大家好，我是SK2實力養成班兼J2機經顧問Jacob.
同學常常覺得托福藝術史非常困難，主要原因就是完全猜不到會講到藝術哪些層面，導致任由擺佈。其實藝術史還是有很多常見的幾個走向，今天就先介紹一個講到藝術運動（art movement）的時候，很常見的一個主題—時代背景。
就像每個人來自不同原生家庭，性格處事方式都有所不同，藝術運動也很像，在怎樣的時代背景，因而產生出怎樣的繪畫風格，也是很重要的一環。
以下舉三個大家應該都相對熟悉的藝術運動當例子：
1. Baroque 巴洛克
16世紀中期，許多人皈依路德教派，天主教會深感威脅，於是在1545到1563年間召開特倫托會議。在此次會議中，馬丁路德質疑宗教改革，並且出現很多其擁護者。為了回應大眾的批評，天主教會開始大肆宣傳攻勢，重申自己的教義，試圖反擊新教徒的批評。但當時識字的知識份子很少，所以就把重點放在沒受過教育的大眾。
The Baroque period in art has a rather fascinating beginning.During the mid-1500s, the Catholic Church was feeling threatened by the increasing conversion of the population to Lutheranism. The church convened the Council of Trent, which took place from 1545 to 1563. At the Council of Trent, religious reforms were being questioned, proposed, and reconsidered. Martin Luther’s scathing criticism of the church found supporters everywhere. As a response, the church launched an advertising blitz, reiterating and reaffirming that its fundamental teachings(教義) to combat the Protestant criticisms that were turning the public away from the Catholic Church. Since winning over the few educated intellectuals who were able to read at the time would not make a big difference maintaining the power of the Catholic Church, the uneducated masses were targeted.
既然一般民眾都不識字，最有效的宣傳媒介當然就是透過藝術了。巴洛克藝術就此誕生。
Since the majority of people could not be reached via the written word, to inspire them to stay loyal, the Catholic Church and its teachings would require a medium that did not require literacy.The answer to this was clear, the church embarked on the systematic religious advertising campaign using art. This marked the beginning of the Baroque era.
2. Ukiyo-e 浮世繪
浮世指的是漂浮不定的人世間生活百態，反應著當時正崛起的中產階級享樂至上、無憂無慮的人生態度。
The term, ukiyo, means floating world, an idea which reflected the hedonistic and carefree lifestyles of Japan’s rising middle class.
17世紀初，當木版畫出現的時候，日本正面臨一個轉變。經歷多年戰爭及經濟蕭條，日本終於在德川家族的統治下進入了和平及繁榮的時期。此時的經濟促使了量產、消費、貨運的發展。量產也包括了木版畫，並在1615到1858年間盛行起來，特別在商人間特別風行。在江戶時代，商人在經濟上受益最大。當商人逐漸富有起來，浮世繪變成一種財富的象徵。許多人家裡都會擺放描繪藝妓、歌舞伎等等主題的木版畫。
At the beginning of the 17th century, when woodblock painting just begun, Japan had reached a turning point. After years of war and economic struggles, the nation finally achieved peace and prosperity under the rule of Tokugawa(徳川) family. Japan’s increasing wealth allowed for a mass production, purchase, and transportation of goods, which had never been possible before.
Among the mass production of goods, ukiyo-e prints became popular between 1615 and 1858. They were especially popular among merchants, the lowest class of Japan’s Confucian social hierarchy at the time. The merchants actually benefited the most financially during the Edo period. As the merchant class grew wealthier,ukiyo-e art became a popular symbol of wealth. Many families decorated their homes with prints featuring beautiful geishas,kabuki actors, historical events, and the natural world.
3. Cubism 立體派 (*請注意立體派這個翻譯其實很容易引起誤會，往下看就會發現，其實立體派一點也不「立體」，反而是由一塊一塊的方塊組成的。)
20世紀初，當時藝術家處在一個瞬息萬變的時代。科技進步、政治變革、以及社會結構變化都在此時發生。攝影變成人們取得肖像的方式，人們也用拍照來紀錄歷史事件或是日常生活。很自然的，畫家必須改變繪畫的主題。當時代表性畫家畢卡索、喬治˙布拉克認為需要有新型式的藝術風格來跟當代民眾連結，並反應當時生活的掙扎。
At the turn of the 20th century, artists found themselves in a fast pace in ever-changing modern world. Technological advances,political changes, and dramatic changes for their social structures were all happening at this time. Photography was increasingly being used for portraiture and to document historical and everyday events. So, it was only natural for painters to turn to other themes. The leading artists of the day, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, felt that the new artistic style was needed to connect with the modern audience and reflect the struggles of modern life.
受到後印象畫派畫家塞尚的影響，立體派藝術家脫離了從文藝復興開始就習以為常的3D透視法。取而代之的是用多重視角來畫2D人像，藉以呈現完整度以及現代獨特性。
Inspired by Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne, Cubist artists deviated from the three-dimensional perspective that have been the norm in art since the Renaissance. They instead painted two-dimensional figures from multiple perspectives to convey a sense of totality and the uniquely modern way.
看了上面三個例子，同學應該可以感覺到其實藝術並沒有那麼的虛無飄渺，多看個幾個藝術運動後，還是有一些共通性的。
建議同學可以多看看以下這個Youtube頻道，把裡面的藝術運動都看一看，看能不能找出其他時代背景。有機會下次再多分享幾個 :)
https://www.youtube.com/user/Philinthecircle
Cheers,
J2
