Body Artist In The 18th And 19th Century: Painting Analysis

Over the week, we have seen how artists convey revolutionary messages to the public, the era of Enlightenment created a wave of social and political change in the 18th and 19th centuries. It comes to mind the painting of Joseph Wright of Derby who painted a philosopher giving a lecture at the orrery in 1765 (Khanacademy.org n.d). Painting of this nature gives a compelling message of social development to the public; it’s a common scenario these days depending from which perspective we look at it. In this essay, I will discuss how usual art conveys messages these days as oppose to 18th and 19th century period.

Body.

Artist in the ancient period (before about 1800) worked in a different scenarios with different approach to the concept of art, the process of selling art-work was different to what we have now. In the Renaissance period, art works were commissioned, that is, they were ordered by a patron (usually Aristocrats) and then made to his order. A patron usually contract and artist and specify how much he would part for an art-work, what material to be used and how he want it to look like after completion and what subject should be written. That won’t be considered artist freedom however, it has its up-side. Artists don’t just paint anything and then hope it will sell, the way artist often do now. (Khanaacademy.org n.d).

Renaissance artist campaigned fiercely against such thought; they wanted to be considered as inventors or thinkers. In the Renaissance period, though the status changed considerably but not to what we have today. For example; Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso or Damien Hirst. (Khanaacademy.org