The changing functions of art and the role of artist through time

1. The changing functions of art
through time
MA Rosa M. Brito

2. Chinese Horse,
cave painting,
Lascaux Caves,
Dordogne, France.
c.15,000-10,000
b.c.
During the Paleolithic era, man sculpts and paints
with a magical purpose: to promote its hunting
activities, to transmit rites and legends and to
state his emerging religiosity.
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3. In Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures, the craft artists set
up their workshops in temples and palaces. The priests and
nobles controlled the production of the craft artists and
benefited from it. Egypt highlights the figure of "architect",
builder of temples, tombs and palaces.
Khufu Pyramid yand
Great Sphinx, Giza,
Egypt, c.2600 b.c.
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4. The Parthenon, Acropolis, Atenas, Grecia, c.447 b.c.
In Greece, the artworks are destined to be contemplated
and admired, also to serve religious and funeral purposes.
The artist is now a craftsman. His social dignity depends on
his greater or lesser participation in manual labor. In Greek
society, only dance, music and poetry are considered noble
activities.
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5. During the Hellenistic period (emergence of classical
culture), the taste for art develops and so collectionism.
As in earlier times, the artist works for the political and
economic power.
Dying Gaul,
c.240 b.c.
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6. In Rome, the use of art as a disseminator
of the state´s power (the image is
information, illustration, news), leads to
collectionism of art pieces among the
ruling classes. The Roman houses are filled
with original artworks and reproductions,
some as trophies of war, others purchased
art.
At that time, the artist sought to educate himself in all
sciences, specifically arithmetic and geometry, to
enhance its role in Roman society, which gave artists the
same social level as cooks, blacksmiths, and barbers.
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7. Catacumba,
Good
Shepherd,
Orants, and
the story of
Jonah, 4th
century a.d.
Rome
Christianity gives art a didactic, educational and
propagandistic value
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8. In Byzantium, art accompanies the theocratic power to
present its religious-political and flamboyant character.
Madonna and
Child with the
Emperors
Justinian and
Constatine,
A.D. 986-94,
Hagia Sophia,
Instanbul,
Turkey.
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9. In the Middle Ages, from the 6th century to the 14th
century, the art is associated with the Church and with
political power.
At the beginning of this period, the monks were
responsible for the artistic production.
During this period, Monasterios de
women were excluded San Juan de la
from the Arts because Peña, España
they were not allowed c.922
to learn the knowledge
and skills of the artist
The Gothic, 13th-14th century, presents an abandonment of
the monastic art, but a development of the guilds of
craftsmen. It establishes a commercial bourgeoisie and an
expansion of the area of art´s consumption. In addition to
the Church and the monarchy as controllers and consumers
of art, new groups of royal courts and bourgeois merchants
join in. MA Rosa M. Brito

10. With the Renaissance, 15th century, the hedonistic and
economic value of the classic art of the Roman period is
recovered.
The artworks´commissions are for buyers from the royal
courts and the middle class citizen; also, commission art
serves as donations to the Church. To own works of art of
renowned artists meant a source of social prestige.
A new attitude towards the
artwork of past periods
develops: the historical and Mona Lisa,
Leonardo da
aesthetic value is appreciated.
Vinci,
c.1503-06
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11. During the Mannerism, 16th century, (a protest against the
“search for balance” of the Renaissance period), the art is
more linked to intellectual circles from the Papal Court, to
the economically powerful and influential bourgeoisie, or to
the ancient families of the royal court.
Parmigianino,
The Madonna
with the long
neck, c, 1535
El Greco, El
martirio de San
Mauricio, 1580
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12. It is during the Renaissance period that the first art
theories appear. Giorgio Vasari, architect, painter and
Italian theorist published in 1568 his work The Lives, a
treaty about the artistic period, theories of art, artists,
and anecdotes. Theorists like Vasari established the
guidelines of art´s aesthetics and artists.
The Palace Uffizi (Palace of
the offices) in Florence,
designed by Vasari is the first
building intented to house a
museum.
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13. Academies are developed in the mid-16th century. The first
one was the Accademia del Disegno, directed by Vasari and
sponsored by Cosimo de Medeci. It was founded in Florence
in 1563, with Micheangelo at the head of the institution,
and 36 other artists.
The craftsman is slowly considered an artist.
The ideal figure of the painter is that of a
scholarly man with full training. Artists teach
their disciples in their own workshops.
MA Rosa M. Brito

14. In the Baroque period, 17th century, art
is linked to the Catholic Church and the
Protestant Church (promoter of certain
criteria of freedom in artists and
consumers), to the absolute monarchies
and the bourgeoisie. The demand for
artworks affects the artist both in the
expression and theme of his work.
Collectors buy artwork not only for social
prestige, but also for contemplative and
personal taste.
Rubens, Daniel in
the Lions´Den,
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, c. 1613
David, 1623
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15. At the end of the 17th century
and 18th century, Italian
Renaissance-style gives way to the
French Age of Reason and
Enlightenment. The academicism
appears in the artistic sense and
the art is called to intellectualize
itself. This period of history and
cultural movement aims to dispel
"the darkness of humanity" with
the "light of reason". The
aesthetic expression of these Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun,
intellectual and cultural movements Baroness Anna
Sergeevna Stroganova
will be called Neo-classicism. and Her Son Sergey,
1793
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16. "Since the end of the 18th century, new art sponsors appear. Until
then, traditional patrons have been the State and the Church, and
the art has basically been commissioned. From now on, with the
creation of academies, the art market changes: artists, on the one
hand, are "forced" to find new buyers for their paintings and
sculptures (reason why to organized annual exhibitions and salons,
where they could show their works), and on the other hand, they
will try to create and produce to the likes of their potential
buyers. Thus, we can affirm that the artist enjoys freedom of
creation, but at the same time, must be aware of the viewer-
sponsor that judges and interpretes his work." Historia del Arte
(Figueroba)
Sir Joshua Reynolds,
Lady Elizabeth
Hamilton, 1758
Thomas
Gainsborough,
The Blue Boy,
c.1770
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17. The cries for creative freedom began to spread with the
French Revolution, culminating with Romanticism, early 19th
century. It is at this point, that the contemporary artist is
born
Eugene Delacroix,
The Lion Hunt,
1860-61
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18. The Romantics advocated free creativity; therefore, they
rejected all control over their art: public and private
sponsors as well as art academies, which, according to the
romantics, blocked the formation of the artist heading for a
stylistic stiffness that left no room for inspiration,
originality and freedom in the creative process.
The Romantic painter returns
to his workshop, called Studio,
which facilitates his creativity
having a direct, personal
relationship, in solitude, with
his work. In this period,
numerous portraits and self-
portraits are created, that
represent the artist at his
work place. This fact
reinforces the idea of the
personal genius
Gustave Courbet, The Artist´s Studio,
1855
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19. In the mid-19th century, Paris opens the first Salons
(systematic exposition of paintings). Paris, the world´s heart
of art and capital of a nation that had suffered many political
and economic changes, creates and exalts an art consumer
bourgeoisie, with a broader participation of the middle class.
The Salons facilitated the closeness of the demand to the offer and
gave publicity to art. The role of advertising was very important
because it encouraged the artistic taste of the society and led to the
birth of the art critic.
MA Rosa M. Brito

20. The contemporary world, 20th century, bears witness to the
emergence and presence of innovative artists with more or
less self-taught and independent training, which favours the
development of the stylistic avant-garde in the Parisian
Salons, and the process that will run until the Second World
War.
Quoting Antonio Figueroba (Historia del Arte, 1997)
At present time, the image we have of the artist enjoying a great deal of
creative freedom, may be unreal. A series of servitudes and conditionings
have emerged which favor the creation of a social setting dominated by
the commercialization of art, the evaluative domain of critique, and the
pressure of social taste. The history of the artists of the 20th century is
finding the balance between creative independence and commitment to
the historical conditioning factors.
MA Rosa M. Brito

21. BIBLIOGRAFÍA Y REFERENCIAS
Arte Paleolítico. (n.d.). ARTE EN ESPAÑA. Retrieved July 10, 2012, from
http://www.arteespana.com/paleolitico.htm
Biografía de Giorgio Vasari. (n.d.). Biografías y Vidas .com. Retrieved July
10, 2012, from
http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/v/vasari.htm
Figueroba, A., Madrid, M. T., & Flores, M. T. (1997). Historia del arte, 2o.
de bachillerato. Madrid [etc.: MacGraw-Hill.
Paris Salon « Blogging Manet's Olympia in 1865. (n.d.). Blogging Manet's
Olympia in 1865. Retrieved July 10, 2012, from
http://olympia1865.wordpress.com/paris-salon/
APA formatting by BibMe.org.