Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Art - Essay Example The type of artistic expression that emanates from a certain society also revolves around expressing the culture and social life and ideas that are harbored by a group. Therefore, social and cultural values and ideas play an influential role in influencing the artistic expression of people (Boughton & Mason, 1999). The concept of civilization is as old as mankind, but it was not until the Greeks that civilization came to be realized. It is impossible to mention civilization without mentioning the Greeks. As ancient as Greeks are, they formed the basis of civilization through developing a culture that defied the odds at that time. The Greek idea of civilization had its roots on the philosophical thought and a developed culture that not only satisfied the people’s need to adapt to the environment but also created some time for expansion and spread of civilization. It is important to note that the Greek civilization did not sprout from politics but rather from the cultural values and ideas. It was these cultural values that have had a far reaching and lasting influence in the arts world, which is experienced to date. Religion was a major force that influenced the way people lived and expressed themselves through art. Greek religious elements are still observable in current religions like C hristianity, Islam and Buddhism. Greeks had a host of gods and goddesses, which influenced the type of art that existed during the time. However, religion also attracted another controversial aspect of Greeks’ cultural values and ideas. Philosophy among the Greeks was highly developed (Woodford, 1982). Greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato developed rational ideas about existence of gods and developed other forms of inquiry. Greeks also developed other forms of rationalistic thinking. Their thoughts are expressed in science and