ABSTRACT
Artists and other creative people have long made use of silence in their work, finding silence conducive to their Muse or incorporating it into the very fabric of their art. Artists may also decide that it is appropriate to fall silent publicly in respect of their work or even of art in general. Silence may be manifest in many different forms and techniques, enhancing the beauty and meaning of a creative work. It may be an object of contemplation or praise, or the theme of a narrative, or an intrinsic part of a work’s structure. The chapter reviews the literature and poetry, along with drama, dance, film, television, and music, in order to underline the importance of silence in the arts. The silence of an artist or writer himself may simply reflect a particular type of personality, or a disinclination to distract attention from the work of art itself.
