How Did Art Change Society

Art is inspired by the world around it. The techniques, tools, and technology all effect how art is made at a certain point in time. Prehistoric men used cave walls to print their paintings, the subject matter usually being nature or the supernatural. Millions of years later, our artists are still being influenced by the world around them and the tools available. During the Industrial Revolution paint began being sold in tubes, and the realm of those who enjoyed and purchased art was expanded. Paintings have always been influenced by what was around the artists who painted them, and the invention of the camera was no different. The introduction of the camera into society has changed the direction of the visual characteristics of painting.

The timing of the camera was crucial in its success. At the time it was invented the art world was in somewhat of a standstill. Classicism, the more formal style of art was at a slow retreat and Romanticism had lost its initial momentum. However, some trends towards realism were about to emerge. With Social Realists in France, Pre-Raphaelites in England, and Landscapists in …show more content…
The piece records the arrival of photography in the painting world. It introduces a new form of “virtual reality” into the painter’s traditional territory (Americanart.si.edu). For centuries you hired a painter to capture your loved ones on canvas, but after the release of the camera, you suddenly had a choice. There is a subtle homage paid towards photography in LeClear’s painting. During that time photographers needed their subjects to keep completely still for long amounts of time to get the picture just right and to make sure it would not come out blurry. The dog coming through the door is a signifier of painting being a superior art. The photographer has to start over while the painter could continue on. It’s a commentary on the uncertainty of the new art form, and the first of many more to