The Importance of “Message" in Art
Comparing Byzantine religious iconography with political cartoons
For those hoping for the continuation of my Anatomy Metaphors series, don't worry, I will get back to it. But this week has been crazy hectic, so I'm going to share some things that I already have written until I have time to write again.
The following is a school assignment from the beginning of my sophomore year, the topic was to compare this work of art with another piece and make a point
And this is the piece I chose to compare it to:
Should all pieces of art be taken at face value?
Many pieces of art are significant not because they are photo-realistic or stunningly beautiful but because they convey a message well. The value of both modern-day political cartoons and Byzantine religious iconography go far beyond the simple depictions alone:
Both political cartoons and religious icons are not portrayed accurate to life. Features such as noses, ears, and hands are often elongated or not painted in proportion to the rest of the picture. However, this does not detract from the images because the viewer does not expect realism. These un-proportional pictures are presented in this manner to make a point. Political cartoons, however, are different from religious icons because the point of cartoons is to make light of the issue, to be humorous and to be satirical. The point of religious icons is to aid worshipers to focus on the object or person the icon represents. They are serious and solemn works of art. Both political cartoons and religious icons do not need to be photo-realistic to serve their purpose.
Both political cartoons and religious icons have specific, limited subjects. Unlike the majority of western art forms, the subject matter of cartoons and icons is limited to a specific number of relevant topics or people. Religious icons are pictures of specific saints in prescribed postures with generic gestures. There are numerous rules about what could or could not be “correct.” Being “correct” in political cartoons is considered far less important, but cartoonists still have restrictions. For a wide audience to appreciate the cartoon, it must be of a widely known figure. Thus, they are limited to recent politicians and well-known public figures. Both art forms, therefore, are limited in subject matter.
Both political cartoons and religious icons strongly depend on symbolism. The colors, animals, and positions like gazes and hand gestures are symbolic of more than what is seen. In American political cartoons, for example, eagles represent America, donkeys represent Democrats, and elephants represent Republicans. The color red is equivalent to the Republican Party while blue is equivalent to the Democratic Party. A pile of money depicts wealth, even if that wealth may be in gold, bonds, stocks, or real estate instead of currency. In religious icons, the whale that swallowed Jonah stands in for the tomb of Christ, or also death and resurrection. Doves bring to mind peace or the Holy Spirit. The color white emphasizes the purity and innocence of martyrs. Cobalt blue symbolizes the devil or demons while red symbolizes heaven and angels. Purple represents prestige and power. Gold demonstrates the high spiritual value of the person portrayed, and a gold background represents the light of heaven. Halos suggest saints, prophets and divinity. The assist technique, which includes shining gold lines radiating from a figure, is only used as a representation of divinity. Both political cartoons and religious icons rely heavily on symbolism to represent more than is depicted at face value.
Realism is not the defining factor of the artistic value of both cartoons and religious icons. Political cartoons and religious icons are both not portrayed realistically, limited to a specific field of subjects, and are filled with symbolism. The value of an art piece should not depend on the image depicted but instead on the meaning of the picture.
I hope you enjoyed this comparison of two vastly different pieces of art. Questions or comments? Feel free to ask in the comments section below.