A companion to History of Beauty, this illustrated volume looks at what Western culture has judged ugly, repulsive or frightening. Eco and his collaborators follow the theme through images and texts, from monsters and demons to the grotesque, torture, disease and the cruel, and on to the ugliness of modern life.
The book shows that ideas of ugliness are tied to the values of each age, and that beauty is often defined by what it refuses. It is a curious tour of art and cultural history.