the first use of the term aesthetics in something like its modern sense is commonly attributed to alexander baumgarten in 1735. there are several works that seek to survey the history of aesthetics as a whole. beardsley 1966 remains the most readable and accessible survey, useful for dipping into for particular periods as well as for gaining an illuminating overview when read right through. bosanquet 2005 and gilbert and kuhn 1939 are both authoritative and informative, if somewhat dated in their perspective. tatarkiewicz 2006 is a monumental work, especially useful for obscure details and for original source material. kelly 1998 is an encyclopedia covering a large range of topics in aesthetics, including informative entries on the major historical figures.