Patronage of the arts & enlightenment influence

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Patronization of art is a term that was used in the ancient times to refer to a case where patrons used their influence and power to support certain kind of art because they deemed that particular work to be the best. These patrons included wealthy men, kings and popes. They used this means as a strategy to pass political, social and religious messages. These patrons at times created euphoria around a certain work of art or artist in order to elevate it to the world platform and at times to influence the kind of lives lived by other men. Patronization of art by itself was at times religious in nature. This is because art created tended to be an expression of one’s religious belief. Some patrons during the 1940s were motivated to patronizing art in orderencourage an artistic whose art proclaimed the belief of the patron (Melton, 2001).

However, after the 1960, artistic patronage based on religion and politics started to deteriorate.This is because people all over the world became more liberal and exposed and the influence of art on one’s religion and political view alsochanged. The artists themselves too became exposed and had access to finances and did not entirely depend on patrons to grow or be known. As a result, the euphoria that was being created around some particular art and artist reduced and hence the religious and political influence that patronage caused also reduced.

Patrons still existed after 1960, but their power and that of their patronized artcouldnot greatly change the direction of thelife that people lived.

People started getting access to more resources, time, capital and more art and some started abstaining from certain form of art that they personally deemed unacceptable. In addition, the church powers of the church have reduced. This is shown by the littleinfluence that the church has on peoples live. According to George Duby (1981), before the 1960s, cathedral was very influential and it through its patronage, it influenced education, flow of knowledge and even type of buildings erected. The church determined what instruments were to be used for worship and what was good and bad. This has greatly reduced and the Christians have been left to wisely choose for themselves on what to do and what art to adore. An example of an artist whose work was greatly influence by his patron is William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare was patronized by Queen Elizabeth and King James I (Robert, 1991).the euphoria of his work deteriorated with fall of artistic patronage.though his art was and isstill influential, it does not command the same influence it had under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth and King James 1.

“Noble Savage,” as developed by Rousseauis a very controversial view that greatly contradicts the general philosophical views of enlightenment. It claims that “men in a state of a nature do not know good from bad, and their peacefulness and ignorance of evil kept them from doing wrong”(Robert,1991).The general view however is that as one gets more exposed and enlightened ,one gets to be more empowered. These views are generally very contradicting as one tends to oppose the other. The Noble Savage further claims that the more man makes discoveries, the more he becomes primitive and unable to fully use the discoveries that are made. This further contradicts the other philosophies of enlightenment that have been proposed

References

George Duby (1981).The Ages of Cathedrals. Chicago, University of Chicago Press. Print

Robert Hughes. (1991). Shock of the New. New York, Knopf .Print

Melton, J. V. (2001). The rise of the public in Enlightenment Europe. Cambridge, UK:

Cambridge University Press.