Marcus Aurelius's most admired Stoic writing focuses not on grand monuments like the Colosseum or aqueducts, but on small natural details — a grain stalk bending under its weight, the sound of plucking a grape, the furrowed brow of a lion.
He was actively seeking beauty within violent and dark environments, such as the carnage of the Colosseum.
The Stoic exercise involves deliberately looking for beauty in ordinary or grim surroundings, not just appreciating obvious pleasures like a sunset.
This practice extends to finding beauty in mundane objects, like the grain patterns on a table.