The art of the ancient world tells a great deal about these early civilizations’ culture, morals, and beliefs of these early civilizations. Art was a significant tool of communication and a critical way to record important occurrences when few people could read or write. Most prehistoric and ancient societies do not have many written documents, and then we would understand little to nothing about them if not for their artwork. That is why art from any civilization, particularly ancient cultures, is so valuable.
The Importance of Ancient Art has always been and continues to be a significant aspect of people’s lives. People have openly expressed their thoughts and feelings through the visual and performing arts for over 30,000 years. Ancient art has significantly influenced the art as it is today and deeply learning about this particular period made me significantly re-evaluate the current world.
The resemblance to the modern art movement was undoubtedly influenced by ancient cultures, which I was quite surprised with. True, ancient cultures inspired some of the most revolutionary current movements in art history. It may be said that it is one of the most revolutionary trends in art history. In their work, ancient painters frequently represented their own troubles as well as societal challenges. I was able to better understand how society functioned then compared to now by examining and placing ourselves in the artist’s thoughts. Surprisingly, we can identify and empathize with some of the universal difficulties they confront on a personal level, such as broken hearts, poverty, and displeasure with the government.
Studying ancient art has led me to realize that it relates to the difficulties, needs, and everyday life of the people of the time. One can rewind time and experience what life was like in a time other than our own, ancient times, in this particular case, by researching and studying historical artworks. By looking at and coming up with diverse perspectives and views as well as interpretations of the art, learning different old art opened up my mentality to the maximum extent possible. It prompted thoughtful discussions with my peers on how each point of view differs and the realization that there are multiple approaches to everything.
My perspective of the ancient world has significantly expanded after the in-depth studying, where I learned about these people’s values and how they wished to be remembered. Moreover, looking at historical art helped me to understand who we are as humans. We get information and inspiration by studying what has been done before us, which influences how we speak, feel, and experience the world (Kristen, 2019). Finally, antique art made me realize how vital it is to preserve it for future generations to carry on today’s history.
In other words, studying old art and its history let me understand how far the world has progressed in terms of creative forms and approaches, as well as how much more evolved the world is now. Even though ancient artists lacked many tools and materials for their work and theoretical knowledge of how it should be done, their works are considered masterpieces. Many artists are still inspired by old artwork, which I realized is ageless and most valuable to the contemporary world; thus, our and future generations must do all necessary to preserve it and history for as long as possible.
One of the examples of making the most out of little advances of progress is ancient Egyptian art. Egyptians were not only expert architects but also master sculptors. Menkaure and his wife, Queen Khamerernebty, were among the first semi-freestanding statues created by the Ancient Egyptians (Museum of Fine Arts Boston, n.d.). This sculpture allows you to see how far art has progressed from the Stone Age to the Egyptians. It has a smooth polished surface with visible faces. It was built about the same time as the third and final of the three great pyramids, around 2515 BCE (Museum of Fine Arts Boston, n.d.). Historians now know what the Ancient Egyptians looked like and how they dressed since the faces are visible. The sculpture also enabled me to observe how various social strata dress and express themselves. This is one of the earliest instances in history where multiple levels of authority and slaves exist.
A polar opposite to ancient Egyptian art is ancient Chinese art, which mesmerized me how distinct in styles and concepts the art has been based on the regions. Chinese landscape artists have different perspectives on nature. Landscape painting in China reached its pinnacle in the Daoist and Confucian elite (Law, 2010). In contrast, ancient Chinese landscape painters sought to comprehend the universality, laws, and orders of nature. Their works favor generality over specificity, and they are devoid of time and spatial specifics. Shanshui is the name given to these works (Law, 2010). Chinese artists were heavily inspired by traditional Chinese philosophy, which can be seen in art pieces from the period.
The enormous and panoramic compositions seen in these works are meant to represent universal principles and orders in nature and the harmonious integration of man and nature, which is in direct opposition to Egyptian art’s use of Gods and wealth to express affluence. Such distinction in styles, composition, and intentions prevalent in different parts of the world contrived to re-evaluate the world I live in and comprehend how big and diverse it is. It is such a wonder to contemplate that various cultures were influenced by individual historical factors, bringing them to the current way of living, formed traditions, and unique art styles.
Since I continued my studies into ancient art, I became fascinated by the comparative examination of ancient Egyptian and ancient Chinese funeral art, as it would reveal two societies with drastically different perspectives on death (Law, 2010). An examination of political themes in ancient Greek and Egyptian Art, for example, would reveal the fundamental contrasts between democratic and monarchical societies. Comparing and contrasting different styles as they evolved throughout a culture’s history and as a result of technological advancements is intriguing. You may also learn about how art evolved as a result of cultural diffusion and idea dissemination.
Another honorable mention must go to ancient Greek art, which reflects the European continent and has had a big impact on my contemporary worldview. The Greeks infused a key concept of their culture: arete into their temples, art, and ceramics (Hemingway & Hemingway, 2019). Arete signified greatness and attaining one’s full potential to the Greeks. The importance and accomplishments of humans were stressed in ancient Greek Art. Although most Greek Art was produced in the image of people, the gods themselves were formed in the image of humans (Hemingway & Hemingway, 2019). Furthermore, the essential ideals of democracy, such as comprehensive freedom, responsibility, and modest self-limitation, are heavily represented in Greek ancient Art.
Appreciating and learning about art from many eras is essential because it allows us to value art in terms of how it appeals to us and represents the values and cultures of people living in diverse times and locations. It goes into the history and background of the art and the lives of the artists. Studying art history allows you to evaluate a work based on design, mastery, and methods. Above all, knowing art history encourages thought and analysis, prompting us to go beyond what greets the sight and to consider the perspectives of others.
References
Hemingway, C., & Hemingway, S. (2019). The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.). MET Museum.
Kristen. (2019). Why study art from the past? Metmuseum.org.
Law, S. (2010). An Interdisciplinary Approach to Art Appreciation. New Horizons in Education, 58(2).
Museum of Fine Arts Boston. (n.d.). King Menkaura (Mycerinus) and queen.