What do you picture when someone says art? Is it the Mona Lisa or maybe a marble sculpture that was constructed hundreds upon hundreds of years ago? What exactly is art? Noah Webster declares that art can be divided into two categories: mechanic and liberal (Webster). According to his 1828 dictionary, the mechanic arts are those in which the hands and body are more concerned than the mind: as in making clothes and utensils (Webster). These arts are called trades (Webster). The liberal arts are those in which the mind or imagination is chiefly concerned, such as poetry, music, and painting (Webster). The definition of art clearly shows that it is more than paintings, but is poetry, music, trades, etc. In the book Marvelous to Behold, by Courtney and Sanford, the authors write that art is an artifact, made by man, whose primary purpose is beauty or contemplation. Art is something that is around us every day, whether it is in our homes or in public places. Through art we are able to learn about the history of a culture, we are able to see how it acts as a universal language, and we are able to understand that it is more than paintings. Indeed, art is essential to cultures.
By studying art we can glimpse what life was like during the time period the art was created. Without art, we would live in a bland world unable to progress because art records the triumphs and failures of countries and people. Through art, we can learn from past mistakes and try to make the world a better place. Art is an artifact, made by man, whose primary purpose is beauty or contemplation (Courtney and Sanford 5). Because the Egyptians left behind art, we are able to understand what their culture was like in detail and observe the beauty of the artifacts left behind. Much of what we know from ancient Egypt comes from the surviving tombs…..wall paintings and hieroglyphics were a form of instant replay, inventorying the deceased’s life and daily activities in minute detail (Strickland 9). Without the art the Egyptians left behind, we would know little about their culture. From Ancient Greek art, we can learn about Grecian lifestyles and culture. The Greeks sought a synthesis of the two poles of human behavior-passion and reason-and, through their artistic portrayal of the human form (often in motion), they came close to achieving it (Strickland 13). Thousands of years later, Ancient Greek sculptures remain beautiful in the eyes of many around the world. Though missing her head, the statue of Nike of Samothrace attracts millions every year to the Louvre in Paris, France. The Bayeux Tapestry is an example of a singular, elegant piece of artwork that tells the history of a culture. Totaling 70 meters long, this tapestry has an entire museum dedicated to it (bayeuxmuseum.com). The Bayeux Tapestry is a masterpiece of 11th-century Romanesque art, which was presumably commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother, to embellish his newly-built cathedral in Bayeux, France in 1077. The Tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy (bayeuxmuseum.com). There are 58 scenes, 626 characters, and 202 horses depicted in this piece of artwork (bayeuxmuseum.com). The Bayeux Tapestry is an account of the medieval period in Normandy and England like no other. It provides information about civil and military architecture such as castle mounds, armor consisting of a nasal helmet, hauberk, oblong shield, and seafaring in the Viking tradition. Through the great number of items depicted, it also gives precious details of everyday life in the 11th century (bayeuxmuseum.com). While looking at this tapestry one is able to learn a great deal about the history of English culture in one piece of artwork. Indeed, art is important to cultures because it preserves the history of the world.
Artists can speak to people through their art, thus making art a universal language. Art can connect us to the author, painter, musician, creator, or sculptor making us feel what they feel and perceive what they perceive. “Artists are people just the same as you and me and experience feelings of depression, anger, joy, and peace and they play out these emotions in their artwork. This gives art a very personal and emotional quality. This connects people of all nationalities, languages, and ages” (Kimberly). Art is about communicating ideas, thoughts, and emotions whether it be through music, poetry, literature, or paintings. People from all nationalities are able to connect with the artist through their works no matter what language we speak, or where we are born. Michelangelo’s sculpture of the Pieta is displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. It is a dramatic masterpiece portraying Mary holding Jesus Christ. This sculpture is full of emotion and the viewer can feel it radiating off of the statue. Millions visit the palace of Versailles every year. The message that this massive piece of lavish architecture communicates is one of spoils. Ironically, the palace has been nicknamed the palace of pomp due to its ostentatious beauty (Strickland 63). Both of these pieces of art communicate different messages to the mind and soul of the viewer. Art becomes a universal language for all of us to tell our stories; it is the ultimate storyteller (artincontext.org). Musicians are powerful artists using their music to convey a message to their listeners. “Music is a protean art; it lends itself easily to alliances with words, as in song, and with physical movement, as in dance. Throughout history, music has been an important adjunct to ritual and drama and has been credited with the capacity to reflect and influence human emotion.” (Epperson). Music is something that is enjoyed by millions every day and every day, and whether they know it or not, the musician is communicating ideas and emotions through art. Art is a form of communication that is necessary in our world today. With it, people are able to express themselves and others are able to hear or see another point of view.
Often I feel as though today’s culture only acknowledges paintings as art. Or at the very least, paintings are what people think of when someone says the word art. This is so wrong! Art is more than paintings. Art is music, literature, poetry, architecture, and even the clothes that you wear. Art is so important to culture because without it we would live in a bland, utilitiarian, and colorless world. There would be no books, no movies, no music, no paintings, etc. “Anything designed to give pleasure to an audience partakes of art, including nearly every form of entertainment. We listen to music, watch actors perform on television, and get swept up by the photography of a motion picture-all of this is art. Many people say that they are completely uninterested in art, yet they listen to the radio, watch television, go shopping for new clothes, or a new car, and fix up the house. Our lives are permeated with art” (Veith 28). The architecture that Frank Llyod Wright designed is art even if it is not a painting that is hanging in a museum, or a sculpture placed under protective glass. The homes that Wright designed for his clients are an art that they can live in and enjoy every day. Unusually designed and impossible to categorize, the homes that Wright created are fascinating. One of the homes he designed is built over a waterfall on a mountain, while another looks like a modern airplane. Wright “enjoyed outraging the public” (Strickland 147). Indeed, the homes that Wright designed are art just as the Mona Lisa is art.
In conclusion, art is important to cultures, for through art we are able to learn about the history of a culture, we are able to see how it acts as a universal language, and we are able to understand that it is more than paintings. This matters in today’s society because art is something that surrounds us every day, and it is important for us to understand the crucial role it plays in our world. As Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Art is a universal language, and through it, each nation makes its own unique contribution to the culture of mankind.”
Works Cited
“Art.” American Dictionary of the English Language. Original addition. 1828.
Artincontext. “Why Is Art Important? - a Holistic Investigation into the Importance of Art.” Artincontext.org, 25 Mar. 2022, https://artincontext.org/why-is-art-important/.
“Bayeux Tapestry - Visit of the Bayeux Tapestry.” Bayeux Museum, Bayeux Museum, 14 Nov. 2022, https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/.
Courtney, Jennifer, and Courtney Sanford. Marvelous To Behold. Classical Conversations MultiMedia, 2018.
Epperson, Gordon. "music". Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/art/music. Accessed 1 December 2022.
Londonderry, Kimberly. “Art Is the Universal Language.” This I Believe, 2022, https://thisibelieve.org/essay/83202/.
Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History From Prehistoric to Post-Modern. John Boswell Management, Inc, 1992.
Veith, Gene E. State of the Arts. Crossway, 1991.
Comments