The Beautiful In Art
By: Malia Fellenbaum
Does art have to be beautiful to be called art? This question has been argued and discussed for years. Art has changed throughout the centuries. When do people decide that a piece of art is beautiful enough to “become” art.
For this essay beauty will be defined as something that is attractive to the eye. Beauty is subjective to every person. There may be one person who thinks a painting is pleasing to the eye, but another may say it is ugly. Therefore, it is difficult to prove that art is or is not beautiful. For each individual, beauty is defined differently. Their view depends on their likes, dislikes, and beliefs. Art can not be measured in beauty. It is an expression of the artist.
Many artists use their talents to raise awareness for an issue. When depicting a topic such as world hunger, artists show the hardships and pain in their work. The purpose of their art is not for beauty. Many times, art has been used to make people see one side of a topic. An example of this would be the Destroyed City sculpture in Rotterdam. The artist, Ossip Zadkine, created it to show the devastation and destruction the city went through during World War II. He made a hole near the center of the statue to depict the destroyed heart of Rotterdam. In Zadkine’s own words it is “A cry of horror against the inhuman brutality of this act of tyranny.” Although difficult to prove that the statue is not beautiful, one can prove that its purpose was to bring awareness to the terror of World War II.
Another example of activism art would be Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. This painting depicts seven surgeons watching Dr. Nicolaes Tulp perform surgery on a dead man. These “Anatomy Lessons” were normal in 1632. Doctors went to these to have extra training. The man Dr. Nicolaes is performing surgery on is a criminal who was hanged earlier that day. Rembrandt’s message was to show that criminality ends in death. This painting is not meant for beauty, but to show the lifestyle of the 1600s.
Although some artists goal is to share something beautiful, most artists goal in their art is to share their thoughts, beliefs, and interests. Van Gogh painted the Cafe Terrace at Night to show the beauty of the little cafe against the night sky. In contrast, he also painted Starry Night in a mental asylum. The painting portrays his love for God, but also his loneliness.
Art therapy is an example of expression in art. It is a way of taking all your emotions and putting them on paper. Art therapy heals mental and emotional problems. The therapy also serve as a distraction from sadness, as shown in the article An Example of Art Therapy With an Adult. Claire, an adult, is an example of art therapy. She was unhappy and told to draw three pictures. The first one was with her mother who is fitting her in a dress. Claire says her mother was unavailable to her as a child. In the next painting, Claire painted her father far off in the distance to show that he was always very distant to her. In the last picture, she drew red, yellow and green lines. They signified her anger, urge for adventure, and happiness. In the end, Claire was able to clear her head and move towards a better future.
As said by Rainbow Rowell, “And art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” Although many pieces of art are beautiful and appealing to the eye, art is supposed to make us feel something or think more about a topic. Art does not need to be beautiful to be art.
Your use of logos was effective with the various types of examples of art and how the artist used their emotion in the art. Although, you could have used more ethos. You used great evidence to support your argument. I enjoyed your examples especially the last one about art therapy. You did well with sticking to the topic and you never went off topic. Overall, I enjoyed your post and thought it was well structured and written.
LikeLike
Thank you. The art therapy example was a last minute add in. I am so glad I added it. Thank you for your feedback.
LikeLike
The usage of logos was very effective with all the examples of art that was talked about and how the artists all have different emotional appealing to them. The evidence was well rounded and supported very well. The topic did not wander and stayed on track. Imaginary was used well and gave the audience a good idea of what the art looked like in person. In conclusion, the post was well thought out and written very well.
LikeLike
Thank you for your comment! I am so glad that I stayed on topic. I struggle a little bit with that!!
LikeLike
Overall your essay was very well written, and your use of logos really pulled the story together.
LikeLike
Thanks Alaina!!! I appreciate your time in commenting.
LikeLike
I thought the piece was intriguing and contained well rounded developed points. You backed up your main ideas with examples and evidence which made for a stronger argument. The paper had good focus and kept on track the whole way through. My advice would be to develop a stronger introduction and also to eliminate the portion in the second paragraph that says “For this essay..” Phrases like that, that directly refer to the essay or piece you are writing can make it sound slightly less professional.
LikeLike
Your title should be “The Beauty in Art.” Overall I like the use of examples but you could elaborate on them a little more. I agree that human mind is subjective and I’m glad that you have accepted that every person has the right to think and express their opinions. Art comes in various forms and can be interpreted in different ways too.
LikeLike
I found this topic and the examples and argument to be fascinating! I would have loved to see the art you referenced included in the blog to add to the evidence you describe with words. I also would have liked to know a bit more about how Van Gogh’s Starry Night illustrated his loneliness since that is one of my favorite paintings.
The conclusion was especially effective as it took your introduction and furthered it. ~Mrs. C
LikeLike
This essay was extremely well written about an equally amazing topic. Your use of pathos added to the text perfectly. The examples (logos) were well put and to the point. You didn’t drone on and on about it, which made this article a quick, enjoyable read. A little more ethos would have been nice, but as is, it’s outstanding.
LikeLike