A spark of action never fails to change a brush stroke. The essence of European paintings was built on a foundation of ideologies carefully crafted by historical movements and events throughout the centuries. Melancholy, idealism, and devotion to the divine, for example, stem from humane reactions to the status quo of each period. By looking at art history, you can reflect on the cause and effect of human emotion and the seemingly overlooked impact it has had on society today.
Medieval art: 476 AD-early 14th century
Fall of the Roman Empire
A good place to start in this timeline is during the Middle Ages. Medieval art began after the fall of the Roman Empire. With no central government, the Roman Catholic church took leadership. The church was a central figure everyone looked up to. It shaped people’s lives and became the glue of European society. With such great influence, this art period became predominantly, if not complete, representation of religious ideals. Madonna and Child, Kiss of Judas, and Santa Trinita Maestà are among some notable pieces.
Church Loses Credibility
A growth in skepticism slowly emerged, and fingers were pointed at the church. A general perception of the church’s corruption soon led to a movement called the protestant reformation. The church took advantage of the people’s faith and geared it toward ideals they deemed best. More often than not, the clergy teaching the scriptures were extremely underqualified for the job and spread “god’s word” to their liking. The church also put in place a series of questionable methods to raise money. The selling of indulgences was a prominent one. Anyone who bought an indulgence would immediately be relieved from sin and ensure a blessed afterlife. Citizens were required to contribute monetarily to the church through tithe (donation of 10% of their income).
The Black Death pandemic largely contributed to the church’s decline in authority. People began to doubt God’s power, challenging the stance of the church’s infallibility and capacity as “god’s voice.” As death tolls increased, a wave of disillusionment swept over the people, and a lesser importance on the church and its ideas. Thus, an obsession with death, dying, and realism emerges. Men and women were constantly pictured surrounded by death scenes. A famous painting during this time is Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken by French artist Josse Liefernixe.
Renaissance Art: 14th- early 17th century
Humanism
The Renaissance can be easily described as viewing men as individuals and a revival of classical beliefs. Although religious beliefs were still important, secular ideologies became increasingly popular. A notable movement was Humanism. It turned the normal Artisan into a renowned intellectual and praised the capacity of the individual. Pico della Mirandola, an Italian Philosopher, spoke of these ideals in his Oration on the Dignity of Man, written in 1486. It describes humans as being capable of doing anything. They start in the middle between heaven and hell, and what they do dictates which way they go.
Art Patrons
Patrons, including the wealthy and the Church, also greatly influenced art during this time. The Medici in Florence were particularly at fault. They supported artists like Michaelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci. They were able to do these things thanks to the Medici Bank. The Medicis were notable patrons for Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, 1485.
Surrealism: 1910s-early 2000s
End of WWI – Dada Movement
Surrealist art is like stepping into a dream where nothing is quite what it seems. Starting in the 1920s, this movement was all about tapping into the unconscious mind and letting imagination run wild. Inspired by Freud’s ideas about dreams, surrealist artists created strange, eye-catching scenes that bent the rules of reality. At the end of WWI, many people were disillusioned and nihilistic, turning to support the Dada Movement that went against all rationality. This turn to fantasy and irrationality was sort of like a coping mechanism for the travesties of war.
Student Perspectives
Aiza Sheik (10), a student at Yorba Linda High School shares her love for the painting “Portrait of Madame X,” made in the realism and impressionism transitional period: “I love the confidence that it possesses, as well as the mark of the oil paint and the contrast of the colors. The painting inspires me to be myself and be unique because that is where beauty truly lies.”
Another student at Yorba Linda High School, Katie Thompson (10), details her favorite art periods: “My favorite art periods were the impressionist and the surrealist. I like it because it pushes the boundaries of reality and brings a fresh perspective on the world. I think that you can definitely see the impact of society on art styles because both periods were during times of mass social change and confusion.”
Conclusion
Overall, history has seen many movements and important events. Art, like everything humans do, was and is still being affected by important events and societal changes.
