“Art is not an end in itself, but a means of addressing humanity.”
Modest Mussorgsky
As philosopher Richard Wollheim says, art is “one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture.” In its simplest manifestation, art is a form of communication that serves as a vehicle for the expression of emotions and ideas. As ideas and beliefs are culturally specific and constantly changing over time, there really is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art. That being said, the classical branches of the visual arts are identified as painting, sculpture and architecture. Literature and poetry are considered part of the humanities or as one of the arts, while music, alongside theatre, film and dance belong to the performing arts. In this section you will discover not only specific explorations of individual art forms, but also a more detailed probing of the relationship between the visual arts and music, including painting and music, sculpture and music and architecture and music. Originally, poetry and music were treated as a unity, but gradually they have become more independent. Nevertheless, the two art forms have never forgotten their shared genetic makeup, and been intertwined for millennia. Art and music have engaged in a dynamic relationship that reveals a diverse range of human activity intended to be appreciated for their beauty.
Paintings that Inspired William Popp’s ‘The Galleries’ Suite Composer William Popp (b. 1951) puts together his own gallery of art in The Galleries. Looking at one 16th-century and three 19th-century paintings held in museums in London, Madrid, Washington, DC, and
The medium of the Prelude has been used by composers for a number of different vehicles. At first, they were literally the music that came before, i.e., preceded another piece. The first one dates from 1448. Then, they were used
Diving into the world of Andy Warhol is like stepping into a dazzling electric dream, where soup cans become icons and every face is a superstar. His art, with its bold colours and cheeky repetitions, turned the mundane into magic.
Inspirations Behind Byron Adams’ Midsummer Music American artist Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), working at the turn of the 20th century, was known for his figure paintings of American women. Focusing on the aristocratic women, he evoked a dream-like world for
Inspirations Behind Judith Weir’s Heroic Strokes of the Bow Many of Paul Klee’s paintings have made it into music, especially his Twittering Machine. Composers have written their own twittering machine music for symphony orchestra, flute and computer, String quartet, guitar
Emily, possibly the most famous of the three Brontë sisters, was born on 30 July 1818 in Haworth, Yorkshire. She is best known for her only novel Wuthering Heights, a highly imaginative work of passion and hate set on the
Helen Grime’s Night Songs Inspired by Joseph Cornell The American artist and filmmaker Joseph Cornell (1903–1972) was best known for his assemblages. Using found objects, he created shadow boxes, deep boxes with glass fronts, in which he made arrangements of
Inspirations Behind Stuart Greenbaum’s Mondrian Interiors The Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. As a pioneer in abstract art, he made the important move from figurative painting through an increasingly
