: In Christian art, the suffering and lacerated body of Christ was depicted with gruesome detail to emphasize divinity through agony, transforming physical ugliness into a metaphysical grace . Key Themes in the Taxonomy

A write-up for (originally Storia della bruttezza ), the seminal 2007 work edited by philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco , explores the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of what humans find repellent . Core Thesis and Structure

Book review: "On Ugliness" by Umberto Eco - Patrick T. Reardon

: Eco suggests that while we can observe beauty dispassionately, ugliness forces an immediate, visceral emotional response—typically disgust, fear, or repulsion .