Art Is a Mirror of the Society. It Provides a Glimpse of the Existing Cultural, Political

Art is a mirror of the society. It provides a glimpse of the existing cultural, political and economic conditions of the society in which it was created. Throughout the ages, art form have evolved and changed to confirm to the standards of society. This paper strives to study three art forms from different ages – The Capitoline She-wolf of the ancient Roman civilization, The Birth of Venus which was created during the Italian Renaissance and The Dinner Party which dates back to the latter half of the 20th century, and understand the process of evolution of art through the ages.

Ever since its creation in the 5th century BC, the bronze statue of The Capitoline She-wolf has become the icon of ancient Rome. Today it resides in the Palazzo dei Conservatory Museum. Originally, the sculpture was only that of the bronze she-wolf which was built by the Etruscans, but later, the artist Antonio Pollaiuolo added the figures of the Remus and Romulus around the 15th century. In an era, where mediums of mass communication were not existent, public statues were the mediums of mass communication. On a website which provides information regarding ancient Roman sculpture, Sarah Mendel writes -

“Roman sculpture also fulfilled a public relations and publicity role. In a society without newspapers or photographs, public statuary was an important source of information and communication. A whole category of battle and heroic sculpture filled the citizenry’s need for information on conquests made by Roman armies. Arches and walls of public buildings were decorated with large sculptures carved in marble or cast in bronze using a style called bas-relief.” (Sarah Mendel, 2002, www.essortment.com)

To associate the origins of this great city with the Gods, several myths were created and like many other sculptures which tell of the victories and triumphs of the Roman civilization, the sculpture of The Capitoline She-wolf is associated with the story of the birth of the legendary city of Rome by Romulus. Although the story has no credible basis, it is most commonly accepted myth from among the host of stories telling the story of foundation of Rome.

Legend has it that Numitor’s daughter and granddaughter of the king of Alba Longa - Silvia, a virgin, had been dishonored by the god Mars. She gave birth to the twins – Romulus and Remus who were cast adrift the River Tiber by her paternal uncle Amulius (who had usurped the throne of Alba Longa from his elder brother Numitor). The twins were rescued by a she-wolf, who carried them to her den and fed them with her milk. Later on they were discovered by a shepherd who took them home who looked after them until they grew to up to strong adults. After killing Amulius and bestowing the throne of Alba Longa to the rightful king – their grandfather Numitor, Romulus decided to build the city of Roma (now Rome) on the Palatine Hill near the point where river Tiber could most easily be crossed. Later on, Remus was killed because of a feud with his elder brother before the building of the city on Rome was completed. Thus Romulus is credited with founding Rome and became the first king of the most powerful empire state of the ancient world. The image of Romulus and Remus being suckled by the she-wolf leaves an imprint of this story in the mind.

The statue is made of bronze, an alloy consisting of copper and tin as bronze was considered more precious than marble, even though marble is relatively easier to work with. The method employed to build bronze statues was the lost wax process. In this process, first a wax model is prepared which was then coated with clay. Then molten bronze was poured into this model through holes in the clay. The hot metal alloy melted the wax and filled the clay model. The clay covering was removed after the bronze had cooled.

The Romans had special affinity to bronze. They built their most of their statues with bronze and the sculpture of The Capitoline She-wolf is no exception. And rightfully so, as even today centuries after its creation which saw numerous barbaric invasions and years of neglect, the statue creates a lasting impressive imagery of the powerful ancient Roman civilization and is symbolic of the story of the beginnings of the Roman civilization.

Fast forwarding from the period of ancient Roman culture to Italian renaissance, Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus was one of the masterpieces born during this period. The theme of this painting, tempera on canvas, is inspired from Homeric hymns and Poliziani’s poem which tell the story of the birth of Venus and her approach to earth. This feature of drawing themes inspired from ancient literature, reviving ancient art and culture is characteristic of Renaissance.

Born of sea foam and approaching ashore her island of Cyprus in a big cockle shell with the help of the winged west wind Zephyrus, is the virginal beauty Venus, the goddess of love. A fair nymph awaits her on the island, ready to cover her nude female body with a flowered cloak. The heavens and earth seem to rejoice her arrival. Flowers float around in the wind, a shower of single roses flutters around Venus.

The beauty of the figures drawn in the painting is exquisite. Unlike other painters from that period, Botticelli adheres to creating an imagery of heavenly beauty rather than limits of the human physiology. Venus appears to have an unnaturally long neck, and her left shoulder is skewed at an improbable angle. During the period of creation of the painting, it was highly controversial to draw the female nude, especially in such magnitude. But Botticelli was allowed the privilege to make this painting as he enjoyed the patronage of the Medici family, who protected Botticelli with their power and wealth.

The sense of light, wind and movement are elegantly portrayed by Botticelli. Venus’s hair flutters gently in the wind against a backdrop of small ripples in the silent sea. The fluttering dress of the nymph and the cloak she holds, the floating flowers add to this imagery of airy movement. All this also signify the chaos from which Venus was born to become the goddess of creation. There is even a beautiful interplay of light evident in the nymph’s dress. A website that describes this work of art writes –

“The sense of light and airy movement is wonderfully given in wind-blown draperies and falling roses, in rippling waves and tossing locks, in the swift action and glad gesture of the welcoming nymph, in the gliding motion of Venus herself. Sandro himself has never fashioned a fairer or more delicate form than this goddess whose ivory limbs may well have been modelled, as tradition says, from some antique marble in the Medici garden. In this masterpiece we feel that the painter has freed himself wholly from the influence of others and relies entirely on his own resources. The stiffness and rigidity of his early works have given way to perfect ease and grace, to a beauty of line and decorative completeness which has been rarely surpassed by the most consummate artist.”(2008, www.BotticelliBirthofVenus.com)

All of these together help Botticelli to create a vision of perfection, beauty, ease and grace. So much so, Botticelli’s work has been acclaimed to be ‘visual poetry’ that possesses a lyrical quality. Now moving over to the late 20th century, The Dinner Party broke all the conventional barriers of art and emerged to become one of the most unconventional yet moving art form which moved and influenced thousands. This monumental installation was created by Judy Chicago with the aid of scores of volunteers during 1974-1979. It is powerful representation of the achievements of women and it brought the world to acknowledge the contribution of women in various spheres.

The installation is basically a massive triangular banquet table of each side measuring 48 feet length. The guests of honor at this table are 39 women, symbolized by larger than life porcelain plates painted in China. The design of each plate is based upon a butterfly, which implies the female vulva, and each plate design contains an imagery of the person’s story. The plates are set upon intricate textiles, and they also contain vivid imagery. In addition, the porcelain floor of the table also figures the names of another 999 women. The overwhelmingly elaborate designs of the draperies, porcelain plates and porcelain floor are simplified by the plain equilateral form of the table, which appears to signify the unbiased nature of the work.

Today, when the achievements of womankind are commonplace and openly acknowledged, the significance of this artwork can only be appreciated when we consider the time of its inception. Prior to this, the achievements of women were not considered significant enough to be the themes of heroic sagas and artistic creation. Judy Chicago brought the world to acknowledge the contributions of women through her inception. This situation is best summed up in the words of the Through the Flower organization which writes on its website –

“There were no exhibitions, books, or courses surveying women in art. Not one woman appeared in the standard art history college textbook by H.W. Jansen. There was no biography in English of Frida Kahlo; the music of Hildegarde of Bingen had not been heard for centuries. It was more than news -- it was a major challenge to academic and artistic tradition that the subject matter of women's achievements was adequate for a monumental work of art. Developing that subject matter, expressing it traditionally - i.e., on a heroic scale -- in media that were considered beneath the standard of fine art, working openly with scores of studio participants and acknowledging their role in the production of art - in all these ways Judy Chicago defied tradition, and challenged the usual boundaries of the contemporary art world.” (Donald Woodman, 2009, www.throughtheflower.com)

As a result of this unconventional theme, and her choice of letting hundreds of studio artists assist her in her work, some critics refused to recognize this as art. But Chicago unwavering perseverance to elevate the achievements of women eventually won through. It has been exhibited at fifteen sites, toured six countries and been viewed by one million people to be acknowledged as the icon of art in the twentieth century. The critics were forced to acknowledge the genius of Judy Chicago and this artwork broke countless traditional barriers of art to make the world acknowledge the contribution of women. The culture in which the idea of The Dinner Party was conceived changed and the society accepted Chicago’s view – incorporating the achievements of women into textbooks, curriculums and even the art world.

References –

1. All about ancient roman sculpture: materials, style and artists, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/romansculpture_sapn.htm

2. Romulus and Remus: The Beginnings of Roman Civilization, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www.helium.com/items/1518657-romulus-and-remus-and-the-foundation-of- rome

3. Legion XXIV-Short Story of Rome, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www.legionxxiv.org/history/

4. Botticelli| Birth of Venus, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www.botticellibirthofvenus.com/

5. Italian Renaissance Art: Birth of Venus, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Home/Ahigh_botticelli.html

6. Analysis: The Birth of Venus, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~mcech/venus.html

7. Through the Flower: Judy Chicago, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www.throughtheflower.org/page.php?p=10&n=2