Conventional view primarily considers books as the main means of learning about historical events; however, art can tell a person more about it than any book would. Even though art may not be so accurate in retelling history, especially folklore, it rather reflects the cultural heritage and habits of one nation. Through critical analysis, the essay will demonstrate how art is a valuable constituent in the historical heritage, providing vivid examples.
Artifacts are one of the most prominent examples of artistic representation of history. Objects created by individuals of certain periods such as clothing, coins, utensils can tell a lot about the style of living and wealth of the nation (McIntyre). Attire as a vivid example allows creating an evolutional timeline of the culture, its methods of creating and producing clothing, and identifying the range of social classes based on certain clothing items. As opposed to the written documents, which are scarce, artifacts allow historians to explore the daily life of different social levels based on a solid analysis and connection to the period.
As a more modern form of art as historical evidence – photographs are more accurate visual records of events. Photo cards allow us to vividly view many events and cultural peculiarities, such as clothing, habits, architectural building, etc. In certain instances, photography may even create evidence for tragic events, uncovering details that were never before seen. Photos became empirical evidence in verifying the Armenian genocide by Turkey in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1918.
An artist Arshile Gorky, who is also a survivor of the genocide, presented multiple photo pieces of proof that confirm the tragic event, so passionately denied by the Turkish government. The photos include emaciated bodies in heaps, photographs that back up contemporary written evidence that starvation was a key element in the pogrom (Jones par. 3). A photo of the artist with her mother serves as undeniable evidence of what happened in Turkey1915, remaining testimony to the events. Photography may become a more reliable source than the remaining books and tellings of the events that have to be subjectively decrypted.
Paintings as historical evidence are considered valid among cultural historians, and in some cases, considered critical to the process of discovering the mentality and habits of the nations. Burckhardt and Huizinga – significant historians of the 20th century, considered Italian and Dutch Renaissances art critical to the identification of the daily life of this period’s people (Suh 137). They relied on paintings as a primary source of evaluating the emergence of childhood and upbringing concept in the 17th century by investigating hundreds of art pieces. As a result, the historians discovered what Dutch affluence looked like and how moral sensibilities and patriotism shaped Dutch behaviors in everyday life (Suh 137). Thus, paintings can become empirical evidence for historical discoveries.
On the fundament of cultural studies, the presented framework established a strong connection of art to the process of learning about history. Through many art elements, including but not limited to artifacts, photography, and paintings, historians may draw more details of the people’s lives in these periods than from official documents. Moreover, art may even serve as evidence to confirming events, becoming a decisive vessel in the historical stage of a country. Thus, art is an integral part of history, at times becoming a more informative source of cultural findings.
Works Cited
Jones, Jonathan. “Art as Evidence.” The Guardian, 2008, Web.
McIntyre, W. John. “View of Artifacts as Sources for Material History Research | Material Culture Review.” Material Culture Review Visual and Material Culture Studies Program, Web.
Suh, Yonghee. “Past Looking: Using Arts as Historical Evidence in Teaching History.” Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 8, no. 1, 2013, Web.