What does mimesis mean in philosophy and art?

Mimesis is a foundational concept in philosophy, aesthetics, and literary criticism referring to the representation of the real world and human actions in art. Originating from ancient Greece, it bridges ideas of imitation, resemblance, and expression. Over time, thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to modern theorists have expanded its scope far beyond simple copying.

What we know

• Mimesis is defined as the representation of aspects of the real world, particularly human actions, in literature and art. [1, 2]
• The ancient Greek term derives from mīmeisthai, meaning to imitate, which itself comes from mimos, meaning imitator or actor. [2]
• Plato famously contrasted mimesis, or imitation, with diegesis, or narrative. [2]
• Erich Auerbach's Mimesis is a well-known modern study of literary realism that begins by comparing Homer's Odyssey with the Bible. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow did Plato contrast mimesis with narrative?
• a case in pointWhat is Erich Auerbach's Mimesis about?
• compared withHow does Mannerism alter artistic balance?
• the bigger pictureWhat was the House of Wisdom in Baghdad?
• what followedHow do artistic genres form and change over time?
• an unexpected connectionHow does Renaissance artistic theory connect to medieval translations?The preservation and translation of classical philosophical texts during the Islamic Golden Age heavily influenced the intellectual environments from which European artistic concepts later emerged.

Sources

• [1]mimesis (Wikidata Q468427) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Mimesis · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Islamic Golden Age · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Mannerism · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]List of genres · CC BY-SA 4.0