art through the ages

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