Art Values

People from all eras have communicated what they value through art, architecture and style. This statement is obvious.

The first example I will discuss is that of the ancient Egyptian society. Their society was one that was based upon death. Everything in their lives revolved around preparing themselves for the afterlife. Included in that is their paintings; they contained the entire figure of the human, making sure their was no limb left unseen, for fear that it would not be their in the after life. Another example of how the ancient Egyptian s values were expressed through art was the lavish funerary complexes built for their pharaohs. They were monstrous, and intended entirely to help propel the deceased pharaoh into the next life.

Ancient Greece was a society of self-perceived beauty. They loved to look at themselves, especially if they were male. They male gender was perceived as perfection in that time period, and as such it should be portrayed in all of its glory, hence the no clothing policy. They sculpted, painted and created in what they believed to be perfection. They created all buildings in perfect rectangles, since they believed that rectangles were the epitome of perfection, the golden section if you will. Greek art was a portrayal of their ideals, which is why most people call this period the idealistic stage in Art history.

The Romans were very much like their Greek counter parts. Romans, as a whole, loved Greek art. They enjoyed looking at it and even the style it was used in. Thus, they copied the style, but with subtle differences. First, they were clothed, the most IMPORTANT fact. They also believed in realism instead of idealism. They portrayed their art the way it looked, rather than the way it should. For architecture, they loved circles, or at least round ideas. They were the inventors of the arch. As such they were able to create beautiful buildings, line the Pantheon in Rome (not the Parthenon on the acropolis). By illustrating the real instead of the ideal, they were able to create magnificent war scenes, which is what their culture was driven by; war.

Next, the medieval period of art as relates to the values of society, shown in art. This was a society built upon its religion, specifically Christianity. They built gigantic houses of worship (churches) which were and are magnificent. They were so large that they had to have flying buttresses (an arch at the side) just to hold them up. This was also a period of extremely evangelistic painting. Most paintings were religion driven, usually of Christ or Mary, in some fashion! Now unlike the Romans, this was a not a period of high realism. Most of the paintings were in some way abstract or unrealistic. For example the painting of the HUGE baby (Christ) and his mother with the rather long neck. So, this was a period of high religion, low realism, but still a period of art that expressed its values.

The final period of art that I will discuss is the Renaissance. This was a period of extremely high intelligence and a return to the classical ideals, Renaissance means rebirth. The artisans of this time period were well versed in everything from philosophy to art, from mathematics to biology. The people of this period valued art and all of its components. Their religion was once again the prevalent artistic device used. For example, Michelangelo was hired by the pope to paint the Sistine chapel. Most of the artwork of this period was driven by the ideals of realism.

These are just a few small examples of how art runs through History, and of how art is a reflection of the society it is created in.