Music & Arts

“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.

492 Posts
  • Musicians and Artists: Adams and Rothko Musicians and Artists: Adams and Rothko
    Inspirations Behind John Luther Adams’ The Immeasurable Space of Tones Latvian-American artist Mark Rothko (1903–1970) is best known for his colour field paintings. Colour field was a purely abstract form of expressionism where, unlike abstract expressionism, all references (emotional, mythic,
  • Musicians and Artists: Gould and Burchfield Musicians and Artists: Gould and Burchfield
    Inspirations Behind Morton Gould’s Burchfield Gallery The American artist, Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967), was a watercolour painter with a unique vision, described as both romantic and fantastic. After graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1916, he found his
  • Musicians and Artists: Greenbaum and Escher Musicians and Artists: Greenbaum and Escher
    Stuart Greenbaum’s Piano Music Inspired by M.C. Escher’s Art Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972), better known by his initials as M.C. Escher, was a Dutch graphic artist who used mathematics and logic to create unforgettable images that puzzle the viewer. His
  • Musicians and Artists: Schurmann and Bacon Musicians and Artists: Schurmann and Bacon
    Inspirations Behind Gerard Schurmann’s 6 Studies of Francis Bacon The Irish-born British artist Francis Bacon (1909–1992) painted the human figure, but often in disquieting images. Many of his subjects, including crucifixions, portraits of popes, self-portraits, and portraits of friends, were
  • The Art of the Concert Hall: Angelika Kauffmann Hall in Schwarzenberg The Art of the Concert Hall: Angelika Kauffmann Hall in Schwarzenberg
    The Swiss Neoclassical painter Angelika Kauffmann (1741–1807) made her career in London and Rome in the field of history painting, portraiture, landscape painting, and decorative painting. Her father, Joseph Johann Kauffmann, was an Austrian muralist and painter and he trained
  • Musicians and Artists: Frances-Hoad and Munch Musicians and Artists: Frances-Hoad and Munch
    Inspirations Behind Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s Melancholia After the death of his father, Edvard Munch (1863–1944) made a vow in his diary: “There should be no more pictures of interiors, of people reading and women knitting. / There would be pictures of
  • Musicians and Artists: Saariaho and Unicorns Musicians and Artists: Saariaho and Unicorns
    Inspirations Behind Kaija Saariaho: D’OM LE VRAI SENS The six Unicorn tapestries held at the Cluny Museum in Paris are an allegory of the five senses, through a meditation on earthly pleasures and courtly culture. Framed around the idea of
  • Musicians and Artists: Guy and Ernst Musicians and Artists: Guy and Ernst
    Inspirations Behind Barry Guy: After the Rain German artist Max Ernst (1891–1976) created two major pieces entitled Europe After the Rain. The first, in 1933, is a collage of oil and wood, refiguring the map of Europe. Although many believe