“This painting is beautiful” is a statement about the reaction of the speaker’s brain upon seeing the painting.
Well, not only the speaker, otherwise it’d be completely equivalent to “I like this painting” which it isn’t. It is a claim about ambijective features of the painting—more or less “this painting has certain features such that brains (at least those raised in cultural contexts similar to us) typically produce pleasant reactions”.
Well, not only the speaker, otherwise it’d be completely equivalent to “I like this painting” which it isn’t. It is a claim about ambijective features of the painting—more or less “this painting has certain features such that brains (at least those raised in cultural contexts similar to us) typically produce pleasant reactions”.
As I understand it, “This painting is beautiful” is completely equivalent to “I like (the visual aspects of) this painting”.
Definitional arguments are not useful. Even using your interpretation, the point stands: the statement, properly understood, is empirical truth.