Ut pictura theatrum. I “Salons” di Diderot e il teatro della filosofia

Abstract

This essay examines Diderot’s Salons as a crossroads of philosophy, painting, and theatre, showing how ekphrastic writing transforms art criticism into a genuine dramaturgy of thought. Through the analysis of the Promenade Vernet, the Antre de Platon, and L’Accordée de village, it brings to light a conception of representation grounded in gesture, pantomime, tableau, and the spectator’s absorption. In Diderot, the relation among the arts is not a matter of simple analogy, but a generative process involving structure, action, and the formation of images. What emerges is an idea of ut pictura theatrum in which painting condenses a scene and writing reactivates it, becoming a privileged vehicle for passions, judgment, and philosophical reflection.