Influential thinker: Pater is known as an essayist, literary critic, and theorist who made significant contributions to the Aesthetic Movement https://literariness.org/2017/11/14/walter-pater-and-aestheticism/. His ideas on art for art's sake became a central doctrine of the movement.

The Renaissance: His most famous work is likely "The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry" (1873) https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6423748.Walter_Pater. This book outlined his approach to art and is considered by many to be a manifesto of Aestheticism.

Beyond criticism: Pater wasn't just an art critic. He was also a gifted writer of fiction and essays. Some of his other works include "Marius the Epicurean" and "Imaginary Portraits."

Legacy: Pater is regarded as one of the great stylists of his time. His work influenced many other writers and thinkers, and his ideas on aesthetics continue to be debated today