The role of art in our life.

The role of art in our life.

Art is an all embracing notion (music, painting, theatre, literature and so on). Art had the most important role in the development of the mankind. The first were found on walls of ancient caves. So we can guess that painting was the first way of art. Painting is the most understandable way of art, because it gives us the most full and vivid impression.

Seneka once said: “All art is bur imitation of nature”. I ddon’t agree with him. I think that art has many functions and it’s hard to overestimate the role of art in one’s life. Art has great influence on our souls, feelings, forms our moral values. Art forms our outlook and enriches our inner world. Art influ-ences greatly the development and of evolution of con-sciousness of a person and of the mankind. Art makes us think of the sense of life, how people must live, what is ideal of beauty, what iis love, – the eternal questions. Art helps us to understand people who lived hundred years ago and to learn the history of the mankind. Art creates our notion about beauty and harmony. Art helps people to understand outside world aand each others. Art develops our good qualities. Art has a great educational significance. Art brings people up – makes them more humane and kind. The language of art is universal. Everybody, in spite of age, nationality, occupation understands what is said by the painter. Art gives people a possibility to express ourselves and to become famous. But I don’t think that every painter becomes famous. Only talented, genius people like da Vinci, Raphael and others can create great, eternal art, real masterpieces. Art is great only if it has links with people’s lives, interests, ideals. If it hasn’t, it won’t be understood and acknowledged. Real art appeals to the heart and mind of a man, to his feelings and iit proclaims life.

As to the trends of art, I prefer old art. Painting of old masters is one of the greatest treasures mankind has col-lected in the history of its civilisation. The pictures of old painters are in all big museum of the world (for example, the Hermitage, the Tretiakovskaya gallery and others). Old paint-ing reflects the collective experience of human spiritual life of many centuries, because, as I have already said, painting is the first way of art. As tto country schools of painting, I prefer English painting school. My favourite English painter is George Romney.

George Romney was born in 1734. He was a son of a cabinetmaker. He was apprenticed to Christopher Steele, a travelling portraitist between 1775 and 1757; at that time Romney established himself in Kendal, Westmoreland, where he had a fairly prosperous trade in small portraits. In 1762 he left for London; here he broadened his style considerably. In 1763 and 1765 he won awards at the Society of Arts. During the next few years he became more popular as a portrait painter. In 1764 Romney paid a short visit to Paris. In 1773 he left England and spent two years in Italy, mainly Rome, study-ing antique sculpture and the work of Raphael. These studies had a major influence on the development of his style.

On his return to England in 1775 Romney rapidly be-came and remained for many years one of the most fashion-able portrait painters in London; his patrons ranged from the Prince of Wales and members of the aristocracy to the literary and dramatic figures of the day. Second only to Sir Joshua ...