Sometimes when we look at a piece of art we understand it. It’s meaning is obvious to us. Sometimes we do not understand it on a rational level, we simply feel something when we look at it. We can’t always tell why. Artists rarely provide a clear explanation of what their work is about. The only thing we can tell is that there is a reason behind it. No act of creativity can be said to come without meaning or substance.
Not every artist understands why he creates something, but one thing that we can say beyond doubt is that culture and surroundings are of constant impact on the artist. And their work will often reflect in part their own culture and surroundings and often impart to us their own reactions to such things, although not always. In this all art is connected. Nothing is truly devoid of meaning. Everything is a reaction to something.
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For example; Napoleon occupied Spain in 1808, a lot of Spaniards, including the Romanticist Goya, hoped that the French would bring in a number of liberal reforms that they felt their country was sorely in need of. Instead the French were barbaric, and the Spanish resisted their brutality with an equally vicious resistance movement. After this Goya, now very bitter at the whole experience focused his work on what he perceived to be political tyranny. This piece, created in 1814 is called The third of May, 1808. It shows the execution of a group of rioters who had rebelled against the French. He portrays his people as martyrs, like many religious paintings that influenced his style of work, and in so doing of course the French, take on the role of the minions of the devil. It is interesting to note that images like this continue to appear throughout history, in much the same way as Goya has shown it here. As though Goya was also prophetic in creating what would become a terrifying symbol of our era. |
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At any rate, what Goya did was present a record of his time. Like a photographer recording events. Just like the primitives present us a record of their time, and the Egyptians presented us with theirs. Such as this image from Egypt. |