Ancient Arts

Buonarroti, who had always regarded himself as a sculptor, would now have to learn the art of the fresco . One of the many pieces found on the ceiling is 'The Creation of Man" which is known around the world. In this piece we can see the religious connection between the art and the artist. Michelangelo, a devoted Christian, believed in God and therefore decided to paint a picture depicting the creation of man by God. However, one might disagree and say that he was forced to paint these pictures with a Christian connotation. This could be true, but it just shows how life experiences also directly influence the outcome of a piece. If we look at periods closer to the present we can also see other strong examples of the relevance between art and the artist.

             Impressionism began during the 19th century. An example of an artist"s beliefs influencing his art can be seen in the works of Pierre Auguste Renoir. It is documented that he felt that art should be different from the real world, which can be cold and harsh. He said, "Why shouldn"t art be pretty?" and "There are enough unpleasant things in the world." An example of his attitude towards art can be seen in 'A Girl with a Watering Can" from 1876. This picture can easily be interpreted as being beautiful and therefore it proves that his belief of art is true. 'Dance at Bougival" from 1883, is yet another example of the artist and the inspiration for the art. By painting an attractive scene with two people dancing accompanied by laughing faces in the background we see a correlation between his quotes above and this piece. Therefore, one can conclude that Renoir painted mostly beautiful and attractive art.

             Unfortunately, for some artists, the reality of life isn"t so beautiful. One of the most talented, yet mentally ill artists of all time was Vincent Van Gogh. He was also from the 19th century belonging to the post-impressionists.

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