Art Quote by Jesse Bryant Wilder
““Many 18th- and 19th-century artists rejected, criticized, or ignored the Industrial Revolution. Instead of uplifting man, industry seemed to demoralize and dehumanize him. Men, women, and children were forced to work 14 hours a day, 6 days a week in urban factories, without benefits or vacations. Factories polluted the cities, alienated man from the soil, and seemed to benefit only those who owned them. This led many artists to turn to nature or the past or to a make-believe Golden Age when life was beautiful and just. It provoked others to try to reform society through their art.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Art History For Dummies by Jesse Bryant Wilder, 2007
The Industrial Revolution's harsh labor and pollution pushed artists to reject industry, escape to nature or the past, or use art for social reform.
In simple terms: Industry's harms shaped artists' retreat and reform.
Key Takeaway
Art can both protest and heal social change.
Themes
art
industrial revolution
dehumanization
social reform
romanticism
Mood
critical
historical
reflective
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- studying art history
- reflecting on modern factories
- art activism
- teaching social change
Key Concepts
alienation
social critique
golden age myth
Questions to Reflect On
- How does art today respond to technology and labor?
- What is the artist's role in reform?
A Different Perspective
Some artists embraced industrial progress, so this view is not universal.
![“If [modern artists] hadn’t lobbied for endless subsidies, they would have starved or been forced to go to work long ago. Because the ordinary bloke will not voluntarily pay for ‘art’ that leaves him unmoved.” quote by Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cd/yevgeny-zamyatin-1218_art_if-modern-artists-hadn-t-lobbied-for-end_2516662.jpg)
