From stick figures in the sand and the earliest animals painted and carved in stone,
people worldwide have reacted to the world by making images. The fundamental goal of
art, especially in the past, was to convey meaning and express important ideas, revealing
what was significant to every society, by arresting images. In recognizing the subject
matter of any painting, you have to look at the artist's intentions, which are regularly
connected to social conditions, national or global issues and the demands of the public.
To avoid the pitfalls of judging all art by our own personal experiences and subjective
views, we have to learn the background surrounding the artist when the work was created-
the social and historical conditions of the time and the philosophical views which
affected the way in which the artist viewed the world. (Russell, 1984)
Art is as varied as the life from which it springs and each artist portrays different
aspects of the world they know. Briefly, it may be said that artists paint to discover
truth and to create order. The creators of art make discoveries about the wonders and
beauty of nature and the dignity and nobility of man. They give these concepts an order
to help us understand life in a greater depth. In understanding the history and style of
any period of art, we have to comprehend the balance between social and political
development of that particular era. Within each and every period, development of style
is affected by a response to particular philosophies, social and economic conditions,
political and spiritual influences. World Issues have been reflected in art throughout
the ages, and this premise is supported by three particular periods of time. This is
clearly evident when viewing ancient art, where symbolism was an important part of
society. Also, through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, where art was a critical
form of expression and finally in the modern age of art where even in looking into the
works of individual artists, one can get a sense of the feelings and events of the time
and the world. Let us now examine theses three periods in detail, to support this
hypothesis.
If we are aware of meaning of religious, political, or other symbols, it will better our
understanding of the frame of mind of the artist. Each piece of art is unique, a
reflection of the artist's perceptions, insights and experiences. Certain aspects of the
world are often exaggerated, or eliminated, while the art reflects both the period and
the artists own orientation. Aristotle once said that "Art is the human intelligence
playing over the natural scene, ingeniously affecting it toward fulfillment of human
purposes." (Bronowski 64) This wonderful world of creation began in ancient times, when
people first created images to express their response to the world around them. Various
civilizations in the past painted images preparing to understand life after death.
Another favorite subject was the glorification of gods and rulers. The subject which an
artist selects for a painting depends largely upon the time in which he/she lives. A
painter painting in the middle ages would probably have picked a religious subject, for
that was almost the only kind of topic portrayed at the time. Still, outside factors of
current events and different world issues would greatly effect the artists state of mind,
and therefore his paintings.
As you look into the ancient past of Egypt, it is quite interesting to note the
bureaucracy in the times of 3000 BC, which helps us to understand the art work
accomplished in these times. As the Egyptians were united under one central government
and ruled by a pharaoh, they were organized by control through a tightly organized
bureaucracy. The Pharaoh dominated all facets of the peoples lives. The people dreamed
of afterlife as a reward for their hard work while living, and often depicted afterlife
where the spirit could find pleasure wandering unseen among the living. The palace art
and architecture of these ancient kingdoms was intended to emphasize a hierarchical
ordering of society, form ruler, to subject. Egypt's tombs and temples were ornamented
with paintings of great distinction. A painting at the tomb of Theber shows floral
offerings being made to the hawk god Mentu. This is highly stylized and rich, showing
the worshipping of animal gods at the time.
In Greece around the same time period, the mainland and the islands were settled by
non-Greek tribes from Asia minor. In Crete, a civilization evolved to rival the wealth
and sophistication of surrounding places, like Egypt. In later years, these people named
Aninoicens had become quite wealthy from trade with the near east. This point of trade
was controversial to what they initially believed in. The art of these new times were
filled with glowing images of floral and fauna , portraying a society that had a love for
nature and beauty. Before, their painting would contain feelings of angst and
bitterness.
As time progressed, the good times were limited by many wars and hostile grounds. In
1250 BC, during the Trojan war, the minoins developed a new form of monumental art to
mark the graves of the numerous dead The size and function of these vases brought them
closer to sculpture than most pottery. These monumental vases were painted in abstract,
and geometrical patterns with no reference to the naturalness of minoin life. Often
portrayed, were scenes depicting a moment in the individuals life, or a burial scene to
commemorate the dead.
As we proceed through the times and move to the fifth century, you can see that this era
was dominated by the city of Athens when Athenian drama, poetry, philosophy and politics
ruled. In times of the Persian wars, naturalness of action in narrative painting and
relief carving came together. This emphasized human dignity in free standing sculptures.
Life size statues were created for the first time, most of these, including the famous
Kouros and Kritos boy, stand with one foot forward, as if they were heading off to war.
Artists put into their pictures our common hopes, ideals, dreams and passions and show us
their meaning and value concerning issues surrounding the times. Creators in all the
arts make fascinating discoveries about the wonders and the world along with the
naturalness, movement and structure of the human form. They give these an order which
enables us to see and understand the past and past life with greater depth.
Christianity spread slowly throughout the western world, becoming an official religion
of the roman empire in the fourth century. By this time, the empire was falling apart,
so there was a stiff and formal style of art called Byzantine. This style lasted for
centuries, until conditions were greatly improved.
During the middle ages, extending from 500, to 1500, the church was the source of main
stability in western Europe and the monasteries alone kept the artistic culture alive.
Beginning in the twelfth century, life for most people became more secure. Towns grew,
trade excelled and industry began to prosper. Large, quickly growing towns became
centers of wealth, learning and especially art. In northern Europe, a true gothic style
developed, best known for the magnificent cathedrals and stain glass windows created in
this era. This high rise in town life, brought with it a spirit of inquiry and
invention. A famous painting created in the Byzantine style of this time was 'The
Madonna of Angels' by Giovanni Anabue. In this painting, it is noted that Mary and Jesus
are on a throne surrounded by angels. Although portrayed as lifeless, the figures begin
to take on more human characteristics than ever before, for town life increased the
knowledge of the artists, coming together and improving their styles.
By the latter half of this civilization, there was a shift to more gracious, enjoyable
lifestyles, characterized by courtly art expressing grand splendor. In France at this
time, scholarly art took on secular elegance, while in the court of Louis IX. Pressures
of a secular society made gothic artists turn towards elegance and fashion- especially in
Wells cathedral, which was then erected. This was an architectural masterpiece
commissioned by the king, with enlightening Christian murals to symbolize the wealth and
good times, and to welcome the prosperous times ahead.
The development of the Flemish school of painting in the fifteenth century marked the
end of the great gothic period. This happened just in time for a rebirth in painting -
the ever famous Renaissance period. In this period of exploration, invention and
discovery, artists traveled to new lands seeking fresh ideas, also studying the world and
the heavens. Here, a culture of antiquity was rediscovered. Artists in this period,
with increased knowledge of the world, began to study anatomy, science and mathematics
involving perspective and dimension. Art was exciting, particularly in the high
Renaissance, yet the times were troubled. Discoveries in science were changing the ways
man thought of himself. The growth of wealth and the discovery of new lands had
triggered a struggle for r power and many wars resulted. The challenges which this age
brought fourth, fortunately spurred a group of brilliant artists. Younger, Holland and
Flanders are some of the many well known artists of this era.
As you can now notice, as we go as far back as the European middle ages and ancient
times, art was a valuable form of expression, as it depicted feelings and recorded events
which were occurring in various countries. In these times, where very few people were
literate, art was an important way an individual could explain stories of the world with
great expression.
Ever since the colonial times, there has been a strong tradition of realism in the
United States. George Bellows and Ben Shahn were both social realists who painted
members of the working class and their problems and pleasures. Painters like these were
rejected from the art academy's and salons because of this supposedly vulgar and improper
subject matter. These wealthy, authoritative figures believed that painters should paint
to represent nymphs, gods , holy images, or at the least, aristocrats. In one of Shawn's
paintings, titled 'Mine Disaster', he represented a scene of a tragedy which occurred
close to his home. He depicted a calamitous scene of a gathering of relatives waiting
for news of a mining accident. Although he was basically a realist, he included some
abstract impressionism in the background to reinforce the sense of desolation and create
tenseness, grief and anxiety.
Painting developed later in England than in the other European countries, partly because
of the fact that both Henry the eighth and Thomas Cromwell destroyed the works of art in
English churches and cathedrals. They believed that there were some hidden meanings, or
false biblical references which they could not understand. Contrary to the beliefs of
these rulers, many artists believed that art may be the key to existence and that artwork
remained one possible way of speaking truth in a world of chaos. After the restoration
of the Stuart rulers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, people of wealth in
England preferred to employ foreign artists.
The Neoclassical period began in 1789. It combined a new scientific approach and
appealed to the intellectual who believed in power of reason to uplift society. This
movement became associated with republican ideas of revolution and was said to belong to
the age of "reason and revolution".( Russel 25) Flowing this period, in the early
eighteenth century, a period labeled Romanticism evolved. In this period, confidence in
reason and artificiality of court life was characterized by a great value of emotion.
Often there was an incorporated fascination with untamed nature, picturesque or exotic
themes. For the most part, times were good, life was simple and wild imagery in art
reelected a carefree nature. Realism and social protest occurred at the beginning of the
nineteenth century; the inception of the industrial revolution encouraged a capitalist
economy. The paintings of this time involved social criticism of many political figures,
judicial and police systems, to rebel against the changing ways. Again, the realistic
portrayals of daily life were rejected by the authoritative standards of the academy-
especially the honorary 'Salon of Paris'. This brought about an artistic rebellion
called impressionism, where artists painted directly against the standards of the salon.
Suitably, they called themselves impressionists. These artists wanted to portray the
immediacy of a moment and in doing so, capture the truth of the times and the lives they
lived. There were four main influences on these artists, these were the newly introduced
camera, the art of past artists, the afresh obtained, imported Japanese woodcuts and new
scientific discoveries in light and color. With the introduction of the camera, artists
were no longer needed to transcribe reality, therefore they were forced to find new
outlets of artistic expression. With Japanese art to study from, there were new and
exciting techniques to try and replicate. Through this age of revolution, a growing
movement towards freedom for personal expression in subject matter, techniques and style
of art were signaled.
These periods of expression were merely buildups to the advanced movements and rapid
changes of the art in the twentieth century. Even before the triggering point of the
times- being the first world war, many post war artists became engrossed in highly
personalized interpretations- antibiotics, computerization, electronic transistors and
the prospects of an atomic world. A brief feminist movement became a passionate cause
for some, combining feelings with a response to the real world. Still, the world was
preparing for the technological breakthroughs to come.
Out of the mystification of changing needs and changing material, art of the twentieth
century, through creative minds, brought measures of logic into play. Following a brief
euphoria of World war one, arts in the depression became more socially conscious,
realistic and nationalistic. Realism derived from traditional American art, which was
basically expressionism with strong emotional overtones, focusing on feelings involved in
such somber times. It was said that "The future of art no longer seems to lie with
creation of enduring masterpieces, but with defining alternative cultural
strategies."(McHall, 206)
Up until the twentieth century, painting in Canada was solely dominated by French and
English styles. This was until 1910, when the group of seven set out to develop a
nationalistic style by expressing true Canadian spirit in their paintings. The portrayal
of landscapes made Canadians aware of the magnificence of their own country and fostered
a pride in a particular comeliness.
During World War II, a number of European painters ventured to the United States, where
they had a profound effect on young painters. After the war, a group of these artists
initialed a movement that became famous throughout the world and served as a model for
artists everywhere. This was called abstract expressionism. The artists produced works
which were noticeably larger in size, energetic in effect and incredibly individualistic
in character. Initially, these paintings illustrated war scenes and images commemorating
the soldiers who had perished, but following the war, the paintings were continued to be
produced, with a change in subject matter. These works convey the strength and
confidence of a powerful country, but they were also private statements proclaiming the
"importance of the individual in the face of pressures for conformity and
depersonalization."(comptons '96) With this strong movement, the United states became
the center of the western art world for the first time in history.
When looking into the lives of individual artists, you can see how events which effected
them and the emotions projected by various events were revealed through paint. Picasso
is an incredibly interesting painter to study, for he had an adventurous life involving
strong emotion. Picasso played an important role in some of the many different movements
of the early twentieth century. He formed a style called his 'blue' period between 1901
and 1904 where he illustrated elements of melancholy, dominated by subjects of vagabonds,
beggars, prostitutes, poverty stricken and deprived people. He abandoned all rules of
linear perspective and overlapped planes even as he went through his rose period, where
his subject matter contained mostly dancers, acrobats and harlequins.
Through many more years, he experimented with increasingly analytical and geometric
forms while continuing to develop a unique cubist technique, making paintings less
"rigorous and austere"(cd rom). His masterpiece , "Guernica", was his moving vision of
the Spanish civil war. It was his response to the 1937 bombing by the fascist forces of
the small Basque town. This was a great emotional/political statement, which combined
violent distortion of images, with a restrained subtlety of colour. Between two
marriages, he also had a mistress named Francoise Gilot. His meetings with Gilot
inspired Picasso to create a charming series of paintings featuring mythology and
including representations of fauns, nymphs and pipers- quite different from his usual
style. As Picasso remained in France throughout World war II, he was forbidden to show
his work, and he joined the French communist party. A number of his paintings then
expressed the horror of the war ( The Charnel House 1945) and following this sequence, he
responded to the Korean war by Painting 'War and Peace'-1952, and 'Massacre in
Korea'-1951. It is very obvious to see that the worldwide events which took place in
Picasso's life time greatly effected his subject matter and his feelings.
The second world war was a watershed for art, while Nazi occupation of Paris helped to
break down the dam to be the home of modern art. Artists fled to the United States to
escape the fascism. The success of the United States in the cold war was measured by the
fact that within a decade of the end of World war II, the United States enjoyed a
cultural reputation, fitting into a higher global power status. The Soviet Union at this
time was committed to crude socialist realism, suppressing other kinds of art like
abstract expressionism. In turn, the United States embodied all the U.S.S.R denied.
A trend that arose in the late 1950's was a reaction against abstract expressionism, it
was labeled popart. Rather than avoiding references to mass culture, pop artists
accepted and used them. Popular subject matter were soft drink bottles, hamburgers, gas
stations, comic strips, billboards and airplanes. In using these popular images, artists
celebrated the technological culture and revealed it's insolence and cheapness. Andy
Warhol is probably the most famous pop artist. In his work he clearly illustrates the
influence of machine production. Often his repeated portraits of identical images were
based on photographs that had been enlarged by mechanical means. This style provides a
multiplicity of views and moods of attractive women ( in most cases). This style was
supposed to represent a wild zest for life which these women possessed. " This was also
meant to give the art a sense of abiding and fascinating tension."(Bronowski 14)
In modern times, nationalist art became an important topic as well as internationalism
in the art world. At any given time, in major cities worldwide, work from many nations
are on show. Even though we except the fact that the global art scene consists of a
network of cosmopolitan cities, it is becoming increasingly obvious that art recognizes
no boundaries in present day. Robert Motherwell stated in 1966 that "Art is not
national, to be merely an American or French painter is to be nothing; to fall to
overcome ones initial environment is never to reach the human." Even in the early part
of this century, but progressing through the years, artists saw themselves as
internationally linked by aesthetic and conceptual issues with universal readings.
Globalization in this case is revealed as a preferable substitute to nationalism. It is
actually dangerously misleading to label art of the past or present into national
packages. In today's world it is difficult for post colonial nations to maintain
identity and integrity in the global art world. There is no guarantee that national art
will flourish in the world and raise profile, it depends on the initial economic support.
There have been small national successes, for instance in Haiti, murals were painted on
the city walls to celebrate "new Haiti" in 1986. This event bore witness to national
solidarity in the face of oppression. It brought future hopes and a vehicle for
communication for a country where 90% are illiterate.(Buck, 1991)
The modern age of reason promised to resolve all problems through the application of
science. Art of this time echoed a preoccupation with technology and environment.
Today, many artists feel liberated from tradition and rules and feel free to follow any
exploration, but as these artists are witness to many global events, tragedies and
breakthroughs, these are often reflected in their works. Fad and fashion are nurtured by
mass media and artists struggle to do anything to capture attention. Enormous diversity
characterizes present day painting. This diversity is characteristic of modern life, and
each style reflects, questions, or analyses some aspects of contemporary society.
"Through painting, the artist expresses ideas and emotions, as well as a version of the
reality he or she perceives, in a two dimensional visual form."(cd rom) Some artists
paint concrete forms with which viewers are generally familiar with and some try to
create entirely abstract relationships. The way a painting is constructed does not
change the fact that as life goes on, and world events weather negative or beneficial
occur, these events are reflected through the universal language of art. To study the
paintings of any age is to look in the diverse interpretations of the era in which they
were produced. Through painting, artists can give expressions of their own ideas and
emotions corresponding to personal, national or global topics. As painting depicts the
lives we live, it can also quite clearly be stated that an appreciation of painting and
all art forms, can also deepen and enrich the lives we live.
Daily Logs
March 19th '96
I have already had an interview with Mr. Cramm and decided to do my SIP on Art and how
world issues have been reflected in art throughout the ages. This well be an interesting
project for me because I am an art major, and enjoy every aspect of art and art history.
It will be interesting to incorporate the two subjects. Today I met with Kath Peer to
set up times when she can teach me and show me some of her slides. I also took out some
art history books from the Unionville H.S. library.
March 20th '96
This morning I went to the Unionville public library and took out some more books on art
history. I began looking into them and making notes. I have formalized an introduction
and basically organized my essay (and the messages I want to convey). I need to book
another interview before I do any more, but I feel that I have a stable start to this
project.
March 21st '96
Today I talked to Kath Peer for a while on her ideas for which time periods I should
study, and which world issues I should look in to. I'm going to try and set out some
timelines to help. Today I also read some of my "art in the ancient world" book- I feel
I should read a bit before I start taking serious notes.
March 27th '96
Today I planned on going in for an interview, but unfortunately I missed my but, so K
continued reading the history books to familiarize myself with my general topic. So far
I have read into ancient Greek and Roman art/issues and started into renaissance. I have
set dates for myself, so that I can start organizing my time and working hard to meet the
deadline.
April 2nd '96
Today I managed to accomplish a lot of work on my essay. I have read and now made notes
on many interesting and informative books, and as of today, I have recorded a lot of
useful material.
April 12th '96
I researched the life, art and livelihood of Pablo Picasso today. I wanted to go into
detail with a couple of famous artists lives, and I think Picasso was a great choice. A
lot of his paintings were impressions of wars and events which occurred in his lifetime-
which he had very strong feelings towards. I have almost finished my note making, and
just need to look more in detail to the past century (20th) of art.
April 17th '96
Wow! Finally I am finished a long and hard battle of note making. This morning I went
through my twenty seven pages of rough notes and highlighted them all according to the
three major time areas I am focusing on. Now I can finally get on to the easy part- the
essay writing.
May 6th '96
I have spent the past three nights writing the first copy of my essay. The notes and
examples came together very nicely, and I feel that I have written a substantially good
essay. I still have to type it and edit, but most of the work is done and I feel fairly
competent of what I have accomplished.
May 25th '96
My Essay is done- written, edited, spell checked and printed. Today I organized basic
notes for my presentation which will occur on the 31st of this month. I recently spoke
with my new art teacher Ms. Spittle and she has some interesting ideas about my topic, so
soon I will be speaking to her again and finalizing my plans. This has been an all round
enjoyable project, and I feel that I did not need to take a large amount of quotes, or
even basic ideas from books, because of the extensive knowledge I already have in art
history.
Works Cited
Bevetzin, Norman. The Arts in Canada. Copp Clark Publishing, Toronto: 1977
Bronowski, J. The Visionary Eye. The MIT Press, Mass.: 1978
Buck, Louis. Relative Values. PBC Books, London England: 1991
Casson, Jean. The Concise Encyclopedia of Symbolism. Chartwell Books Inc.,New Jersey:
1979
Clark, Kenneth. The Romantic Rebellion. Butler and Tanner Ltd., Great Britain: 1973
Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia. Tribune New Media/Education Company: 1992- 1995
Osbourne, Harold. Oxford Companion to Art. Oxford University Press, England: 1970
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