Why We Should Study Art History

Any brief definition of art would oversimplify the matter, but what we can say is that all the definitions offered over the centuries include some notion of human agency, whether through manual skills (as in the art of sailing, drawing or painting), intellectual manipulation (as in the art of politics), or public or personal expression (as in the art of conversation). The word art is also referred to as something produced by human beings. So, why study art history? Art history helps us study the state of our culture at any given moment, and cultural analysis is a crucial element not only in our own survival as a coherent society, but also in our relations with other cultures.

And when studying art history what do we look for? The following are ten reasons why we as a society should study art (history), and what we should look for when studying it:

• Freedom: Art is what allows an artist to be free.

  They are/were able to express their intense feelings in very creative and often overlooked ways. An Artist is able to express his feelings in obvious and not so obvious ways because art is one of the freest outlooks.

• Truth: Through art an artist shows the truth about the present day culture, as well as his feelings on any political issues. We find today that some of the greatest works of art tell not only the truth for that era, but a universal truth that can be applied to present day.
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  Artists accomplish this by relying on their soul, intuition and feelings rather than their senses.

• Symbols: Art is frequently used as symbols of fertility, spirituality, immortality or nature (to name a few). Symbols can be resembled by colors, light or figures, and are considered to be universal, in that they are applicable to an entire society or culture. They often bring people together through the years and will continuously change to fit the modern world.
• Religion: Many forms of artwork were and are still used to represent different types of religion. Religion is represented in the majority of all artwork, some obvious and some not so obvious. Religious artwork was often was used to influence the masses.
• History: Art is what historians use to discover what happened hundreds and thousands of years ago. We are able to feel the pain or grief or even happiness the artist was feeling. This is what helps us in modern society relate to previous cultures. We are able to see what other civilizations were thinking, feeling and doing hundreds of years ago.
• Propaganda: Art was often used as a form of propaganda aimed at controlling people, whether through symbols, colors or just plain beauty. This type of brainwashing was used primarily on the masses, promising them immortality.
• Nature, Art is used to show nature at its best and worse. Depending on how society respected an animal, determined how it was portrayed in artwork. Pictures of nature often brought an essence of tranquility combined with peacefulness, depicting nature and showing its relation to man.
• Togetherness, Art can bring people together. Whether it is because of similar ideas or values or national crisis. This togetherness can bring people closer together thus making the hard times easier, and the good times better.
• Stability, Art reflects permanent stability. Ancient Egyptian artwork is an excellent example of stability because it is was calm.
• Spiritual, Art is a way for many individuals to relax and become spiritual. The artwork is often calm, worldly and serene. Art was used by the masses, as well as by the artist as an escape from the mundane world.

To completely appreciate an artist’s work, you must ask yourself this question: What is the artist trying to say? If you are able to discover the meaning behind the artists intense ethos which inspired and created such amazing masterpieces, than he (the artist) has done his job.