In the whole world, the depiction of sculpture, sketch or oil painting is the most basic means to obtain visual art: that is, an independent object composed of colored blocks seen by the eyes in nature. In caves in France and Spain, we know that the animal lines outlined in the earliest human paintings have nothing to do with the earth or the sky, that is, they have nothing to do with visual intuition, but with some kind of spiritual world. Such as the complex overlapping fauna and pictures with clear images combined with structural patterns. Even the images in some very complicated and exquisite two-dimensional art forms belong to this range, and the pictures are generally concrete, which is no longer an ambiguous background, but in the western concept, this is not the background. In ancient Egypt, pictures were often covered with hieroglyphs, while in China, pictures were engraved with inscriptions. Add colors to decorate the image, outline lines and distinguish its parts.
Color, as a form of painting, began in Europe in the16th century, replacing lines to outline. In the west, the adoption of painting skills is a reflection of a special European painting concept, just as it is a window to reality or a daydream about the world. Combined with the development of perspective, all objects in space are represented from a single angle; Or use the shading technique of shadows to shape the spatial sense of images, and use subtle tone levels to express the subtle changes between the distance and the inherent color of the object and the reflective color on the object. Although these findings are enough for the painter to "deceive" the eyes of the audience, the illusion technique is not its purpose. In any case, they have led to the emergence of a unique western art form-easel painting-painting on canvas and hanging on the wall to appreciate its skills, that is, capturing and conveying the visual world, including the harmony and contrast of colors, the softness and grandeur of brushwork, and the simplicity and complexity of composition. The development of this realistic form of painting has become the central topic of art history from16th century to19th century, which is consistent with the "beauty" worshipped by the Renaissance, and at the same time, they also control the practice and principles of western art. This leads to a feeling of gradual success-the painter is close to the purpose of visual realism-which was only regarded as a serious problem by artists in the19th century. At the same time, easel painting, as the main art form, appears in the west, which has a great influence on the relationship between artists, works of art and the public. Originally, easel painting was not painted for a specific place, but now it has become an indoor display or an exhibit in an art museum. Picasso said, "Painting hooks are the bane of painting." Painting a painting is to be bought and hung on the wall as soon as possible, and it becomes a decorative form.
Some aspects of art history can be compared with literature history. Both have continuity and variability, but their development is different. Masterpieces constantly appear in literature and art, which transcend various restrictions, break away from the author's creative intention, and sometimes even contradict his purpose. In any case, art history depends entirely on the existing physical objects, and even on the works made by contemporary machinery. Admittedly, the history of art is much longer than the history of literature. For many years, we have only learned about human desires and pursuits through visual art works.
Great works of art are not only aesthetic appreciation, but also the crystallization of human skills and wisdom: they enable us to enhance our insight into ourselves and other things; They awaken us from our own religion and other religious beliefs, and they expand our understanding of alternative, usually foreign lifestyles-in short, they help us explore and understand our own humanity, and art history is the most basic part of human development.