The cognitive function of art;

Art often reflects the life of an era and people's mental outlook through typical artistic images. Appreciators can learn about the concrete and vivid life scenes of different times, different countries and different nationalities, as well as all kinds of people living in that era, their temperament, thoughts and spiritual outlook, so as to expand their life career and understand the reality, history and truth.

For example, The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival can help us understand the market situation of the capital of song dynasty in the late Northern Song Dynasty.

The educational function of art;

Works of art can play the role of ideological education and moral education for people. Excellent works of art always help people understand life, and also educate people to adopt a correct attitude and outlook on life, cultivate people's beautiful moral sentiments and promote people's progress.

For example, Confucius once used painting as a metaphor for "ceremony", sculpture as a metaphor for education, and poetry as a metaphor for his political ideal, hoping to achieve the political goal of "self-denial and courtesy" through poetry teaching and music teaching.

Aesthetic function of art;

Science makes people know the abstract truth, while art makes people know the truth of images, and at the same time, it can stimulate people's emotions, make people feel and be moved by beauty; Science acts on human reason, while art acts not only on reason, but also on emotion. The special function of art, which is different from science, is called aesthetic function or aesthetic function.

For example, China ancient art theorists Zong Bing and Zhang Yanyuan all involved in the aesthetic function of art. 。