The effects of British art on society

To some, art may simply be any visually stimulating piece, cultivated by hand. To others, it involves emotion and appeals to the senses. During my British Life and Culture lecture that took place on January 27, speaker, scholar, and artist Mark Bishop brought up several interesting points, one of which stood out among the crowd. That point is this: British art, particularly in the so-called Golden Age, was revolutionized by new approaches from five main ‘greats’: Hogarth, Blake, Gainsborough, Constable, and Turner. How exactly was art revolutionized and did it fit with society at the time? Does it fit now?

In order to fully address these questions, it’s rather important to analyze a particular artist and talk about his work. Thomas Gainsborough (an 18th century painter), is known for changing how British art was viewed. Instead of catering to those who harped over theory-based, academic and conventional methods, Gainsborough introduced a style of art that was centered on visual and intellectual stimulation through originality. He was concerned with using his art as a means link to the social world rather than appealing to the abstract appeal of the times. Bishop pointed out that the Greek conception of art involving nature, math, and natural beauty leaked (good word) into the 18th century. Gainsborough seemed to be connected to this, and was widely accepted thereafter for his “unique” vantage point.

With that said, was society really ready for Gainsborough and the “Great Five” during the late 18th century? Due to the fact that art was thought of as nothing more than pleasing to the eye rather than intellectually challenging during those times, society’s level of preparedness was probably extremely low. However Gainsborough, along with his colleagues changed the perception of art, widening the scope and instilling a vast appreciation in the process, thereby making it easy to connect then and now with the naturalistic form that we know today.

There are many more 'art' stories that I have planned to speak about, but each is unique in its own way and deserves individual posts, so more on that later!

Cheers!

Darrion