Not only the "beautiful," but also the "sublime" and the "uncanny" are fundamental concepts of aesthetics, just like form and function, image and sign, reality and virtuality. In his introduction, Gerhard Schweppenhäuser vividly explains these and other basic concepts and presents the most important debates on aesthetics from the Early Modern period to the present. Through exemplary analyses of artworks, he draws on semiotics, communication theory, critical theory, hermeneutics, and systems theory, explaining them in the process. Finally, the current changes in our understanding of images and art are also explored. An essential book for anyone who wants to evaluate art, design, or literature not just instinctively, but with clear and reasoned judgments.