Communication

How does the art of the Renaissance communicate a message to us?

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."- Aristotle

Why Was Communication Important In Art History?

To delve into the Renaissance, we first have to understand what art is, and what it communicates to us in art. Art can communicate many different messages to us the inner thoughts and feelings of an artist. They can be used as diaries, showcasing the daily life of an artist or the world around them. Art can also be used as a more literal symbol of communication, certain images having been representing a certain group of people.

Feelings And Emotions In Art

The feelings of an artist can be shown through their art. This is conveyed through many means, such as their color palette and even the expressions of the figures in the pages. One of many famous examples are the many pieces of Vincent Van Gogh's 'Blue Period', depicting many sad figures and as the name suggests, makes use of the color blue to set a very sad tone for the viewer to take in.

This example 'Old Guitarist' perfectly takes advantage of the color blue and the grim expression in order to show us the poverty of the man, and his emotion.

Daily Life in Art

The depiction of scenery around an artist and daily scenes in their life helps historians and people alike understand the time period the artist lived in, and their understanding of the world. It also helps us learn about what life was life and daily tasks. One example of this is a still life of watermelons by Giovanni Stanchi. The piece actually helped scientists learn about plant breeding and what fruits looked like in ancient times and how they have developed today, due to the domestication of said plants.

How Can We Analyze Communication In Art?

There are many ways to analyze a piece of art, and the meaning of a painting differs from person to person, and how they feel when they see the piece. However, there are many ways to analyze art, like knowing the historical context under which the piece was created, and analyzing the subliminal messages and signals used in the art. One example of this, is the art of Yoshitomo Nara. His art might not seem like much to the viewer at a first glance but the pieces are actually political statements on soft power in Japan and the influence it has had since the end of World War II and the use of soft power to erase bad history in Japan.

The contrast between the seemingly 'kawaii' figure and the bomber plane shows us how Japan, although seen as cute and often romanticized in Western media still lacks an apology for the horrendous acts of World War II.

Conclusion

As we can see, there are many messages portrayed in art, and many ways we can analyze these art pieces to see for ourselves the message behind a piece. Sometimes, the message is up to you, and can only be found through interpretation, or made to express the emotions of that specific artist. There are also many ways we can interpret art and analyze it, in order to find the meaning of the art. This shows how art is used to communicate a message to the viewers, and how it can tell us stories.