Quick History Of Art Essay, Research Paper
Quick History of Art
Essay submitted by Dylan Valade
Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the
artist’s culture. As man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed.
Our tour definitely showed the drastic changes in different cultures’ art. Each culture
and era presents very distinct characteristics. Through time and experimentation, we
have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our art.
Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians
needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most
important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on
after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of
the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was
were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the
strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are
always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a
vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were
seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the torso, and profile of the head.
Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god Horus, a bird, is
found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the
artists. The emphasis was on the patron.
Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both
cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the
Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting.
After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark
pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his
decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and
not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the
color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as
possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their
works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the
Egyptians’. Unlike Egyptians, the Greeks refined their techniques. Greeks used marble to
construct their sculptures. It was considered more valuable and beautiful than any
material available. They softened the lines of the body. Greek sculptors slowly
perfected every contour in the human figure. Greek people viewed the human body as
something beautiful and so they depicted nude men. Women were eventually nude but
only when there was a reason, they needed to be bathing or something where they
would be naked. They people that are sculpted are always young and their bodies are
still idealized. The Greeks invented contrapposto, the relaxed natural stance of a
sculpture. A figure that is standing in contrapposto becomes a sculpture in the round,
meaning that the emphasis is not only on a frontal view but also from all angles. The
Hellenistic Period emerged as the Romans began to produce some of the finest art in
history. This new revolutionary style was incredible. Figures weren’t confined to the
unnatural or boring positions they had for centuries. All body parts were in perfect
proportion. These statues came alive as their limbs reached out into space. Vacant
stares evolved into human emotions, which were easily recognized on their faces. I
think this renaissance portrayed the way people were thinking. They were exploring
philosophy, religion, and politics. This was a time for rebirth.
Christian art was introduced during the middle of the second century. In many cases
the only difference between Christian art and Hellenistic art is the religious subject
matter. After a slow start the Christians introduced something new, the mosaic.
Mosaics became a favorite medium for decorating churches. Man was viewed in
religious scenes due to the spread of Christianity.
Byzantine and medieval art was very representative. The artists’ ability to produce
lifelike figures had regressed. The emphasis was not on man anymore. Their art was
made to glorify God.
The fifteenth century marked the arrival of the Renaissance. Artists have finally
recaptured the amazing detail and realism that the Greeks and Romans perfected.
Artists pushed the limits with new exciting mediums and bright colors. Filippo
Brunelleschi, allowed artists to determine the relative size of each figure by inventing
the vanishing point perspective. With that tool it was possible to put everything in
perfect proportion. Humans were not always idealized as they were in earlier centuries.
Many elderly people are found in the paintings.
Neoclassical paintings commonly showed contemporary garments and scenes. History
painting became very popular. A larger transition was made when color was used to set
a mood or express inner feelings. Nothing like this had ever been considered. Man
viewed his experiences as important stepping stones. To assure that experiences aren’t
forgotten they were preserved in artworks. Humans are often used in modern art.
Although the people may appear very large or important, they are usually just vehicles
used to convey a message to the audience. In Segal’s Red Light, we saw a man walking
alone in front of n old truck. The man was not colored at all. He seemed to be
sauntering across a street at night. A feeling of depression or sadness surrounds the
man. The human is not important but the emotion is. Most of the modern art uses the
human body to portray a feeling or emotion. Rarely will you find any new art that
displays a humans because they extraordinary. Romantic landscaping is incredible. The
idea of most of these pieces is to show how insignificant man is. Before humans were
always the center of attention but now here they are almost trivial. Artists like Thomas
Cole show us what is pure and simple. The paintings use a lot of color to create very
natural, unaffected scenes. It seems that we come upon these landscapes almost by
accident. They depict ideal settings that are unscathed by the injustices of the world.
In my opinion, the beauty of these works is unsurpassed by any other art. Through the
ages each culture had its own interpretation of what the human body means. I have
briefly explained a few of the broadest views of the human body. In order to explain
one in great detail would take volumes. I thoroughly enjoyed Mona’s tour of the
museum and I hope to see her there again.