A Definition of Art

A Definition of Art
My original definition of art in the Module 1 discussion forum was founded on the unique observations and feelings a work of art imbued in me. I believed a work of art to be a product developed using creativity, skills, and imagination. I thought that art works should not be judged from the observer’s cultural point of view since one is likely to miss the artist’s true intentions and expression. Every culture has its own views and understandings, which may differ markedly from my own. In my discussion forum, I singled out The Portrait of Mnonja, 2010 and Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon, 1907 as two of the pieces of art that interested me the most. I perceived the first work of art as the representation of a confident, attractive, and sophisticated woman. On the other hand, I found the second work of art to be a good testament of Picasso’s creativity and I finally realized why he became such a famed artist. However, after taking more art classes and viewing several other works of art, two pieces challenged my original definition of visual art. The first piece of art was Masaccio’s The Holy Trinity, With the Virgin and Saint John and Donors painted in 1428 and situated at Santa Maria Novella Church, Florence, Italy.
The title of the painting is derived from the three key figures: Christ on the cross, God the Father standing behind Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Mary and St. John are also depicted at the foot of the cross. All the figures in the painting form a kind of pyramid shape, a technique that was common during the Renaissance period. Masaccio employed the linear perspective of making objects seem smaller as space recedes to generate the illusion of space on a 2-dimensional surface. Masaccio was the first artist during the Renaissance period to apply Brunelleschi’s concept of linear perspective: for instance, orthogonal lines can be traced at the edges of the coffers and appear to retreat in the distance. Since the artist wanted the viewer to see the work from a low viewpoint as if staring up at Christ, the diagonal lines receding into the distance heighten the painting’s visual effect. There is a certain palpable realism in the work that is rare in other Renaissance paintings. For example, God is shown as a man capable of standing, unlike other Renaissance images that only represented him using a hand to imply that he was an abstract force.[Joseph Polzer, “The Anatomy of Masaccio’s Holy Trinity,” Jahrbuch Der Berliner Museen 13 (1971): 18, https://doi.org/10.2307/4125722.]
Here, Masaccio succeeds at bringing God cl...