“Only through art can we emerge through ourselves and see what another person sees” (“Marcel Proust”). The words of French novelist Marcel Proust describe well the result of art’s interpretation as obtaining an understanding that would otherwise be less distinct. For the purpose of understanding the extent to which this effect enhances human understanding, it is necessary to define some key terms. “Interpretation” will be defined as the act of taking meaning from something, “art” will be defined as creative expression of feelings or ideas that can be conveyed through various media, to “enhance” is to contribute to the growth of something, and “human understanding” is knowledge accumulated by and of humans. Under these definitions, the extent
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Often times, the presence of either one of these factors at its creation are indicative of its relativity to events that are historically relevant. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe stands as an excellent example of a work of art made popular by its time. After being published in 1852, it sold over 300,000 copies in North America and even more in Great Britain ("Harriet Beecher Stowe — Uncle Tom 's Cabin"). The book’s vivid descriptions of the horrible conditions endured by slaves in the United States were some of the only descriptions that readers had ever received in a time where slavery was an established system deeply rooted into the American and British economies, and its profound relevance to the state of affairs in both countries caused a sway in public opinion towards abolition that was so noticeable that Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States before and during the Civil War, said to Beecher, “‘So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war’” ("Harriet Beecher Stowe — Uncle Tom 's Cabin"). Her work contributed to human understanding present in its context by developing an image of a population that was marginalized and excluded from the vast majority of society, and this unique contribution is what gave it the popularity connected with its contextual value. Though, beyond allowing the value of the work itself to be judged by popularity or monetary value, these factors can reveal a shift in the hierarchy of values held by society at the time of its unveiling. For example, The Mona Lisa (1503-6) revolutionized visual art of its time by separating portrait paintings from the standard side-viewing without any background and moved to include a full frontal view of a woman whose clothing and features are clear and accented by the addition of a diverse natural background behind her as she
Often times, the presence of either one of these factors at its creation are indicative of its relativity to events that are historically relevant. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe stands as an excellent example of a work of art made popular by its time. After being published in 1852, it sold over 300,000 copies in North America and even more in Great Britain ("Harriet Beecher Stowe — Uncle Tom 's Cabin"). The book’s vivid descriptions of the horrible conditions endured by slaves in the United States were some of the only descriptions that readers had ever received in a time where slavery was an established system deeply rooted into the American and British economies, and its profound relevance to the state of affairs in both countries caused a sway in public opinion towards abolition that was so noticeable that Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States before and during the Civil War, said to Beecher, “‘So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war’” ("Harriet Beecher Stowe — Uncle Tom 's Cabin"). Her work contributed to human understanding present in its context by developing an image of a population that was marginalized and excluded from the vast majority of society, and this unique contribution is what gave it the popularity connected with its contextual value. Though, beyond allowing the value of the work itself to be judged by popularity or monetary value, these factors can reveal a shift in the hierarchy of values held by society at the time of its unveiling. For example, The Mona Lisa (1503-6) revolutionized visual art of its time by separating portrait paintings from the standard side-viewing without any background and moved to include a full frontal view of a woman whose clothing and features are clear and accented by the addition of a diverse natural background behind her as she