Illustrating Kant’s Aesthetic Theory: Mime, Pantomime, Commedia dell’Arte

Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgement, a seminal work in the history of aesthetics, contains some puzzling passages about mime and gesture. This article examines these references as well as Kant’s claims about commedia dell’arte, considering his remarks in the cultural and intellectual context of eighteenth-century Prussia. It proposes that looking at Kant’s minor publications and texts such as his lectures on anthropology can help us better understand these passages as well as his broader account of the arts and aesthetic theory. Conversely, Kant’s aesthetic theory can clarify his remarks on mime and commedia dell’arte. The analysis shows that Kant’s thoughts on mime and commedia are expressed in terms of his evolving account of aesthetic pleasure: from the early focus on the principle of sensible comprehension to the mature account of the free play of the imagination and understanding. In short, Kant’s aesthetic theory clarifies his remarks on mime, pantomime, and commedia, and those remarks in turn illustrate aspects of his aesthetic theory.