The Revolution of Modern Art in the Timeline of Art History

"The excellency of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeable evaporate."- John Keats
A true art is one which is centered on a timeline of events of the world. New art styles have appeared and vanished, with the beginning of the industrial revolution and have meanwhile reflected the gradual changes that have taken place in art in our society. The 19th century painters considered art to be a representation of images that reflects moral values, Christian sentiments, righteous conducts, virtuous behaviors and noble sacrifices. The history of modern art starts with impressionism in Paris - a movement against the rigid painting done inside academy. The usage of light and strong colors was paramount for the impressionist art movement. Different movements fauvism, expressionism, cubism, surrealism and many other paved the pathway of the artist and the modern artist belief in the freedom of expression. They brush their thoughts and ideas into strokes of their art.

With the progress of the century this artistic freedom has become fundamental to progressive modernism. The artists seek freedom not just only from the rules of academic art, but from the demands of the public. And finally they have claimed that art should be produced not for the public's sake, but for art's sake. Art for art's sake is a release from the age old tyranny, rules and purpose; it is an excercise of freedom. 'Art for art's sake'- A phrase coined by Francis Schaeffer in his little treatise, Art and the Bible: "A work of art has value in itself." He said "Art is not something we merely analyze or value for its intellectual content. It is something to be enjoyed." But what about the works of art that are without beauty? Without the precious stone of beauty a piece of art whatever modern may be it is will become a pillar of caricature, without any innate value. We all know the famous poet Keats remark on art: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

In the 19th century, art was discussed by critics and historians largely in formal terms which effectively removed the question of meaning and purpose from consideration. But modern art was to be discussed in terms of one great thread that is style - color, line, shape, space, composition -- conveniently ignoring or playing down whatever social, political, or progressive statements the artist had hoped to make in his or her work. Eventually it emerged that modern art is practiced within a closed formalist sphere separated from and not to be contaminated by the real world.

Modern art should act like an effective instrument of social betterment, understandable by common man. Art should have its own intrinsic value regardless of everything. But it is not mere an articulation of images, rather the "true" art behind the image that was deemed important. We all know: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,- that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."