Sociology

Guo Xi painted landscapes that dealt with the concepts of humanity in nature and the effects that mankind and nature had on one another. In his landscapes, Guo Xi often didnt include actual people, but instead lent human attributes to several natural elements within them. Xis landscapes frequently included three different types of trees that could be seen gnarled and low to the ground, like a person crouching, tall and erect like a person standing, and large and wide-branched, like a person reaching for the heavens. Xis landscapes were vast and gave the viewer a sense of greatness and enormity to nature in the way that he painted large mountains and waterfalls juxtaposing small narrow footpaths made by man.

I think it could definitely be argued that art created for a patron is worth less emotionally and intellectually, both to the artist and the viewer, than art created for no particular patron. The artist is being paid for his work, so the art is being partially inspired by financial gain instead of fueled by pure creativity and expression. The artist often had restrictions on what he could paint or requirements that needed to be included. This limited the scope of the artists self-expression and made the art less inspired. Art created for a patron has less emotional and expressive value because it was created for a specific person as a means of financial gain, and in exchange for payment the artist was forced to give up some creative license, lessening the artistic value of the work.

Watteaus Embarkation from Cythera embodies many elements of the Rococo art and decoration style. The cupids flying around the heads of the lovers and couples are frequent elements in Rococo art, which often centered on deities or gods and featured cupids and cherubs. The style of painting and Watteaus detail in the landscape setting and the manner of dress of the subjects is similar to the heavily detailed, ornate Rococo style. The intricate detailing and patterns of the Rococo movement can be seen in the patterns of the trees and the detailing of the dresses on the women. The setting of the painting represents the aristocracy and flamboyant upper class with which the lavish Rococo style was so popular.

It is only logical that music should be used to advance political agendas. Music and politics both evoke strong human emotions, so it makes sense that the two should be used together. Music has long been used as a form of self-expression and to convey ones feelings of love, passion, despair, sadness or joy. Incorporating political ideas and agendas into music is a way to express ones viewpoints in a way that is accessible to all listeners. It allows the songwriter to convey important messages in a way that is both easier to understand and more enjoyable to experience than a dry political lecture or article. Incorporating politics into music is to use the passion and strength of a political idea as the inspiration for music. Music can be used to express every emotion, making it the perfect template for political stances.

Rembrandt uses light and dark to emphasize the main focal point of the painting and draw the viewers eye towards the center of it. The students are all dressed in dark clothing and appear to be standing in a semi-gloom, while Dr. Tulp and the cadaver are highlighted with light from above. The cadaver stands out in stark white contrast to the dark clothing on the doctor and the students, and the dark incision on the arm illustrates the subject on which Dr. Tulp is lecturing. Eakins used a similar technique in both color and composition. He used vivid detail in depicting the cadaver and the instructor, and there seemed to be a light source above them highlighting the focal point of the paintings. Both artists painted the backgrounds in muted tones and details and accentuated the doctors and subjects with more light and contrasting colors. The cadavers always appear pale and draped in white to starkly contrast with the dark, somber dress of the students and doctor. Both employ the compositional technique of centering the focal points of their paintings and surrounding them with muted details, in this case the medical students sitting or standing around them.

Surrealists paint images that are metaphorical for elements in the mind. Surrealist art can at first glance seem abstract and confusing, but the surrealist artist is actually representing a view inside the mind. Metaphorical elements like shapes and colors are often used to represent emotions or experiences that cant be expressed in the conscious mind. Surrealism is subject to individual interpretation because every viewers subconscious expresses different messages and reactions to the surrealist imagery. Since surrealism was originally based on Freuds theories about the unconscious, colors and images are used to express unconscious feelings and thoughts. Surrealism defies the conventions of conventional art because it is an expression of emotions and thoughts, not a depiction of a tangible element like a landscape.

Art movements like cubism and pop art are all unconventional forms of art that are subject to self-interpretation. Because of this, I think theyre more likely to evoke stronger emotions from viewers. A viewer will both connect with the style and art right away and be able to interpret it with some personal intuitiveness into what it means to them, or they will not connect with it at all and not appreciate it as art. These forms of art require more interpretation from the viewer and therefore can be harder to appreciate and understand. Its easy to look at a piece of pop art and dismiss it because its just a depiction of an everyday object like a soup can, but it takes more effort to really examine it and try to determine what the artist was trying to convey and what it says. Dadaism, surrealism and the other forms of unconventional art studied are representations of unconscious and subliminal elements in the mind and in humanity, making them more expressive and open to interpretation.