“The word ‘art’ does not exist in Greek; the only concept used by the Greeks was techne, which is not ‘technique’ but rather the ability to understand how to do something in a way that makes it agathòs—that is, usable, useful.
‘Agathòs’ means good in the sense that it serves its purpose in the best way, like a brave soldier in battle.
In Italian, even today, we say “a beautiful plate of spaghetti,” not meaning that it is visually beautiful, but that it is good, the best expression of the recipe.
Italians are the most thoughtful philosophers in the world, but they are unaware of it.
[…]
It is not beauty that will save the world or save us: it is quite the opposite.
Our task is to try to save beauty.”
(Philippe Daverio, What is beauty)
Philippe Louis François Daverio (1949–2020) was an Italian art historian, art critic, television presenter, gallery owner, and politician of French origin.