Abstract: The rejection of beauty from a political standpoint is a significant part of the legacy of avant-gardism in contemporary art. In particular, Arthur Danto signalled that artistic activism should avoid beauty simply because beauty induces the wrong perspective on whatever it is desired to have an impact upon. While beauty’s tendency would be to heal, he claimed, political protest needs anger as its trigger. By examining the complex nature of both, beauty and anger, this paper challenges such an argument that opposes beauty’s emotional effects on political action. I contest a mere contemplative view of beauty and, using Carolyn Korsmeyer’s account of “terrible beauties”, bound up with discomforting emotions, I defend that beauty can be compatible with anger albeit a sort of anger that moves from the wish to punish towards more productive forward-looking thoughts. Because, being necessary as a signal of wrongdoing and a source of motivation, I believe, following Martha Nussbaum, that anger is politically truly effective and keeps its noble side when detached from revenge yet directed by hope, value akin to beauty.

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