Amédée Ozenfant (1886–1966) was a French painter and theorist known for co-founding Purism, an art movement that sought to bring order and clarity to modern painting.

While he is not as widely known as some of his contemporaries, he created several influential works.

Here are 15 notable paintings by Ozenfant:

Here are more in-depth descriptions of 15 notable paintings by Amédée Ozenfant, elaborating on their composition, artistic philosophy, and significance.

1. Le Pichet Blanc (The White Pitcher)

This painting epitomizes Ozenfant’s Purist style, featuring a stark white pitcher against a muted background. The carefully balanced composition highlights the interplay between light and shadow, emphasizing the vessel’s cylindrical shape and smooth texture.

The simplicity of the subject matter conveys a sense of harmony and precision, reinforcing Purism’s focus on order and clarity.

2. Nature Morte (Still Life)

A quintessential still life in which everyday objects, such as bottles, glasses, and containers, are arranged with mathematical precision.

The restrained color palette and smooth, well-defined forms reflect Ozenfant’s belief that art should mirror the functional beauty of industrial design. The objects appear timeless and idealized, as though purified from the distractions of unnecessary detail.

3.Nature morte au verre de vin rouge (Still Life with Glass of Red Wine)

Ozenfant explores the contrast between solid and transparent materials by positioning a glass bottle alongside a drinking glass.

The careful rendering of reflections and refractions demonstrates his mastery of tonal variation. The painting exemplifies Purism’s insistence on depicting objects in their most refined, essential forms.

4. Le Verre (The Glass)

A single glass, stripped of decorative elements, is the sole focus of this composition. Through subtle shading and controlled lighting, Ozenfant transforms an everyday object into an icon of simplicity and modernist elegance. The painting emphasizes materiality, light interaction, and the purity of form.

5. Guitare et Bouteille (Guitar and Bottle)

This still life juxtaposes a musical instrument with a bottle, bridging the worlds of art and industry. Ozenfant’s approach to composition eliminates unnecessary embellishment, emphasizing the underlying geometric structure of each object.

The painting conveys a quiet, harmonious atmosphere, underscoring the Purist movement’s emphasis on clarity and functionality.

6. Nature Morte au Livre (Still Life with Book)

A book is included among the carefully arranged objects, introducing an element of intellectual symbolism. The painting conveys the idea that literature, like design, follows principles of order and structure.

The choice of a book as a subject suggests a reverence for knowledge and balance in both artistic and intellectual pursuits.

7. Maternity

Maternity by Amédée Ozenfant is a striking example of the Purist movement, which he co-founded alongside Le Corbusier.

The painting embodies Ozenfant’s signature approach—clean, geometric forms, a restrained color palette, and a deep sense of balance and order.

The composition likely presents the theme of motherhood through a modernist lens, reducing the human form to essential shapes and harmonious proportions.

The use of soft yet structured curves might suggest nurturing and protection, while the interplay of light and shadow enhances the sense of depth and purity.

By stripping away unnecessary detail, Ozenfant conveys the universality of maternity, aligning it with his belief in simplicity and clarity as the foundations of aesthetic beauty.

Through Maternity, Ozenfant transforms an intimate, timeless subject into an expression of modern harmony, highlighting the intersection of human experience and artistic idealism.

The painting stands as a testament to his Purist vision—where form and function merge seamlessly to evoke emotion and meaning.

8. Adam at Eve

“Adam at Eve” by Amédée Ozenfant is a refined exploration of form, balance, and purity, reflecting the core principles of the Purist movement.

9.Pacifique III

“Pacifique III” is a striking representation of Ozenfant’s dedication to form, structure, and harmony. The painting likely features a composition dominated by simplified geometric shape, carefully arranged to evoke a feeling of stability and balance

10. Nature Morte Puriste (Purist Still Life)

This painting serves as a manifesto of Purism, featuring an assortment of bottles, glasses, and pitchers arranged in an orderly manner.

The objects are depicted with smooth surfaces and well-defined contours, stripped of decorative excess. The emphasis on geometric precision and clean lines reflects Ozenfant’s commitment to the ideals of modernity and simplicity.

11. Le Vase (The Vase)

A single vase dominates the canvas, its elegant shape highlighted through careful attention to light and shadow.

Ozenfant’s focus on essential forms makes the vase appear timeless, as though it were a mass-produced yet perfectly designed object.

The restrained color palette reinforces the painting’s sense of clarity and sophistication.

12. Nature Morte à la Carafe (Still Life with Carafe)

A carafe is placed among other domestic items, emphasizing its transparency and curvature. Ozenfant carefully studies how light interacts with the glass surface, demonstrating his mastery of rendering different materials. The painting captures a moment of stillness, with each object carefully positioned to achieve visual balance.

13. Duplicate

This work embodies the principles of Purism through an arrangement of objects that adhere to strict geometric proportions. The smooth, polished surfaces and calculated spacing between objects convey a sense of order and clarity. Ozenfant’s controlled use of color and shading enhances the sense of depth and material realism.

14. Composition Purist

This artwork demonstrates Ozenfant’s focus on presenting objects clearly, emphasizing their essential form and function.

15. Sisteron

Ozenfant created the notable painting “Sisteron” in 1928. It showcases his characteristic style, emphasizing clarity and precision.

Conclusion

Ozenfant’s paintings are a testament to the Purist movement’s principles, emphasizing clarity, order, and the beauty of everyday objects. By stripping away unnecessary details and focusing on form, light, and structure, he sought to create art that was both intellectually rigorous and visually harmonious. His work influenced modern design, architecture, and art theory, leaving a lasting impact on 20th-century aesthetics.

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Frost’s artistic career was not a conventional one.

After serving in  World War II, he began his formal art education at the Camber well school of Arts from 1947 to 1950.

Terry Frost’s first international solo show was in 1961 at Bertha Schaffer Gallery  Newyork.

He had retrospectives at the Mayor Gallery, London(1990) and the Royal Academy Of arts(2000).

His early works were influenced by a variety of styles, including the likes of Cubism and Constructivism.

However, it was his move to Cornwall in the late 1940s that proved to be a pivotal moment in his artistic development.

The rugged landscapes and brilliant seascapes of Cornwall served as a wellspring of inspiration for Frost.

The play of light and color in this coastal region found its way into his art, infusing his works with a sense of vitality and movement.

Frost’s compositions often featured bold geometric shapes, rhythmic patterns, and a rich palette of colorsthat reflected the artist’s deep connection to his surroundings.

Terry Frost’s Artistic Style

One of Frost’s distinctive contributions to abstract art was his adept use of color.

His works pulsate with hues that seem to dance across the canvas, creating a visual symphony that is both harmonious and invigorating.

Whether it be his iconic “Sun Trap” series or his later “Quayside” paintings, Frost’s mastery of color remains a hallmark of his artistic legacy.

Throughout his career, Frost experimented with various techniques and mediums, including painting, printmaking, and collage.

His innovative approach to composition and form pushed the boundaries of abstract art, earning him widespread acclaim both in the UK and internationally.

Terry Frost’s legacy continues to inspire contemporary artists and art enthusiasts alike.

His bold and expressive works serve as a testament to the power of color and form in conveying emotion and energy.

As we reflect on his contributions to the world of art, we are reminded of Frost’s enduring influence and his unwavering commitment to exploring the boundless possibilities of abstraction.

Exploring Terry Frost’s 10 Famous Works

1.Green,Black And White Movement

Terry Frost’s “Green, Black and White Movement” is a striking abstract composition that exemplifies his mastery of color, form, and rhythm.

The painting features bold geometric shapes, primarily in green, black, and white, arranged in a dynamic interplay that suggests movement and energy.

Reflecting Frost’s interest in abstraction and his engagement with Constructivist influences, this work captures a sense of motion and harmony through its carefully structured yet expressive design.

2.Red, Black, and White Composition (1954)

3.Yellow Triptych(1959)

Terry Frost’s Yellow Diptych is a vibrant abstract composition that showcases his signature use of bold colorsand geometric forms.

As a diptych, the artwork consists of two panels that interact dynamically, emphasizing balance and contrast.

The dominant yellow hue radiates warmth and energy, while complementary colors—often including black,white, red, and blue—create rhythm and movement.

Frost’s characteristic semicircles, arcs, and overlapping shapes contribute to the composition’s lively yet structured aesthetic.

4.Red,Blue,Orange On Yellow(1969)

Terry Frost’s Red, Blue, Orange on Yellow is a vibrant abstract composition that illustrate his bold use of color and geometric forms.

The contrast between the warm vibrancy of orange and the cooler depth of green enhances the composition’s expressive impact.

This work reflects Frost’s exploration of color relationships and his ability to create harmony through abstraction.

The painting features a dominant yellow background, which serves as a luminous field for the striking interplay of red, blue, and orange shapes.

Frost employs curved, overlapping, and rhythmic forms that create a dynamic sense of movement and balance.

This work captures the warmth and vitality often present in Frost’s art, evoking a sense of joy and spontaneity.

5.Green And Orange(1970)

Terry Frost’s Green and Orange is an abstract composition that highlights his signature use of bold ,contrasting colors and rhythmic geometric forms.

The interchange between green and orange creates a dynamic visual tension, with curved and structured shapes suggesting movement and balance.

Frost’s characteristic use of arcs, semicircles, and overlapping forms gives the piece a sense of energy and fluidity.

The difference between the warm vibrancy of orange and the cooler depth of green enhances the composition’s expressive impact.

6.Ice Blue(1972)

Terry Frost’s Ice Blue is an abstract composition that explores the interplay of cool tones and geometric forms.

The artwork prominently features shades of blue, evoking a sense of calmness and fluidity, possibly inspired by reflections of light on water or icy landscapes.

The contrast between lighter and darker blues, often complemented by white or other accent colors, enhances the depth and spatial harmony of the piece.

Ice Blue exemplifies Frost’s mastery of abstraction, where color and form work together to convey emotion and energy.

7.Life-Is-Just-A-Bowl-Of-Cherries

Terry Frost’s Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries is a vibrant and playful abstract composition that embodies his love for color, rhythm, and movement.

The title, referencing the popular phrase and song, suggests a lighthearted and optimistic tone, which is reflected in the bright and energetic color palette.

Frost’s use of repetition and variation creates a sense of musicality, making the piece feel lively and expressive.

This work epitomize his ability to translate joy and spontaneity into abstract visual language.

8.Tree,Tree(1989)

9.Orchard Tambourine B Complete Portfolio(2002)

A portfolio of 25 colour woodcuts.

Each print signed and dated by the artist on the reverse.

Each print is also numbered 1 to 25 to indicate the order of the set

 10.Blue and Lemon

“Blue and Lemon” features a spectrum of colors between the shades, with two half-circles marking the spectrum’s  end points-a signature of Frost’s  simple yet classic style.

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If life is moved by art, which it most certainly is, then museums are very important in assuring that people of every class have access to inspiration and motivation.

Museums also record a peoples’ and an artist’s experience within a timeframe and a social setting that place context on the work and help viewers to understand a piece and how it reflects the situations in which it was created.

The following ten contemporary art museums are of paramount importance in both the context of their location and in the sharing of information and art worldwide.

 Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art: Copenhagen

Art in Copenhagen is a merge of uniqueness and sophistication. Built in 1891 by artists for artists, this unique museum started off strong with exhibits by Gaugin and Van Gogh within three years of opening.

The architecture is art in and of itself, and its exhibits are curated by artists. Exhibits work to challenge the architectural space they are shown in. There is a special focus on exhibiting works by communities or groups of artists, especially in the realm of the experimental. Solo exhibitions are occasionally shown to present promising artists, young artists, or historically important artists.

Major works: The Den Frie typically runs 8 exhibitions per year. For Summer 2015 they showed the works of Peter Land from 2005 to present, highlighting theatrical tableaux that take a humorous look at the human psyche. The exhibit was called PSYCHOSOMATIC.

Location Map     Website and Hours

New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): New York City

The MoMA – Museum of Modern Art in New York is considered one of the most influential art museums in the world and the institution most responsible for the development of modern art.

It includes one of the largest collections in the world and an additional library of nearly 350,000 pieces of books and ephemera related to the history of modern art. Started by New York socialites in the 1920s and funded by philanthropy and ticket sales, this museum was the first in America to exhibit some of the most renowned works of art in the world.

Major Works: Golden Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol; Self Portrait with Cropped Hair, Frida Kahlo; The Piano Lesson, Henri Matisse; Woman, Willem de Kooning; Broadway Boogie Woogie, Piet Mondrian; The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali, Les Demoiselles D’Avignon ,Pablo Piccaso.

Location Map     Website and Hours

Tate Modern: London

The Tate in London houses Britain’s national art collection dating back as far as 1500. With over 70,000 items in the collection, visitors can view the works of greatest artists in history for free.

The Tate Modern begins its vast collection in the era of Fauvism and moves forward to the present day. The museum is especially proud of its Turbine Hall where visitors are exposed to the works of greats such as Cezanne, Pollack, and Matisse. Turbine Hall’s massive architecture allows the museum to commission special artworks created on a large scale once a year, with the exhibition of the commissioned art lasting from October to March.

The Tate Modern begins its vast collection in the era of Fauvism and moves forward to the present day. The museum is especially proud of its Turbine Hall where visitors are exposed to the works of greats such as Cezanne, Pollack, and Matisse. Turbine Hall’s massive architecture allows the museum to commission special artworks created on a large scale once a year, with the exhibition of the commissioned art lasting from October to March.

Major Works: Wham!, Roy Lichtenstein; Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, Pablo Picasso; Swinging, Wassily Kandinsky; Autumnal Cannibalism, Salvador Dali; Cadeau, Man Ray; Untitled, Donald Judd; Bottle and Fishes, Georges Braque; Mobile, Alexander Calder, A Bigger Splash, David Hockney.

Location Map     Website and Hours

Bauhaus Archiv: Berlin

Berlin Is The Most Fascinating And Fun To Explore Art City In The World

The Bauhaus Archiv preserves the history of the Bauhaus School, its art, teaching, architecture, and design.

This place will educate you a lot with it’s exhibits and they have a very active volunteer set who can help explain each design artifacts reside in Bauhaus.

The Bauhaus school was an influential institution that shaped the focus of 20^th century architecture, interior design, furniture, advertising, and art for both private and commercial enjoyment.

The museum’s collection contains teaching materials, architecture and design plans, photographs, and models. There is also a library and every year, workshops and other educational events are held at the museum or in its sculpture garden. The viewable collection can at times be limited, but each piece is an influential spark in modern design.

Major Works: The Bauhaus collection extends over several locations with major works including: The Encounter, Johannes Itten; Woman with Infant, Gerhard Marcks; Sommerfeld House, Walter Gropius; Tactile Board, Otti Berger; Folding Chair, Alfred Ardnt; Group of Four Black and White, Kurt Kranz; Fire in the Evening, Paul Klee.

Location Map     Website and Hours

Neue Nationalgalerie: Berlin

Many modern art museums are important for their design as well as for their collections, and the Neue is no exception. This one is our favourite, and a must visit to explore Berlin’s art experience

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was commissioned to design the space and its adjoining gardens and this is the only building in Germany by Rohe. It is a protected monument of the State of Berlin.

The museum houses a collection of modern art, mainly of the 20^th Century including Cubism, the Bauhaus, Surrealism, and Expressionism. The permanent collection is not seen in its entirety due to the limited space of the design of the building. The collection is displayed on rotation.

Major Works: Kopf in Messing, Rudolf Belling; Memoirs of Dr. Jur. Schulze III, Werner Tubke; Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue IV, Barnett Newman; Komposition Z VIII Lazlo Moholy-Nagy

Location Map

M.A.K.: Ghent, Belgium

Brussels is the hippest city when it comes to the art arena. It is considered as the mecca of fashion, art and design

The Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art), better known as S.M.A.K., is a riotously colourful museum dedicated to eliciting thought and reaction. Visitors describe some exhibits as “shocking” or “weird”. Their permanent collection consists mostly of post-war art with a large focus on sculpture.

Major Works: The museum’s permanent collection includes works from Karel Appel, Francis Bacon, Panamarenko, and Andy Warhol.

Location Map     Website and Hours

Museum of Contemporary Art: Shanghai

From exotic foods and creative art galleries to its mystical temples and art deco buildings, Shanghai has a lot to offer to every traveller out there

Housed in beautiful glass building with a rooftop café that extends the exhibition space, this museum focuses on “art for the people”, a diverse collection of art from all corners of the world and every medium from painting to textiles. Recent exhibitions  have included Art in America, Nostalgia: East Asia Contemporary Art, and exhibitions showcasing fashion, such as Chanel, and digital art from Pixar.

Major Works: The MOCA does not have a permanent collection, but exhibitions have included sculptures by Oliviero Rainaldi, paintings and poems by Li Lei, and installations by Kasama Yayoi.

Location Map     Website and Hours

Inhotim: Brazil

This unique museum is a complex of gardens and galleries featuring the best in sculptural and other forms of contemporary art.

Its focus is on the spatial relationship between art and nature. Sculptures and outdoor installations are done in large scale on a backdrop of unique outdoor landscapes that give unique perspectives to each work.

Major Works: Piscina, Jorge Macchi; De Lama Lamina, Matthew Barney; Viewing Machine, Olafur Eliasson; Boxhead, Paul McCarthy

Location Map     Website and Hours

M+: Hong Kong

“M+” stands for “Museum and More”. In addition to the usual mediums of modern art such as installation, sculpture, and painting, the M+ also exhibits video, gaming, animation, and film works.

The museum is administered by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, and its focus is to bring the art of architecture, design, and moving works to light. An interesting project is exhibiting via Google Cultural Institute, an online exhibition platform.

Major Works: Electric City, the Neons of Hong Kong; Mobile M+ Moving Images; TV Bed, Nam June Paik; West Look East, Aisha Khalid

Location Map     Website and Hours

Dogancay Museum: Istanbul

The Dogancay collection is housed in a stately townhouse in Istanbul created as a self-made museum by the artist Burhan Dogancay. Dogancay is known worldwide as an artist recording the collage nature of urban walls. His art at first appears abstract, but it is rather zoomed portions of walls he has seen and then painted or photographed.

The museum focuses mainly on his work, with some contributions from his father’s portfolio.

Major Works: Stellaesque, RAF, Revolution the Only Way, Whispering Wall III

Location Map     Website and Hours

The very first art museum, the Louvre in Paris, started a movement to educate the public about art and through art. The success of the world’s first museums has led to the establishment of art museums and galleries in nearly every town and city in the world.

Contemporary art can be confusing and even baffling, but its importance in understanding the world and its variant cultures is demonstrated in the reactions and understanding of each individual that views it.

Now if you’re a fan of art festivals and fairs, read 10 must visit art festivals and fairs around the world. From small community art exhibitions to Biennale events, it gathers all players in the art industry to get involved and introduce their agendas to the ever loyal art aficionados.

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The purposes, motivations, intentions, and inspirations behind the art are endless.

Being one of the most creative ways of expressing human experience, we have used art as a means of telling stories.

May it be the story of a single person, of a community, or of a nation, art has in many ways contributed to the beautiful way these stories are told.

We’ve put together a list of 25 functions of art based on the viewpoints from renowned artists and philosophers for you to reflect upon

1. Art as an Expression

Art is a human activity, consisting in this, that one person consciously, by certain external signs, conveys to others feelings he has experienced, and other people are affected by these feelings and live them over in themselves.” – Tolstoy

Tolstoy’s famous “Expression Theory” centered on the idea that art elicits and provokes emotion in the viewer.

Out of many styles of expression, Abstract Expressionism is one great example where artists are empowered with the liberty to convey attitudes and emotions through nontraditional and usually nonrepresentational means.

The prominent function of art always drawn toward the expression theory.

Artists like Jackson Pollock believed that it was the viewer (and not the artist) who defines and interprets the meaning of the abstract expressionist artwork thus, there is no relevance on what the artist thinks or conveys while producing the work.

Convergence by Jackson Pollock is one of the initial art pieces of abstract expressionism and considered as the bravest action paintings ever made

The modern artist is working with space and time, and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating” – Jackson Pollock

2. Art empowers our faith in the nobility of man (Humanism)

“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand” – Pablo Picasso 

One of the most powerful shifts resulted from the Renaissance period is that the Church was never a responsible source for their behavior and beliefs towards God and fellow men and that they themselves are responsible for the actions. One of the key aspects of what makes us human is revolving around our faith in religion, art, and culture

The School of Athens by Raphael remains one of the powerful representation of this shift in human history and also embodies the classical spirit of Renaissance

3. The creation of beauty is art

What is beauty in art? – Beauty is what we see as characteristic and harmonious.

Whatever different reactions art will about inside you, it is clear that the explanation is complicated and definitive.

Every piece of art, whether a painting, a vase or a statue, will have different colors, lines, and textures that will appeal to your soul and heart.

4. Know Thyself

“Creative without strategy is called ‘art.’ Creative with strategy is called advertising” – Jef Richards, educator

Art is a form of expressing oneself

Consciously or unconsciously artists are following Socrates’ command – Know thyself.

During this process, artists are exploring their subject, medium, and material, rebalancing the spiritual value of those elements, thereby experiencing the subtle preciousness of their awareness.

This interaction is beautiful which in fact leads to the inevitable desire for outward expression.

Art is born here.

5. Art is freedom in every sense

“Art is meant to disturb. Science reassures” – Georges Braque, painter

One decides to express the imagination is brave. The value of freedom in our creative expression cannot be overstated.

What about aestheticizing violence? What about creating art in gigantic forms?

What about choosing topics that are controversial? Different expressive media have a tendency to attract different personalities.

Phillipe Perrin, known for his huge artworks revolving around the subjects of evil and crime, chooses subjects that have the power to instill immediate shock and presents them in a bold way that ensures they do.

One of Perrin’s famous works, Bloodymary, blends the line between theatre, sculpture, and performance art through the lens of murder.

The artist uses unconventional medium and subject to place the viewer face to face with images inexorably tied to modern violence, subtly aestheticizing the violence in art.

The true meaning of art can be multifarious, but the purpose of art is met when such artists like Perrin uses art in innovative and unconventional ways.

6. Art sends strong messages from the sidewalk to the world at large

 “Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint” – Bansky 

Street art has proven itself to be a truly expressive art form.

It is not an inferior form of political outcry nor is it the indifferent rebellion of disaffected youth.

Street art thinks, feels, and evokes thoughts and emotions in the people that view it with an open mind.

Using iconic imagery that is often recognizable regardless of language, the street artist is able to speak his opinions and solutions to a global audience, making this a rapidly advancing form of art the world over.

7.  Art is the most intense mode of individualism

“Art is either plagiarism or revolution” – Paul Gauguin, painter

Famous artist Paul Gauguin once written – “One must always feel the plane, the wall; tapestries need no perspective”

Paul Gauguin’s art, style, and legacy reflected strongly in his artworks and often dismantled the traditional perspectives of art.

Gauguin was once of a few ordinary men that were able to leave mundane life to realize and fulfill a dream – to become an artist.

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? by Paul Gauguin is a great example of individualism where Gauguin said to read from right to left instead of from left to right – which in fact provides an entirely different perspective to the reader, which itself shows the true power and meaning of art

8. Art shifts realism into reality

“Pop Art looks out into the world. It doesn’t look like a painting of something; it looks like the thing itself.” – Roy Lichtenstein

We’re living in a time where our beliefs and messages must be braver and rendered more boldly than ever before.

Popular culture was shrouding everything in the 1950’s and 60’s in America, and maintaining the status quo became more important than ever.

The power of pop art has been emerging since then and continuously breaking all conformist perspectives and definitions of art

Whereas abstract artists sought to let the medium control the image, such as in Pollock’s drops of paint.

Pop Artists went beyond realism into reality.

9. Great art tells meaningful stories

“Art does not reproduce what is visible; it makes things visible.” Paul Klee, artist

The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau – One of the most perceptible modern pieces of art, currently resides in MoMA Newyork,  has been considered as one of the many inspiring works by poets and musicians and also frequently parodied.

In this masterpiece, both, lion and woman display a calm demeanor on this artwork, but actually, both are on the alert warning that the trust between two worlds may get violated anytime.

10. Art validates our sorrows

“Art grows from joy and sorrow, but mostly from sorrow. It grows from human lives” – Edvard Munch

Art helps us see that sorrow can be beautiful and noble and still be one aspect of a good life.

Art also helps us to suffer alone without the input of society so that we can show a dignified face to the world in our public sorrow.

The true meaning of art lies in the emotion, considering sorrow is one prominent expression that we embody, art always validates our sorrows. “They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t.

I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” said Frida Kahlo, a great artist who infused her canvas with her native Mexican birthright and the historical epochs of her life.

11. Art is a personal act of courage

“Art is a personal act of courage” – Seth Godin

Courage is more important than creativity. Great art comes from the heart, doesn’t come from doing what you’re told. The mesmerizing charm of a great work of art doesn’t come from what is painted on the canvas. Rather, it comes from what was in the artist’s heart while he was painting. Franz Krueger’s The Parade auf Opernplatzis a great example of that. Krueger shows us that true art can be created only through courage, the strength of character, and determination. The meaning of art implies a personal and open proliferation of your thoughts.

12. Art is the signature of civilizations

“Art is the Queen of all sciences communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Humanity advances on the great foundations built by ancestors. We transform the heritage of the past, learn the social aspects, identify new opportunities and invent new ways of life. In this journey, the past lives remain as a reference point as a subtle guide to build great things in this modern world.

At Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, you will be amazed by the galleries of  “The art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and later South Asia” section, where you will experience some of the finest masterpieces from the Islamic world, moreover enables you to understand the artistic and scientific heritage of an entire civilization. Rightly said by Roger Seruton, the culture of civilization is the art and literature through which it rises to the consciousness of itself and defines the vision of the world – after all the definition of culture derives from greater civilizations

13. Art embodies power and of color

“Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment” – Claude Monet

Colors are powerful. Doesn’t matter what you might be creating now – a painting, or a powerpoint presentation, or an illustration –  your eyes must be straying over a palette, splashed with many colors, choosing the right one to add to your work.  To a sensitive soul, the impact of a perfect color combination is deeper and intensely moving.

Visual art always played an important role for artists to convey the life, lustre, and power of life through colors

14. Art is Attitude

“Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics”- Victor Pinchuk

Art has taken a different dimension to think, feel and evoke thoughts in the people that view it with an open mind. Art represents the attitude either of an artist or of a belief system. Street art is often considered as vandalism, but it is executed with purpose, design, technique and intention. Street art heightens our experience of the visual landscape outside museum walls.

15. Art is the highest form of hope

“Art is not a thing; it is a way.” Elbert Hubbard, artist

Art can move us to tears. Beautiful art can bring tears of joy when we see a painting, sculpture or photograph of people or creatures experiencing things we want to experience. Experiencing such heart-warming feelings about it encourages us to hope for the same thing for ourselves.

Mutiny of Colours, A Project of Love, Peace, and Unity by Iranian Street Artists is one great example. The powerful messages of peace, love, and hope in a country torn apart by internal conflicts are represented by Iranian street artists through their art, and mostly these works grow in all endless direction, both metaphorically, conceptually and physically.

16. Art is about two things – Life and Death

“The goal of all life is death” – Sigmund Freud

Many artists have used death as a theme for art.

By giving death as a central theme, artists force us to confront the reality of birth and death within the same frame. Hope II by Gustav Klimt is one great art – represents a pregnant woman and the weight of hope the protagonist carried in her womb. The function of art lies around the diverse perspectives of life and death

Birth and death exist side-by-side, suspended in equilibrium, collaborators in the appetite of living.

17. Art rebalances our life

“Art is like soup. There will be some vegetables you don’t like but as long as you get some soup down you it doesn’t matter.” George Wyllie, Sculptor

Viewing art that depicts situations and feelings outside of what we normally experience on a daily basis helps us attain balance in our emotions by filling those voids.

We gain balance through art by taking a moment to observe, judge, and appreciate things we don’t normally see and our responses to them.

18. Art can be surreal

“Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos” – Stephen Sondheim

Surrealism – a philosophical and artistic movement that explored the unconscious mind – reveals human emotions and desires in an irrational, powerful, poetic and revolutionary way. The concept has a greater relevance considering it brought out the repressed inner worlds of sexuality, violence, dream, and desire.

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali shows us a few seemingly soft or melted pocket watches lying about in open land.  Dali’s message was to show that time and space are relative and that we, in fact, live in a universe of complete disorder.

“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali

19. Art is You

“Art is anything you can get away with”- Andy Warhol

Art helps us to complete our own unformed thoughts and ideas. We have an ‘aha’ moment when we see a piece of art that perfectly captures a feeling or thought we have had that we couldn’t express. When this happens, we have gained a piece of new knowledge through the art that we can now communicate to ourselves and to others.

This why the best possible function of art operates via YOU.

20. Art is discovery and exploration

“Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use”- Frank Lloyd Wright

Is it not more remarkable when a natural talent emerges from nothingness to produce a work of art with an organic honesty that might have been wiped out by years of training in established structures, conventions, and accepted wisdom?

One such unlikely place was a tax collector’s office in Paris, and its unlikely talent came in the form of a Laval­born son of a plumber named Henri Rousseau. The majority of Rousseau’s life is somewhat cloudy, and with good reason—it is wholly unexceptional.

The Snake Charmer by Henri Rousseau is a dream­like depiction of mysterious human and animal forms in a jungle scene. This work is a testament to the attention Rousseau received from prominent artists during his time.

21. Art empowers the heart of people

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” – Edgar Degas

When activists are showing images of children suffering from poverty or oppression in their campaigns, this is the art pulling the heartstrings of society’s elite and powerful to make changes. Such moments – using art to raise awareness – truly validate the existence and definition of art

When photographers publish the photos of war-torn areas, it catches the attention of masses whose hearts reach out for those who need help. When the artist creates great music and movies, it entertains people around the world. This is art, making a difference in society.

22. Culture is a great friend of art

“Art speaks the soul of its culture” – Abby Willowroot

Art is also a remarkable mode of depicting culture from all over the world, art and culture complement each other very well.

When you see a Zen garden in Sydney or San Francisco, you know that it’s a practice that originated from China. When you see paper swans swarming a beautiful wedding ceremony, you know that this is origami, an art that came from Japan. When you see films featuring Bollywood music and dancing, you know that it’s a movie from India.

Destinations like Newyork, Berlin, Prague, Sao Paulo, UAE, etc. are on a helm of cultural revolution to uplift their cities with art, design, and imagination – after all culture is the collective term for human behaviors

23. Art is activism

“Art resides in the quality of doing, the process is not magic.” – Charles Eames

Art has been used many times to represent the isolation, claustrophobia, and anxiety of our society due to the tough political times that we’re living at present. Tetsuya Ishida, a Japanese artist, portrayed the Japanese life about the social, economic and academic educational structures. Many of his works exposed the Japanese people’s trials in trying to acclimate to the changes involving social and technological contemporary life. Read – Tetsuya Ishida – Saving the World With A Brushstroke

Similarly, a lot of street art has an obvious, or sometimes very subtle, anti-establishment hint in it. The very mediums it uses, owned by states or corporations, are protected by law from the artist but are used without regard or in spite of it. That illegality is often a part of the message

24. Art is harmony

“Art is harmony” – George Seaurat

The power of art lies neither in the image nor the emotions it arouses in the viewer, rather its greatness is derived from understanding the creative forces which inspired the masterpiece.  Harmony is a subjective concept, rather it emerges within a context that many factors come together. Goya’s black paintings series is a great example that proves this theory. Today, although we are exposed to images of gore, misery, and grief, much of it is sanitized and censored. Goya, on the other hand, unabashedly captures human trauma and sorrow in the paint.

25. Art as Therapy

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”- Thomas Merton

In the famous book Art as Therapy, the authors have outlined seven functions of art and explain how art helps us grow and evolve in our understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world we live in. Taking your time to mindfully observe artwork can be of true value to your emotional well-being.

Conclusion: The functions of art remain incomprehensible

‘What is art?’— one question continuously steers educators, performers, practitioners, and philosophers to engage in deep analysis. But no matter what the function of art may be, the experience it delivers finally matters, and probably one reason it has been around us for as long as humans have existed. Whether or not we are aware of it, we allow art to affect our lives one way or another.

You may not know it, but your daily existence can be much more colorful with the presence and influence of art, and it only gets better once you allow your own creativity and imagination to take a turn for good.

So go ahead and open yourself up to art. It will be worth the change.

The post 25 Functions of Art That Make Us Better Human Beings appeared first on The Artist.

What Is Abstract Expressionism?

Abstract Expressionism is an artistic movement of the mid-20th century comprising diverse styles and techniques and emphasizing especially an artist’s liberty to convey attitudes and emotions through nontraditional and usually nonrepresentational means.

As per MOMA  – Abstract Expressionism is a term applied to a movement in American painting that flourished in New York City after World War II, sometimes referred to as the New York School or, more narrowly, as action painting.

The “New York School”, a group of artists including Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and Willem de Kooning, found the movement with a basis on the value of spontaneous movement and expression. Every one of them was talented and expert in traditional and classical styles of execution. Convergence is one of the initial art pieces of abstract expressionism and considered as the bravest action paintings made by Pollock.

Famous paintings of Jackson Pollock

Abstract expressionist value expression over perfection, vitality over finish, fluctuation over repose, the unknown over the known, the veiled over the clear, the individual over society and the inner over the outer
— William C. Seitz, American artist and Art historian

The major participants in this movement are roughly divided into two groups: Gestural Abstraction and Colour Field.

a) Gestural Abstraction

Gestural abstraction is clearly evident in Pollock’s and de Kooning’s works which feature vigorous and spontaneous movement through seemingly chaotic marks. The works were created with intention, but the effect is that of random impulse. Pollock let his moods determine the colour and the direction and location of paint that he splattered on a canvas on the ground. It may looks as though he merely stepped back and threw paint at the canvas, but every movement of the can or brush was done with purpose.

b) Color Field

Color Field painters like Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still literally painted fields of colour onto the canvas. Again, though the effect seems simple, the colours in these works observed by an acute audience are made up of several hues that gave them depth and candor to the work.

Beginnings of Abstract Expressionism

The end of WWII had to vary after-effects in the psyche of the American public. The years before the war had been fraught with economic depression. Soldiers returning home from the war had seen horrible destruction, genocide, and atrocities they couldn’t bear to discuss or to contemplate. Women who had been in the workforce and had grown independent and self-sufficient were again donning the mantle of domesticity. The country was putting on a brave face while privately suffering an undercurrent of an identity crisis.

In integrated cultural areas like New York where free thought and intellectualism had always flourished, artists, poets, and other freethinkers were becoming paranoid. The government was increasingly more anti-communistic and society was becoming more homogenized. The artists needed an outlet – A creative outlet to express freely!

Abstract Expressionism provided a way for artists of all types to deliver feelings and ideas without the worry of public scrutiny of those thoughts. Of course, the public was reticent to accept their works as art, but that did not impede the movement’s freedom of expression.

Forward thinking and powerful collectors like Peggy Guggenheim gave the movement a wider audience and legitimacy so that the movement could grow and evolve into what it is today. Because of careful curation and a respect for the founding artists of the movement, we are still able to enjoy these works.

Features of Abstract Expressionism

Large Scaled Works

Paintings are typically large except in the case of heroic figures of the 18^th and 19^th Abstract Expressionism and is typically completed on very large canvases or is comprised of multiple canvases meant to be one work.

Artist’s perspective

The movement is not characterized by any one specific style, but strong messages and emotions are paramount to the representation. In any Abstract Expressionist work, it is either the feeling of the artist or of the viewer is in the center stage – not the image itself.

Inspired by Surrealism

Abstract Expressionism takes from Surrealism and delivers the idea that art should be created by spontaneous and subconscious creation. Rather than planning out, sketching, and rendering a piece, the artist follows the flow of feeling and the openness of his mind to create.

Motivation

The era in which the movement began had put a strain on society, especially that of free thinkers, that was stifling and limiting. Abstract Expressionism gave artists an outlet for their pent-up thoughts and feelings.

Diversity of Colour

Because Abstract Expressionism had no intention of rendering an image of something tangible, experimentation with colour took on a cerebral element. The artists became interested in how color affected mood and thought.

Conclusion

Regardless of the critic’s viewpoints on that subject, irrespective of the rational definitions of art, the Abstract Expressionists achieved Tolstoy’s ideal and went beyond it to an extent where it helped the viewers to explore thought-provoking ideas about religion, time, space, popular culture, and more.

Abstract Expressionism delivers!

Similar reads

• Convergence by Jackson Pollock
• What Is Beauty in Art?
• Drawing Is So Powerful, And Why Everyone Must Draw
• Frida Kahlo Paintings – Her Lust for Life
• Infographics: Art As Therapy, Helping to Reflect on our Psychological Frailties
• The Subject of Pregnant Women in Art – Hope II by Gustav Klimt

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May it be the story of a single person, of a community, or of a nation, art has in many ways contributed to the beautiful way these stories are told.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls” – Pablo Picasso

The definition of art can be multi-disciplinary.

In the same way, art can also convey an experience that’s so common that many people can relate to it. Take Adolf Menzel’s The Balcony Room, for example.

This piece shows a space with strong light pouring into a typical room while a breeze blows into the white curtains.

Instead of making something revolutionary or innovative, Adolf Menzel took the very common scenario – a room in an ordinary house – and turned it into a masterpiece.

Through art, Adolf was able to enhance what otherwise was a common experience and turned it into a serene, emotionally charged story that everyone can appreciate.

Why do we make art?

The purposes, motivations, intentions, and inspirations behind the art are endless. Below are just some of the reasons why we make art:

1. To form part of a ritual, ceremony, or cultural tradition

Whether you refer to the finely crafted instruments of the different ethnic tribes in the Philippines or look at the creative mascots of different sports teams, we use art to creatively represent practices that have been part of our lives for years.

One of the most common reasons why we make art is to form part of a ritual or tradition.

Look at how beautiful modern-day weddings are – every item is planned to be a work of art!

One of the most comprehensive events depicted in history is The Last Supper by Da Vinci

2. To practice faith in a more tangible way

Believing in a higher being can be a unique experience, and art is used to make those beliefs much easier to grasp and feel.

Creativity is one of the demarcating landmarks that differentiates us from animals. It is what makes us human.

Faith is another factor that has been a key theme behind reasons for making the art.

Look at how the Sistine Chapel paintings by Michelangelo or the Christ the Redeemer statue or Indian Paintings from Rajput. Just looking at these world-renowned works can strengthen or renew a person’s faith. A theme that has the most answers to – Why we make art

3. To record history

Another reason people make art is to record a moment of the past.

More specifically called History Painting, we use art to capture the most significant historical scenes. Some notable examples include Benjamin West’s Death of Benjamin Wolfe and Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii.

These paintings and other art forms have a special way of making history a point of interest to otherwise disinterested people.

They spark discussion, commemoration, and appreciation of important historical events.

4. To teach something as an alternative to verbal or written methods

The changing generations have made it much harder to attract the attention of our young learners.

The question – of why we make art – is becoming less relevant these days.

With the help of art, people who would otherwise ignore books can be taught concepts more effectively using visual arts.

These can be seen in the form of visual Public Service Announcements and awareness campaigns in the form of films. In some cases, artists make art with great imagery that can also complement written messages

5. To tell a story from literature, myths, religion, and poetry

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings inspired by Christian history.

There are also a lot of famous paintings that depict significant parts of famous literature. Sometimes visualizing a story is the best way to appreciate it.

That’s why we use art and why people make art – to elaborate on the myths and religious aspects of an event or a period

6. To create someone’s portrait.

It’s not just about someone getting their portrait painted.

It’s about how the artist sees that person. The most famous example, of course, is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, whose smile has captivated the world throughout history. Van Gogh’s portrait of Dr. Gachet, who happens to be the artist’s close friend. Read Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?

The faces of these people, their expressions, and the painting itself have the power to show you what these people mean to the artists who made them.

7. To allow the artist to express oneself.

One of the most adopted reasons for people making art is to allow themselves to represent their thoughts and life.

When Edward Munch painted The Scream, he was thinking about the orange sky he had just recently seen which, to him, it looked like nature was screaming. This is how he used art to effectively convey his idea or opinion about something.

Similarly, Frida Kahlo documented her lust for life through her deep and surreal works, and those were a true depiction of Frida’s life and thoughts.

8. To reflect the beauty of nature, a landscape, or a city

When Vincent Van Gogh was spending time in the sanatorium, he created the view outside his window, now the famous Starry Night.

While beautiful scenes are sights to behold themselves, they become a new creation when turned into art.

Similarly, Edward Hopper has documented every flavor of nature in his numerous works. Most of people make art to document nature, a landscape, or a city.

Claude Monet’s famous paintings are a classic example of experimentation of using interchangeable nature of light and shadow by repeatedly producing the same visuals of nature multiple times to discover more than one angle of nature’s light to shine on one image.

9. To illustrate a narrative or a diagram.

Why we make art – To teach people. Art can be quite educational too, especially when it is used not only to provide aesthetics but also to serve as an aid to educational materials.

Often people make art or infographics about certain things that are much easier to understand and digest than their strictly written counterparts, making the artistic version more effective as it is appreciable.

10. To depict reality and ideals.

Often referred to as realism and idealism, art can either capture a perfectly undistorted image of reality (i.e. a natural landscape or the image of society) or portray the artist’s aspirations or ideals for those realities.

In other words, art is a way for an artist to say “this is how I see the world,” and then sometimes say “this is how I think it should be.”

11. To provoke thinking and discourse.

Whether it’s a painting that dramatizes the horrors of war or a dark depiction of domestic violence, art can shock one’s senses to force a person to think deeply about a real social issue. It can spark debates and even cause revolutions.

12. To illustrate their dreams.

Perhaps one of the richest sources of inspiration is a person’s dreams.

Many notable works of the likes of William Blake and Salvador Dali have been inspired by their own dreams.

Many artists gained inspiration from dreams and depicted a great level of detail.

13. To experiment with different elements.

Sure, you’ve got your ordinary colored paint and brushes, but did you know that painters have also tried to use sand, straw, or even wood to make their creations?

The variety in the elements also gives rise to a new artistic perspective on the same subject. For instance, a painting of a flower would look totally different, if not more intriguing when depicted in sand art.

14. To experiment qualities of a particular medium.

Even with the same elements, artists tend to get creative with their creativity. That’s how concepts such as pointillism and cubism came to be. As artists grow, they use their art to outdo their creativity, allowing their works to become more diverse.

Closing thoughts – Why do we make art? What motivates artists to create art?

In fact, art is the only way we can relay our experiences effectively to others.

Good stories have to be able to convey a thought, reflection, and meaning to a person who was never part of any of those experiences.

The challenge is to creatively bring together reality, imagination, medium, and technique to produce something that will make the audience feel like they are part of that story.

Art matters.

How to Sell Art Online? – Guide to Sell Your Art From Vision to Execution

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Many Paul Signac paintings are sold for unbelievable sums of money at art auctions and especially due to the current pandemic, going to art museums can prove difficult.

Here is a list of famous Paul Signac paintings for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. 

1.Breakfast

A wonderful painting produced by Signac in 1886-1887, Breakfast is a part of the genre art style.

The subject of the painting appears to be a family setting and depicts three individuals in a room, two of them, enjoying a hot drink and a servant with papers standing nearby.

2.Woman at the Well

Part of the neo-impressionist movement and painted by Signac in 1892, this painting is a piece of genre art.

Woman at the Well shows three women, two drawing water and another walking away.

The bright and vivid colors used and the two women conversing at the well make this famous piece really stand out.

3.The Red Bouy

Produced in 1895, the title of this painting is aptly named Red Bouy.

This piece of marine art, as well as featuring calm and colorful waters, vessels, and buildings, features a bright red body right at the painting’s forefront. 

4.The Papal Palace, Avignon

While much of Signac’s work makes use of bright, vivid colors, The Papal Palace, Avignon makes use of dark and moody shades in the waters and skies of this piece.

Painted in 1900 and a part of the neo-impressionist movement, this famous painting features the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France surrounded by dark waters.

5.Sunday

Painted in 1888-1890 by Signac, Sunday is a piece of genre art. Accordingly, the painting showcases a couple on the weekend, most likely relaxing at home with their feline friend.

The wife is shown looking out the window while the husband stokes the fire. 

6.Grand Canal (Venice)

Painted in 1905, Signac produced a landscape art piece featuring the Grand Canal of Venice.

As beautiful as it is colorful, Grand Canal prominently features the Venetian canals, rows of boats moored at the dock, and buildings in the background. 

7.Van Gogh’s House

While many of the works on this list are from the neo-impressionist or pointillism movements, Van Gogh’s House makes a departure.

As an addition to the post-impressionism movement in Signac’s work, this colorful landscape piece certainly showcases a different technique to all the other artworks on this list.

A bar on the bottom floor, this painting is an amazing work to behold.

8.Two Milliners in the Rue du Caire (Paris)

A genre art piece, Two Milliners in the Rue du Caire (Paris) is one of Signac’s paintings of the neo-impressionist movement.

Produced in 1885-1886, the painting shows two women, milliners, producing the hats that will be sold on the market.

9.The Port of Saint-Tropez

Many vessels are sailing around the port featured in Signac’s art piece The Port of Saint Tropez.

This colorful painting was produced in 1899 and boasts many colorful ships, as well as a lighthouse and buildings to add to the background.

10.The Bay

The Bay is a landscape painting by Signac, which makes use of a vast array of colors to paint a beautiful image of a bay.

This painting was produced in 1906. Some small ships can be seen floating in the colorful waters, with multi-colored trees dotting the hillsides.

Conclusion:

Many of Paul Signac’s paintings convey deeply colorful scenes and for viewers, this is certainly a wonderful artistic experience.

There was much amazing and historic work that this celebrated artist produced, and this is by no means an exaggeration.

All these famous Signac paintings showcase incredible talent and skill for art throughout his artistic career and these works will continually be enjoyed by art enthusiasts for generations to come. 

Also, check out about Art History: A Quick Brief of Post Impressionism [html_block id=”12849″]

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Studying art history remains a far superior choice for many and the art’s role a germen integral of everything humanity stands for.

At this juncture, let’s would like to define Art history.

Art History is an organized profession that deals with the artistic and scientific study of the historical development of artworks. It incorporates the stylistic and contextual analysis of exquisite objects of a different era, probing into the why, how, when, who, and context of the artwork.

Art Historians may carry out their studies and analysis on Sculptures, Paintings, Architectural objects, Ceramics, Furniture, Music, etc. they try to know why an artist did a particular work, the motivations, the cultural and political influences and the interaction of the art with nature as well as the compare chronologically the meaning of artworks of a different era.

Projection of the historic timeline of art is a very important part of history as this provides a different approach to history, which actualizes some level of concreteness of history, making the written words or oral narratives more tangible to behold and visible for proper appreciation of history and past events.

Reasons why people study Art History

Preservation Of Culture

Just like History, Art is almost as old as man. Art History is a feasible means of preserving the cultural heritage of any country or people, as culture is dynamic and progressive with time, so also is art history.

The collection of historic arts would prevent the menace of cultural distortions and depreciation that occur over centuries.

Written words or spoken history of past events would undoubtedly give us a sense of the past, pointing out the way of life of our people in the past.

Still, art history is a more prominent way of preserving historical events and making our past last even with the changes that go with modernization and civilization, and studying the history of art is a great reflection to understand these events

Culture, of course, encompasses all areas of life such as religion, politics, dressing styles, languages, dances, etc. all these aspects of learning can be perfectly preserved by art history.

Most artworks are usually durable and sometimes static and can be reproduced too, these characteristics of artworks make art history an excellent and feasible way of handing over our cultural heritage, and traditional believes down to generations after us.

Why Study Art History? – Academic Purposes And Benefits

Art History as professional studies is an excellent plus for building the world knowledge bank and organization of learning material, especially in the field of humanities.

This art history study provides baseline data for researchers, a background knowledge for students as well as full flare professionals in the area.

The standardization of stylistics, aesthetics, and contextual interpretation of artworks are significant academic benefits of studying Art History. Most of the pieces of art that we see have a customized story behind them.

While the unprofessional people only appreciate the beauty of that piece of art, an Art History student would take time to observe the main essence and context of it.

For instance, going to the museum without background knowledge of art or a tour guide might not be very interesting and engaging. This is obtainable because you might not be knowledgeable about how to interpret the works in the galleries or the cathedral in the museum.

You may also not realize that the paintings and artworks have been adequately arranged to denote a variance in time and therefore, to refer the transition in the history of a specific culture or ethnic group.

All these, however, are not novel to a student who is admitted to a program, as most of the learning and course works would make sure that there are adequate interactions with most of these artworks and give visual and textural analysis and interpretations of them.

This is important to take into consideration, as the interest in Art History could create an opportunity to make art history jobs.

Art primarily refers to the expression of thoughts, intuitions, urges, and emotions.The course will enlighten you about your surroundings, and all piece of artwork tells a story.

The several phases of art talk about history in varying ways, and from a play depicting the rise of a culture to a piece of an architectural masterwork that holds multiple enigmas about the past.

All these put together in art history to promote our understanding of the events of the past without write-ups.

Shows Societal trends and Historic timelines

Art History promotes our understanding of the changes in our societies and reminds us of import and strategic events in the past, it outlines the sociocultural and religious evolutions through the interpretation of artworks like painting, architectural edifices, etc.

As time passes by, history may be perverted, although we have the documented words to testify to the happenings that took place centuries back.

Art is essential as a means to affirm such history and give us additional insight into the happenings at the time.

A painting, an architectural work, or a sculpture are all some of the several types of artworks that can help forge an image of what society was like at the time of their inception. Why study art history? – remain a pertinent question from the perspective that how cultures have evolved since the start of civilization.

A historian may explain the significant occurrences of the past, but will most likely not talk about the apparels worn by people at such accessions.

Art, therefore, provides us with an entirely distinct perspective on history.

Furthermore, artistic movements visibly understandable in paintings are usually the direct consequence of social, religious, or political movements that had happened before them.

For instance, Fra Angelico made use of perspective, in his Crucifixion, a new notion at the beginning of the Renaissance. Thus, this painting helps denotes the transition from the Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance. It is helpful to study Art History because of each work of art aids in the definition (in some way) of the milestone in the history of a group.

Every piece of art depicts essential insights into the period it denotes.

This fact allows people to grasp certain aspects of life furthermore.

In Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Raphael, the artist’s composition and colors, one could notice shed light on the culture that birthed it. These kinds of idealistic arts can show the features and information about the painted objects; for example, age, status, and religious beliefs are depicted in work by Raphael. This painting is a confirmation of the importance of religion as at that time, as the saints are seen praying.

Paintings such as this one keep history lively and people interested as they bring to the remembrance of the public about the past way of life and believes.

Raphael completes having knowledge of 16th-century life in this devotional painting, eliciting the previously acknowledged aspects. As observers are attracted to pieces like this one, it promotes their historical awareness, making them have more answers on ‘why they should study Art History.’ Personally, the striking colors and the exciting composition attracted me to this art piece as it was placed next to the others.

Interaction With Nature In A Tangible Manner

Art History is an exciting profession that would allow those who ventured into it the opportunity to interact and appreciate nature as some of this work of art are recollected from a natural state of mind.

It doesn’t just mean that you have to sit in some classes and listen to stale lectures, it involves a cordial interaction with nature, and there are a lot of branches even to select from.

You can choose to acquire an art history bachelor’s degree in music, creative arts, literature, and even dramatic arts. Furthermore, you do not need to be dexterous at any of these things before you can enroll in the art history program, what you are primarily required to do is to have a considerably good sense of appreciation for the world in totality and view things from a unique perspective.

For instance, when considering a teapot, religious building painting, ornaments, museum plan, or even listening to classical songs, as an artist, you have to note that there is a historical and cultural perspective behind them. An art historian will research and analyze this and become more aware of them.

It’s A Means Of National And International Integration

Art History is a field that incorporates other fields like politics, anthropology, humanity, literature, liberality, aesthetics, sociology, economics, etc.

It provides a platform for studying local and foreign cultural, political, and economic trends and milestones as well as historical relationships, which may promote national and international unity.

Especially, as the profession has standardized the analytical and interpretational methodologies for Art Histories.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, one would be tempted to say that Art History is the most important part of history as well as Arts but of course, other fields of Arts and History are very beneficial.

Studying art history is a beneficial thing to do if you have the interest and zeal.

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First of all, nothing in this world is universally boring.

What fascinates one person may not get the same reaction from another.

The same is true with art.

In as much as different people like different kinds of music, people have preferences as to art mediums as well. Perhaps the reason why one lacks interest in art is that they were exposed to the kind that didn’t appeal to them so much.

And when this happens, the hasty generalization that art is boring sinks in. This leads us to the next reason why art can seem boring to some people.

The reason why some kinds of art don’t appeal to some is because they don’t know how to relate with them.This is why understanding art is the key to curing all kinds of disinterest towards them.

What makes something beautiful goes beyond color and shape?

For art, beauty knows how something can inspire you or stimulate your brain. When you know why a work of art was created or the story behind its inspiration, you make it easier for your brain to let the artwork its magic on you. Only then can art cease to be boring.

So next time you see a piece of art that doesn’t seem to catch your interest, ask yourself why this art existed, to begin with.

Who was the artist?

What was the inspiration of this work?

How did these works impact the people who saw this?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you’ll find that the artwork was not as boring as you thought it was.

Art is embraced by new mediums and technologies

When the 20th century welcomed a new generation, art took for a different turn as well. Many artists, now labelled as contemporary, have rejected traditional concepts of art and created concepts they could call their own.

The fact that technology started to rise during that era made the emergence of new mediums much easier. Artists started transitioning from being painters and sculptures that used paint and cement into digital artists and 3D artists, using imaging software and different materials to create works of art.

Now that contemporary artists are using blood, insects, dirt, and all kinds of mediums that you never thought could be used for art, it can’t be denied that times have certainly changed for the artist.

Most kinds of visual arts – from films and photographs to the museum paintings – are now being presented and circulated online. While you will still have your classic galleries in some urban scenarios, most artists find that it’s much easier for new creations to gain attention through the internet.

Online, almost all kinds of subjects are depicted in art, may it be your usual entertaining cartoons or culturally significant music and movies. Most of which are well received by the rest of the world. But what’s even more interesting is that technology has democratized art that would otherwise be subject to the whims of a museum curator.

From here, the art only gets more innovative as the years pass. New multimedia technology is making it easier to transcend space, such as when you can view an entire artwork through a 360 camera’s view.

But no matter what happens, art will always be there, continuously adjusting to the changing world, always finding ways to influence life for the better. The bottom line is art will always have a future, and a beautiful one, at that.

Learn to Love Art

Whether you like it or not, art is really changing the world.

Art is very important in society because it is an essential ingredient to empowering the hearts of people

When activists are showing images of children suffering from poverty or oppression in their campaigns, this is the art pulling the heartstrings of society’s elite and powerful to make changes. When photographers publish the photos of war-torn areas, it catches the attention of masses whose hearts reach out for those who need help. When artist creates great music and movies, it entertains people around the world.

This is art, making a difference in society.

As we speak, art continues to find ways to change and enhance the human experience. And yes, it can enhance your life as well. You may not know it, but your daily existence can be much more colourful with the presence and influence of art, and it only gets better once you allow your own creativity and imagination to take a turn for the artistic as well.

So go ahead and open yourself up to art.

It will be worth the change.

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“Renaissance” literally means “rebirth” and this was indeed a time where human artistry and intellectual pursuits experienced great revival and progress.

Here are 7 of the most famous paintings of the period

Bacchus and Ariadne

This painting produced between 1522 and 1523 is by Italian Venetian painter Titian.

Bacchus and Ariadne is considered one of his most famous, as it tells of Ariadne. She was the daughter of King Menos of Crete, left deserted on an island by Theseus, her lover. His ship can be seen in the distance, leaving her behind. Bacchus, the god of the grape harvest discovers her. He arrives in a chariot, lead by cheetahs. Jumping from his chariot, he attempts to save her from her fate, alone on the island.

Whilst the scene appears chaotic, it is actually divided into two blue triangular sections of action.

Bacchus is shown as desiring Ariadne, the two of them brought into focus thanks to the blue sky behind. Their story ends with their marriage, Bacchus granting Ariadne immortality.

The School of Athens

The School of Athens, another famous painting by Raphael was made between 1509 and 1511.

It embodies many key ideas of the Renaissance theory, as it gathers all the greatest scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians from classical antiquity into one image. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Da Vinci and more have been identified in the image.

It depicts them sharing and learning to form each other.

Though they all lived at different times, Raphael brings them together to celebrate the spirit of the age. It was commissioned by Pope Julius II and currently can be seen in the Vatican.

Coronation of the Virgin

On display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Coronation of the Virgin was painted in 1432 by Fra Angelico.

Fra Angelico was a Dominican brother, and the subject of the painting is a common subject of Christian art. This is due to a general increase in devotion to Mary during this period.

Christ is placing an ornate gold crown on the Virgin’s bowed head. The light represents her divinity, and she is witnessed by important divine figures.

Ginevra de’ Benci

Painted by Leonardo da Vinci, Gienvra de’ Benci was painted to commemorate the subject’s wedding to Luigi di Bernarso Niccolini in 1474.

This is one of the famous renaissance paintings, and also one of the few Da Vinci paintings on display in the United States for public viewing. There is a text on the back of the portrait in Latin, which translates to ‘Beauty adorns Virtue’.

Ginevra was the subject of much poetry and art, having been renowned for her beauty.

The juniper tree is suggestive of her name, and the imagery all works in harmony to support the identification of the image.

Mona Lisa

Another Da Vinci painting, the Mona Lisa is one of the most famous renaissance paintings and most reproduced images ever created. It was painted around 1504, and has been considered one of the best known and most valuable masterpieces every created.

The woman in the painting is Lisa Gherardini, whose husband Francesco Del Giocondo commissioned the work. Why Is Mona Lisa Painting So Famous?

The colors are quite muted and there is a strong use of the sfumato technique, in which well-blended and transitional gradients of color are applied to the image. Her mysterious smile and enigmatic expression have added to the intrigue and interest in this artwork.

The title of the painting translates approximately to ‘My Lady Lisa’, a polite form of address. It can be seen today at the Louvre, in Paris.

The Wedding at Cana

One of the many reasons why we make art is to depict a ceremony or a ritual. The Wedding at Cana is a painting by Paolo Veronese, painted around 1563. It depicts the biblical story of the Wedding Feast at Cana, a supernatural, miracle story from the Christian bible’s New Testament.

It is at this wedding celebration that Jesus performs a miracle; as the wine is running low, Jesus tells his disciples to bring him water, which he then turns to wine. The painting features Greco-Roman architecture, a surrounding of Doric and Corinthian columns in an open courtyard.

In the foreground, musicians are playing typically Renaissance instruments, making the painting a mix of contemporary and classical or historical details.

Jesus and his mother Mary are depicted with halos. It is a sumptuous painting, featuring a variety of colors and grand architecture. Out of numerous Renaissance paintings, this grand work of art must be seen on the walls of Museum Louvre in Paris.

The Marriage of the Virgin

Another famous renaissance painting on the list, the Marriage of the Virgin is by Raphael.

It is originally titled “Lo Sposalizio” and was completed in 1504 for the Franciscan order’s church, Citta di Castello. It depicts the marriage ceremony between Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph.

This was one of three commissions intended for Raphael’s teacher, Pietro Perugino, which Raphael completed in his absence. It can now be viewed at the Pinacoteca di Brera.

The Renaissance period produced many great artworks. An outpouring of interest in these pursuits made the Renaissance a particularly captivating period of human history, with Renaissance painting, in particular, is interested in re-thinking the art of Classical history. These paintings embody this spirit, making them 7 of the most famous of their day.

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