From Past to Present

Ancient art links the past to the present. Without it, people today would not have any insight as to how the people of the past thought or lived. Art can also tell people a lot about themselves. The way one interprets art reveals how one sees the world.

By studying ancient art, modern day people can see how ancient people lived. For example, "figurative subjects in Roman art - other than portraiture - typically refer to myth, legend, and religious ritual," (Gunther ). By knowing this, people of today can see that the Romans felt that myths and religion were very important to them. In turn, one can see that Romans took things very literally. But figurative subjects were not the only types of ancient Roman art. There were also many paintings on their walls. One can infer that because their homes were dark and windowless, "the Romans used painted decoration to visually open up and lighten their living spaces" (1). This means that just like people of today, sunlight was important to them.

Ancient art does not necessarily restrict art to paintings and figurative subjects. Ancient art can also mean temples and megalithic cathedrals such as the ones found in the British Isles. The most famous of these is Stonehenge. These stone circles are "the quiet evidence of Man's activities, hopes and aspirations" (Megalithia). Most likely these megalithic cathedrals hold sacred religious meaning. However, some experts believe that "some of the large-scale stonecraft of later times (1500BC to 1BC) may have been an increasingly desperate attempt to propitiate the deities against the cooling climate" (Megalithia). By studying these works of art, one can conclude that the ancient people who built these temples either had a great passion for religion or were the strong survivor type. Either way, one could say they were an ingenious sort of people, considering the seeming impossibility of building those temples. To this day, no one knows how Stonehenge or any of the other megalithic cathedrals were built.

Art can tell people a lot about themselves. Most people see themselves in art, and the way a piece of art is interpreted reflects the way that person views life. Art is just as important today is it was in the ancient world. It shows people how their culture is viewed, and in turn they can relate to it. The arts are "both high and popular" (Szanto). In fact, there has been an "astonishing growth of the arts since the 50s" (Szanto). This is a good thing because it means people are willing to explore, and express themselves. One day people will look at this art and think of it as ancient, and the art produced now will give them insight as to how people of today lived and thought.

It is important to study ancient art to understand how the world became what it is today. It is a research tool; one can use it to learn more about history. By learning history, people of today can learn from ancient people's mistakes and successes; they can use this knowledge to better their own lives. This is another way of seeing themselves and learning about themselves through art. Art is a way to link the past to the present, and the present to the future.

References

Gunther, Michael D. "Roman Painting: Frescoes From Campania." Art and Archaeology.

"Introduction to megalithic sites in the UK and Eire." (2004). Retrieved September 4, 2005, from http://arthistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.megalithia.com%2Fintro.html

Szanto, Andras. (2005). "Entirely New Ways Are Needed to Promote the Arts." The Art Newspaper. 71(9), 12-14