Exploring Wolfflin’s Understanding of Art History, Essay Example

The capacity of humans to express themselves through different forms of art has been considered as one of the most important aspects of human history. Not only does art provide an idea on how the artistic aesthetics of design define human development, it also gives a brief indication on how the humans of ancient times lived through the different aspects of changes that they had to deal with. In Wolfflin’s writing, he imposes that such aspect of art should not be set aside. Instead, it should be used as the basis of most analysis that are dedicated to the process by which artistic forms are being examined at present. Basing from the idea of development, Wolfflin imposes that art also defines the society where it was produced, Not only do the people who created them become mirrored in each piece, but instead it is the whole community that is presented in each particular piece.

In relation to this, it could be analyzed that modern forms of art specifically create a specific distinction on the different eras that they were produced from. This particular fact was used b Wofflin to distinguish the five different pairs of contrary perceptions about art that have become prominent between the sixteenth and the seventeenth century. Primarily focused on the transition of artistic era between Baroque and Renaissance, he presented the following give points of style and artistic approach of creation: (a) the linear approach, which involves the utilization of planes, shade and relative light, which become integral parts of the art being produced. Replacing boundaries and limitations, the linear approach provides the artist a sense of freedom in expressing himself through the piece he is creating. (b) From plane to recession; this particular approach intends to create a sense of distinction between the forward and backward relation of elements found within a single piece of art. The emphasis of the parallelism behind the said aspects of artistic presentation aims to create a balanced for representing the elements of the art based on an individualistic value. (c) Close form to open form specifically creates a tectonic composition of elements. Here, the horizontal and the vertical aspects of design are both compressed into a visual representation that makes both horizons define a meaning within an outer presentation in a specific art form. (d) From multiplicity to unity adheres to the artistic aspect of creating independent members of the art form. It entails to compress all the energies, lines, hues, angles and other elements used in the art into a much centralized presentation of the message that the piece itself carries. Creating accents that feature the most important elements is handled in this approach through getting bits and pieces of attraction from all the other elements towards the central object of the art. (e) From absolute clarity to relative clarity is basically focused upon the exhaustion of the main subject of the art. This approach evades the form of clearness that is expected of every art piece. The deliverance of rendering clear information through visual appearance is handled herein though the arrangement of contemplation and later on specifically points out focus in utilizing both light and reduced hue to defiant he focal element of the piece.

From these particular five pairs of artistic approach, it could be analyzed how Wolfflin also intended to define the comparison between the nude art produced by Botticelli and Credi. Relatively, he noted that the difference of style used in the said art forms create a distinction on what particular era the art presentations ought to follow. Being free and more connected with what the artist thinks and hopes to impose in the piece he is creating, Baroque art is more expressive; he likens this fact to the creation of Botticelli. He mentions that the wide array of elements utilized by Boticelli in his nude art defines the depth of attention he placed upon the details of his subject. The woman, although nude, was presented with much care while specifically giving attention to the details of her body as he increases the interest on the aesthetics of the human form. The edges and the curves of each aspect of the body of the woman Boticelli presented specifically creates a notion on how he himself sees women as he appreciates every detail there is into the being of such creation. On the other end, Credi’s creation was more subtle, limited and controlled as it is in the renaissance form of art. This era is characterized by the amalgamation of the developed art and classical forms of approaching creation. In this case, the one created by Credi becomes more construed to the limitations and rules of the society rather than presenting himself in his own creation.

In relation to Wolfflin’s identification of developmental art, he sees the transition of era between Baroque and Renaissance art to be a classic presentation of change and advancement in the society. Relatively, for him, the creation of a new form of art comes from a specific need. People facing new problems tend to create new resolutions. In the form of architecture that becomes prominent in one era apart from another, Wofflin argues that it is the changing tides of time and the consideration over the needed resolutions that become a high source of distinction as to how a particular phase of art shall change into a more modernized approach. This is how he defined the theory of new zeitgeist, which entails to introduce new forms. Through imposing this, it could then be realized how modern art could be defined as the aesthetic manner by which creators intend to respond to the new challenges of the new era that is presented to the human society. With art, people tend to respond to changes and problems thus making art a natural tool for social development as well.