The two works of art chosen for this discussion were created in different periods. The first one is by Hieronymus Bosch, titled The Garden of Earthly Delights, which was created between 1503 and 1515 (Halle, 2019). This painting features some stories from the Bible and a variety of characters and events. The main element of this artwork is the symbolism due to Bosch’s focus on the ideas of heaven and hell. In contrast to this, the second painting is by Georges Seurat, and it is titled A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Created in 1884, this artwork features a snippet of suburban life (Halle, 2019). Similar to Bosh’s painting, when looking at Seurat’s work, one can notice a large number of characters depicted by the artists. Additionally, both works feature vivid colors, mainly green, blue, and red. However, the difference between these paintings is the technique, since, in Bosh’s work, one notices more details. Another difference is the lack of symbolism in Seurat’s work.
Despite the onslaught on computer-based art and the increasing popularity of idea-based art, I do not think that “painting is dead.” I think that critics decare painting as dead because the technology and evolution of artforms offer more choices to the artists. This allows them to express themselves in a variety of different forms. Moreover, with conceptual art, the idea behind the work is more important than its contents, shifting the focus towards reflecting on artwork instead of enjoying its aesthetics. However, I disagree with the statement that “painting is dead” because I think that to create a painting, talent must be developed into a well-mastered skill. This requires hard work and dedication, the type of input that is not always necessary with computer imagery.
Reference
Halle, H. (2019). The best paintings of all time. TimeOut. Web.