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Fine Arts Appreciation

The Importance of Images in Non-literate Cultures

The benefit of imagery in ancient Greece was that it was used as an imitation. The Greeks

also viewed it as communication in that it causes emotions in the person looking at the image.

Art in ancient Greece was explained as mimesis which would today be translated as imitation of

reality. An artist with amazing painting skills was greatly regarded and would at times be envied

by other painters (Pamela 3). One famous Greek myth is that of Zeuxis and Parhassios who both

fought for the title of being referred to as the best and most skilled painter. At one time Zeuxis

made a painting of birds trying to peck at grapes inside a bowl, the image was so realistic to the

point that Parhasssios was envious of his accomplishment.

Zeuxis's time to now see Parhassio's painting came and he asked that the curtain that had

covered Parhassio's painting be removed for him to see it (Pamela 3). However, the curtain was

Parhassios’s painting and Zeuxis fell for the trick. Parhassios announced that he was the winner

saying that Zeuxis tricked birds using his painting but he tricked a human who could think which

is not as easy.

Different cultures throughout the globe believed imagery to be a tool that could heal.

People who lived in Greece and Egypt in the old days, not forgetting Hippocrates and Aristotle,

believed that you could get symptoms of a disease just from viewing its image (Franklin 4). They
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also had faith that images could send spirits into a person's brain and cause bodily arousal. Those

who engage in Buddhism use imagery to envisage their gods.

In ancient Rome, to recall the speech they were to present before the senate the senators

would use imagery. Their lawyers would recall their crucial points to use in defending their

clients through mnemonics (Franklin 4). In Australia, the Aborigines memorized maps of their

surroundings which had significant connections to their spirituality.

Ancient traditional shamans utilized mental imagery for healing purposes through

imagination, only those with expertise performed it as it was viewed as a very sensitive and

crucial process (Franklin 4). Modern arts are also inspired by imagery which is borrowed from

cultic religious practices and imitation of dances whereby those who performed at first mimicked

gods at last taking clowns, storytellers, and jokers’ roles. The imagery was also used to showcase

various morals and characters.

Concern about Images used for Religious Rituals

Imagery has a high likelihood of wrong interpretation, falsifying, and obscuring of

information.

A Non-Religious Icon

Guernica Picasso. Pablo Picasso, an artist from Spain made an oil painting in the year

1937 which is very famous today.

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References

Franklin, Eric N. Dance imagery for technique and performance. Human Kinetics, 2013.

Franklin, Eric. Dynamic alignment through imagery. Human Kinetics, 2022.

Pamela J. Sachant, Ph.D. Content.ctcd.edu. (n.d.-a).

https://content.ctcd.edu/courses/huma1315oer/m21/ebook/huma1315_ebook_ia.pdf