Understanding our world through art
Great artists possess the rare ability to pierce through the veil of the ordinary, revealing the deeper truths that lie beneath life’s surface. In times when power distorts reality and fear stifles truth, their work becomes a courageous act of revelation.
A few days ago, I was vividly reminded of this while visiting the Tate Britain gallery in London. Entrance to most of Londonˋs famous galleries is free and it is a great way of spending a few quiet hours in a big city.
I was particularly struck by the works of the late 17th and 18th centuries. The expanding British Empire was marked by conflict, built by the sacrifices of soldiers and the toil of slaves and factory workers. Child labour was common and women were condemned to giving childbirth and running the household.
Subtle hints beneath the surface
Artists were often commissioned to glorify king and empire, yet beneath the surface of landscape paintings, market scenes, and depictions of mixed-status couples, subtle traces of class divisions and social tensions quietly emerge.
The tumultuous times of the late 18th and 19th centuries and global wars come at a huge cost with massive taxation for ordinary folk, rising wealth gaps, poverty and unemployment. Artists responded by painting dramatic battle scenes or images that either evoke a Romantic past or feelings of awe and terror.
Art and spirituality
Much of religious art was commissioned by monastries in medieval times to convey the gospel because most people were illiterate. In contemplation of the art, the individual had a unique gateway to experiential spirituality.
Apocalyptic imagery from the Book of Revelation reflects the deep anxieties of a time when rapid technological and social upheaval left many feeling unmoored. Long-held certainties, norms, and values were beginning to crumble. In many ways, these ancient fears echo our own and mirror the disruptions in today’s world.
Artists sensing underlying tensions
Major social and political shifts are often preceded by conflict, and upheaval. Artists sense these underlying tensions long before they burst into the open but also give some cues to a brighter future.
Art offers us a unique lens through which to view the past, revealing not just historical waymarkers but the deeper rhythms of human experience.
History moves in cycles. Out of hardship and resilience emerges renewal and growth, only to give way once more to seasons of disruption and decline. Yet, from each winter of decay, a new spring is born, reminding us that regeneration is woven into the very fabric of life.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor –Speaker
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