The Revolution of Modern Art in the Timeline of Art History

"The excellency of every art is its intensity,in his little treatise, Art and the Bible: "A work of
capable of making all disagreeable evaporate."-art has value in itself." He said "Art is not
John Keatssomething we merely analyze or value for its
A true art is one which is centered on a timelineintellectual content. It is something to be enjoyed."
of events of the world. New art styles haveBut what about the works of art that are without
appeared and vanished, with the beginning of thebeauty? Without the precious stone of beauty a
industrial revolution and have meanwhile reflectedpiece of art whatever modern may be it is will
the gradual changes that have taken place in artbecome a pillar of caricature, without any innate
in our society. The 19th century paintersvalue. We all know the famous poet Keats
considered art to be a representation of imagesremark on art: "A thing of beauty is a joy
that reflects moral values, Christian sentiments,forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass
righteous conducts, virtuous behaviors and nobleinto nothingness."
sacrifices. The history of modern art starts withIn the 19th century, art was discussed by critics
impressionism in Paris - a movement against theand historians largely in formal terms which
rigid painting done inside academy. The usage ofeffectively removed the question of meaning and
light and strong colors was paramount for thepurpose from consideration. But modern art was
impressionist art movement. Differentto be discussed in terms of one great thread that
movements fauvism, expressionism, cubism,is style - color, line, shape, space, composition --
surrealism and many other paved the pathway ofconveniently ignoring or playing down whatever
the artist and the modern artist belief in thesocial, political, or progressive statements the
freedom of expression. They brush their thoughtsartist had hoped to make in his or her work.
and ideas into strokes of their art.Eventually it emerged that modern art is practiced
With the progress of the century this artisticwithin a closed formalist sphere separated from
freedom has become fundamental to progressiveand not to be contaminated by the real world.
modernism. The artists seek freedom not justModern art should act like an effective instrument
only from the rules of academic art, but from theof social betterment, understandable by common
demands of the public. And finally they haveman. Art should have its own intrinsic value
claimed that art should be produced not for theregardless of everything. But it is not mere an
public's sake, but for art's sake. Art for art's sakearticulation of images, rather the "true" art behind
is a release from the age old tyranny, rules andthe image that was deemed important. We all
purpose; it is an excercise of freedom. 'Art forknow: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,- that is all ye
art's sake'- A phrase coined by Francis Schaefferknow on earth, and all ye need to know.