Art Then and Now

“The School of Athens” by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

Medieval artworks were often large paintings made with gold or other elaborate material. Now, art can be anything from simple geometric outlines to abstract splashes of paint on a blank white canvas. Back then, art typically illustrated historical figures in a realistic style and their devotion to religious faiths with the purpose to create a lasting tangible legacy. But now art does not have to have a specific purpose. Modern art is now a way for an individual to share a part of themselves with the rest of the world. Our current perception and what we call “art” these days vastly differs from art in the 15th century, and superficially, we can blatantly say that artists in the past required a certain amount of technical skill to create such intricate pieces while modern artists only need passion and creativity without such high level of skill. But what we fail to recognize is that there is no “better way” to art. Each and every person will have a different and unique perspective on what their definition of art is. Regardless of the present art trends, the purpose of art will always stay the same: to openly express yourself, so comparing one style or art medium to another is like comparing apples to oranges: you just can’t. 

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