Understanding contemporary art in the context of the twenty first century is an intricate task. Some may find modern art exhibits dull, while others may die of boredom listening to a classical music concert.
Elaborate plays and independent movies may seem eternal for those who have different taste and who might be expecting a thrilling action sequence from a top-notch Hollywood film. If we identify with this description, it’s because we live in a world where our senses are being constantly stimulated.
When we accept the fast pace of life, we become slaves to immediacy. Nothing will never be interesting unless it is delivered to us quickly.
We seem to have forgotten the true meaning and purpose of of art, which can only be understood by unraveling the context. Here are 12 curious facts that will increase your knowledge about the history of art and make you a true savant.
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Art was part of the Olympic Games
From 1912 to 1948, art was part of the competitions. Architecture, literature, sculpture, music, and painting were awarded with gold, silver, and bronze medals. The artists had to create pieces based on the Olympic spirit in an attempt to replicate the original Greek festivities. Alongside these competitions, other cultural events took place in the host country.
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Eggs and water
During the Middle Ages, the most common technique to create murals was called tempera painting. Tempera is created by mixing dry powdered pigments with egg or water to dissolve them and obtain the vibrant paint used in the religious works.
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The size of the penis on Greek sculptures
Unlike modern times, the Ancient Greeks believed that the value of the penis was inversely proportional to its size. A bigger and larger penis was considered to be grotesque and out of proportion. On the other hand, a small penis symbolized fertility, and aesthetic beauty.
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The Greeks were inspired by Egyptian sculpture.
Of all art forms, the Greeks excelled in sculpture. Before the Hellenistic period, where all representations of the human body were done realistically, the Greek sculptors used to copy the Egyptian art. It served as a source of inspiration for their own work since they admired the imposing sizes, stylized figures, and the quality of the details.
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The Garden of Earthly Delights
This painting represents the Garden of Eden and the scene of creation. In the middle Bosch depicted the Garden of Earthly Delights to address the concept of sin and the third panel shows hell. This piece of art has over 450 portraits of humans, alongside mythical creatures, and animals. The painting can be seen at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, and is considered to be the most ambitious project in the history of art.
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The theft of the Mona Lisa
Undoubtedly, The Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the history of the world. The reason behind its popularity resides on the fact that it was masterfully done and its mysterious “disappearance.” Da Vinci’s painting was stolen from the Louvre Museum in 1911. The thief attempted to return it to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The painting has been replicated and sold as the original piece at least 6 times.
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Dissections of bodies made by Da Vinci and Michelangelo.
The two most important painters from the Renaissance revolutionized the way human bodies were portrayed in paintings. Their dissections of the human anatomy provided the necessary knowledge to make accurate representations of the body. They were both persecuted for conducting such experiments.
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Michelangelo only signed one piece of art
The famous Pietà, which depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion, is the only piece of art signed by Michelangelo Buonarroti. According to legend, the artist, motivated by the Pope’s incredulity over his sculpture, broke into the Vatican to sign his work.
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Picasso stole other artists’ ideas
When Diego Rivera moved to Paris, France, as part of his artistic training to experience the bohemian era of the twentieth century, he met Picasso. The Mexican artist was spellbound and considered him to be a genius; however, Rivera soon realized Picasso literally copied his colleagues’ work. Famous artists hid their paintings whenever Picasso visited their studios.
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Lois Vauxcells named two painting styles
The famous art critic named two paintings styles, Fauvism and Cubism. The former name was inspired by Henri Matisse’s paintings; the latter was a derogatory name for Georges Braques’ work of “small cubes.”
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Van Gogh’s ear
Legend says that Van Gogh cut his ear to give it as a present to his impossible love. However, one version suggests that Van Gogh mutilated himself after an argument with Paul Gauguin over the meaning of art, while the Dutch was visiting Arles, France. Another theory, which is more convincing, affirms that Gauguin was fencing when he accidentally cut Van Gogh’s earlobe; later that day, Van Gogh finished the job and cut his whole ear off.
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Salvador Dalí and the movies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh-xcXXHRsM
Dalí’s curiosity led him to constantly experiment with other forms of art, especially with films. He was enraptured by the freedom offered in film, which provided him a unique form of narrative. He was part of Luis Buñuel’s project Un chien andalou in 1928, and in 1945 he did a cameo in Hitchcock’s Spellbound. Dalí also collaborated with Disney, but the project was never completed.
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In a world where art is part of consumerism, only we can give back to culture its political, ideological, and historical meaning.
Breaking away from this wave of consumerism that has come to engulf the art world is an imperative for all mankind. We must endeavor to learn different artistic movements and be imbued with mankind’s greatest legacy.