Certainly, we can no longer look upon the canon of Western…
““Certainly, we can no longer look upon the canon of Western art - Greco-Roman as revived, extended, and graced by the Renaissance - as -the- tradition in art, or even any longer as distinctly and uniquely -ours-. That canon is in fact only one tradition among many, and indeed in its strict adherence to representational form is rather the exception in the whole gallery of -human- art. Such an extension of the resources of the past, for the modern artist, implies a different and more comprehensive understanding of the term "human" itself: a Sumerian figure of a fertility goddess is as "human" to us as a Greek Aphrodite. When the sensibility of an age can accommodate the alien "inhuman" forms of primitive art side by side with the classic "human" figures of Greece or the Renaissance, it should be obvious that the attitude toward man that we call classical humanism - which is the intellectual expression of the spirit that informs the classical canon of Western art - has also gone by the boards.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The Western art canon is just one of many traditions; modern art expands the definition of 'human' to include diverse cultures.
In simple terms: Art history is broader than traditional Western canon.
Key Takeaway
Recognize multiple artistic traditions as equally human.
Themes
art history
culture
humanism
diversity
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- museum curation
- art education
- cultural studies
Key Concepts
canon
modernism
global perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- How does including non-Western art change our view of humanity?
- What criteria should define 'human' in art?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue that expanding the canon dilutes specific cultural identities.