Art and power: their influence on each other and interaction

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Throughout the history of civilization, one interesting and quite natural connection can be traced - the interaction of art and power. It would seem, how can two completely different spheres of human activity influence each other? But nevertheless, when considering such categories as art and power, it becomes obvious that they are much closer than it is seen initially. Both of them affect the will and emotions of a person, changing them and subordinating them to a specific goal.

How art influences power

In order to understand the nature of the interaction between politics and creativity, it is necessary to know what they are.

Power is the ability and ability to exert a certain influence on the behavior and activities of people using a set of certain means.

Art is the most important part of cultural life, a kind of spiritual and practical development of the world and the relationships in it.

How can these categories interact?

Art is the embodiment of a flight of fancy, a manifestation of freedom and the creative spirit of man. However, it was often used by those in power to achieve certain political and religious goals. How was it done?The bottom line is that both art and power are capable of capturing the minds of the people and imposing a certain line of behavior on them. Thanks to the works of outstanding sculptors, poets and artists, the leaders of the countries strengthened their authority, belittling opponents, and different cities maintained their fame and prestige.

Art allows you to translate rituals and religious symbols into reality, to create ideal and majestic images of rulers. They were endowed with extraordinary qualities, wisdom and heroism, which undoubtedly aroused the admiration and respect of citizens.

Thus, one should not underestimate the influence of power on art, which became an excellent tool in establishing a certain political regime. Unfortunately, often the common people became a victim of deception, which was achieved through the works of poets and writers.

Art and power in antiquity

If we consider the interaction of these two branches of social life, it becomes obvious that many centuries ago it was a very important tool for influencing people. Especially strongly art and power depended on each other in the ancient superpowers. Thus, the Roman Empire during its heyday is famous for its sculptures depicting emperors and generals. We see their perfect physique, classic features, filled with courage and courage, and involuntarily imbued with respect for them. What can we say about their contemporaries?

Very interesting intertwined art and power in ancient Egypt. His religion of Zoroastrianism endowedpharaohs by the power of mythical creatures. Often they were depicted with a human body and the head of an animal. This emphasized their divine power.

Middle Ages

If we consider art and power in a later period, we can trace significant changes. The techniques of sculptors, artists and poets became more sophisticated, as it became more and more difficult to influence the human mind. Now writers, commissioned by the royal administration, created ornate poems in which they described the exploits and majestic deeds of the ruling persons. The art of those times gave mankind many outstanding artifacts. So, Napoleon I, seeking to perpetuate the strength and power of his army, ordered the creation of the Arc de Triomphe in the center of Paris, which has been perfectly preserved to this day.

The ratio of power and art in our country

The history of interaction between these categories in Russia dates back to the 15th century. At this time, Byzantium, which was the heiress of Ancient Rome, fell under the onslaught of the barbarians. Moscow became the cultural and Orthodox center of Eurasia. Our state experienced rapid geographical and economic growth, which required the creation of an appropriate image. The court of the Moscow tsars became a haven for outstanding culturally educated and religious figures. They included talented icon painters, architects, musicians and builders.

The relevance of the influence of art on power today

Of course, everything has changed in the modern world, but the theme described (power and art) remainsvery important and relevant. The interconnection of these branches of activity is especially strong during periods of significant political and socio-economic changes. Now there is practically no censorship, which means that any person who seeks to express his thoughts and ideas through art can do this without fear of being punished. This is a very important breakthrough regarding the freedom of creativity and spirit.

How does art influence power in our time? Now these two concepts are very far apart from each other, as people can get reliable and complete information about the domestic and foreign policy of their state, as well as openly express their opinion. It is no longer necessary to influence the minds of the population with beautiful poems and sculptures in order to strengthen authority.

Exhibitions on the influence of power on art

From time to time exhibitions are held in different cities to highlight this problem. They are of great interest to those who are fond of history and political science. Not so long ago, a similar exhibition was held in a Swedish museum. It bore the symbolic name "Art for rulers". It was possible to see more than 100 expositions with the participation of 400 exhibits from different eras.