Oxford University Press, 2012).
In this interview for On the Arts, he discusses the history and meaning of melancholy, a rich but often under-appreciated concept. You can read Maes’ full paper, Aesthetic Melancholy (2023), at Contemporary Aesthetics.