Question

Does knowing the personal, social, or political context of a work of art has a bearing on how to judge the art in question?

Give examples from:

painting or sculpture,

literature, and

theater, television or film.

Answer 1

Evaluating a piece of art is subjective. It depends upon the personal choice and preference of the individuals. But an objective knowledge of the piece of art helps the individual to better understand the aspect of the art,hence, helps to judge it in a better way. For example, the skill at art differs with age. A sculpture of 10 year old and a 40 year old would differ. Thus, knowing about the context is important. Similarly the knowledge of personal, social, or political context helps the individual to better understand the work of art and judge them accordingly to their personal preference.

Example- The Doni Tondo ( The Holy Family) by Michaelangelo 1503-1506, is an oil and tempera painting on panel. This is objective information of the piece of painting. Now, the other objective information of the painting would include, the genre, the style, the cultural context etc. This knowledge of the painting would help the individual to understand the message of the painter from their perspective and would help them to enjoy the masterpiece.

Literature: The cultural, social and political and personal view of Shakespeare is very evident in his Romeo and Juliet. To understand this piece of literature and evaluate it, it is necessary to know these fact about this piece of literature.

Film: To understand Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park the 1993 science fiction movie, one has to understand the context of the movie, the use of technology and the age that it is depicting. This knowledge about the film gives the audience to evaluate the film in an effective manner and to enjoy it to the fullest.