French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Pignocchi, The Work of Art and Its Intentions
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
The Work of Art and Its Intentions
By Alessandro Pignocchi
Jean-Marie Schaeffer (Foreword)
Published on: January 12, 2012
Publisher: Odile Jacob
ISBN: 978-2-7381-2714-3
EAN: 9782738127143
No. of pages: 238 pages
Publisher's price: 24,90€
What, then, did the artist "mean to say"? What were they seeking? This question might seem outdated or naive, as if the work of art were self-sufficient.
For Alessandro Pignocchi, it is impossible to understand our relationship with works of art without examining the artist's intentions. Recent advances in cognitive science suggest that every aspect of our experience of an artwork is shaped by the intentions we attribute—mostly unconsciously—to the artist. For example, without our realizing it, we perceive many properties of artworks—the lines of a drawing, certain structural aspects of a film, or the sentences of a novel—as the product of intentions and actions that we ourselves could have produced.
A multidisciplinary reflection, this book revisits classic themes in the philosophy of art—the concept of the artwork, the role of the author, the context, the relationship of the work to time, and the status of artistic judgment—while developing a set of conceptual tools designed to enrich our engagement with works of art.
Table of Contents:
WHY THEORIZE ABOUT ART?
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR THOUGHT
THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF THE WORK OF ART
THE USE OF THE CONCEPT OF THE WORK OF ART
THE INTENTIONAL MODEL
RECONSTRUCTING THE ARTIST'S APPROACH
TOOLS FOR INTERPRETATION AND EVALUATION
The Author:
Alessandro Pignocchi holds a PhD in philosophy and cognitive science from the EHESS and is a member of the Jean Nicod Institute.
He is also an illustrator.
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An article about this book can be read on the website nonfiction.fr:
Alessandro Pignocchi approaches aesthetics through the lens of cognitive science and contemporary philosophy, bridging the gap between traditional art theory and empirical research. By examining how viewers attribute mental states to creators, the author connects timeless questions about the philosophy of art with modern psychological insights. This framework allows readers to rethink foundational concepts such as authorship, aesthetic judgment, and the intrinsic properties of cultural artifacts without relying solely on formalist or purely historical analysis.
This volume serves as a valuable resource for students and scholars of philosophy, literary theory, and cognitive studies seeking fresh conceptual tools for interpretation. It will particularly appeal to those interested in how human mental architecture influences artistic reception across literature, film, and visual arts. Situated within contemporary debates on meaning and intentionality, Pignocchi offers a rigorous yet accessible contribution to understanding why human beings remain endlessly fascinated by what an artist intended to convey.