How art mirrors civilizations
In last week’s article, we covered the multiple benefits of art on our peace of mind. Today, we’re discussing another approach that art can have not only on our lives, but also on humanity. We’ll see how art can work as a crucial tool to historians exploring civilizations. We’ll also explore how art is not only representative of beauty, but that it carries an important cultural weight. The experience that we will introduce at the end of this article will truly help you dive into Persian culture. Enjoy the read!
Art as a historical tool
Although we’ve been admiring art for thousands of years for its beauty and decorative purposes, it is also considered by historians as an extremely important tool.
Indeed, by looking at ancient artistic works, historians and culture enthusiasts alike can discover many secrets explaining how ancient societies worked.
For instance, since the dawn of time, human societies have exposed their deepest beliefs on wall paintings, pottery and other surfaces. The Egyptians developed hieroglyphics and their own imagery to portray their divinities. In Ancient Greece, we can find episodes of mythological stories on a variety of objects. During the Middle Ages in Europe, religious paintings in churches worked as symbols of Christianity’s reign. On a slightly more bitter note, totalitarian regimes used propaganda drawings to introduce the cult of personality.
Moreover, civilizations often represented historical events in artistic works. Most of the time, we can get interesting points of view about a historical event on a painting from a different era. For example, during the Renaissance, a lot of paintings represented characters and events from Ancient history. This shows historians that the Renaissance was a period during which artists were looking back at the grandeur of Ancient civilizations.
For all these reasons, art becomes a source of scientific research in addition to being aesthetically pleasing. But how is this expressed today?
Cultural heritage
If you look at traditional art being produced today, you can easily infer a deeper meaning to it than simply being traces of past civilizations.
Perpetuating the artistic traditions of ancient civilizations in today’s world may be even more important that we may think. It moves artistic works from being “static” sources of information to becoming relevant to today’s society. It allows people from certain communities to reconnect with their roots, while opening its doors to other. This is especially important and relevant in culturally diverse cities such as Montreal. If you’ve read our old articles, you know people here are always looking for new artistic things to discover!
Learn the traditions of Persian art, here in Montreal!
If you are interested in discovering traditional techniques from one of the most impressive artistic cultures ever, Experimnt is here for you! Our host Maryam is ready to welcome you in her unique universe. You’ll get to discover the richness and beauty of learning how to make Persian art.
The whole experience is completely immersive! In addition to all the equipment included in the price, you’ll be surrounded by traditional Persian music, drinks and sweets. If that sounds exciting to you, book your experience now by clicking here!
