Art, The Reflection of Society

Art reflects society, it captures significant moments in the evolution of mankind. It is a visual portrayal of man’s thoughts and ideas. And therefore, as society evolves, art evolves with it. Before the camera was invented, art was the only visual form of representing a moment, the thoughts and ideas pervasive at that juncture in man’s social evolution.

For example, at the time of the Roman Empire, religion was based on Roman mythology, and majority of the art during this period was of Roman gods and goddesses. In the Medieval era, the Catholic Church was in power and the central focuses of art were stories of the bible and biblical figures. By the time of the Renaissance, an era of rebirth and refinement, secular art was once again introduced after having been lost in the fall of the Roman Empire.

The School of Athens by Raphael Sanzio lies on the walls in the religious building of the Papal Palace. This fresco is a humanist fantasy, a true reflection of the Renaissance because it puts together the greatest minds from different periods in time, under one roof. During the Renaissance an attitude of inquiry was encouraged. However, instead of seeking answers through the Church, people began forming their own answers based on observations and evidence. The characters in this fresco are exemplary examples of this attitude, for all their claims, theories, and teachings were based on observations and evidence. Due to this attitude important discoveries were made and society evolved a significant amount; and as society evolved, art evolved. The interest in art during the Renaissance increased a substantial amount, hence art guilds increased, and the standards for artwork also rose.

During the Medieval times dissections were forbidden by the Church, hence the characters in paintings could not portray the grace and spirit of the human body. However, in the Renaissance the power of the Church was no longer as dominant and dissections were no longer prohibited. Not only did this improve medicine, but it also improved art for it allowed anatomical accuracy. Besides anatomical accuracy, artists also used many different art techniques to increase the realism and depth in their artwork. Until the camera was invented majority of the artwork was realistic. When photography was more common it allowed artists to become more abstract, for art was no longer the only visual form of representing moments, thoughts, and ideas. Through out different time periods society has affected art; for as society evolves, art evolves, and art reflects society.