Lovers of art surely have heard of these two terms before but may be unsure of the distinction between them.
In this article, we are going to take a look at the differences.
| Aesthetic | Esthetic |
| Refers to the appreciation of beauty. | Refers to the application of beauty. |
| The feeling or experience of looking at something beautiful. | The intention or goal of making something look beautiful. |
| In music, aesthetic elements of a piece are what give it its beauty. | In music, esthetic elements are what makes it pleasing to the ear. |
| More overt, such as the use of bright colors or pretty melodies. | More subtle, such as the use of dynamics or dissonance in music. |
| Includes things that are pretty, whether or not they have a purpose. | Includes things are that purposefully made to be pretty. |
Put simply, aesthetic refers to the appreciation of beauty while esthetic refers to the application of beauty.
Aesthetic is more about the feeling or experience of looking at something beautiful, while esthetic is more about the intention or goal of making something look beautiful.
For example, a landscape painter may strive to create an aesthetically pleasing work of art, while a plastic surgeon may aim to create an esthetically pleasing result from surgery.
Artists may also focus on one or the other. A painter may be more concerned with the aesthetic appeal of their work, while a sculptor may be more interested in the esthetic qualities of their sculptures.
For art forms like music, it can be a little more difficult to make a distinction between the two. However, one could say that the aesthetic elements of a piece of music are what give it its beauty, while the esthetic elements are what make it pleasing to the ear.
Esthetic elements can be more subtle, such as the use of dynamics or dissonance in music, while aesthetic elements are more overt, such as the use of bright colors or pretty melodies.
People value aesthetic things for many different reasons. Some people may appreciate the beauty of a sunset simply because it is beautiful, while others may see it as a symbol of hope or peace.
Similarly, people may appreciate esthetic things for different reasons. Some people may like the way a certain type of surgery makes them look, while others may appreciate the skill and technique that went into creating a beautiful piece of art.
Aesthetic includes things that are pretty, whether or not they have a purpose.
Esthetic includes things that are purposefully made to be pretty.
No matter what the reason, it is clear that both aesthetic and esthetic things are important to people, especially for art lovers.
Another examples of aesthetic might be a beautiful piece of jewelry or a well-tailored suit. An example of esthetic would be a makeup application that makes someone’s features look more symmetrical or a haircut that frames someone’s face nicely.
