i. Definitions B. Art and Propaganda over the years

Art and Propaganda over the years

To be able to search for and determine propagandistic motives in art, one should be thorough

and start with the earliest examples. Once humans start to evolve their art evolves with them. In

every era of the humankind, art shines through different cracks. It takes the shape of the careful

brush strokes on the walls of caves and becomes a design of a column. It acts as a story teller in

spreading religions and becomes a statement about what the artist truly stands against.

Cave paintings

The first examples of what can be defined as artworks were the pictures painted by homo

sapiens inside the caves they lived in. These cave paintings date back to the Stone Age, or rather the

Palaeolithic period to be more specific, meaning to around 22,000 years ago. One of the very well

known paintings is the depiction of a bison found in the cave of Altamira, Spain. [i] As seen in this

painting in mostly red with black outlines, homo sapiens took a minimal approach and did not dwell

in details or hyper-realistic features. Among the depictions found in the walls of caves; hunting

scenarios, tools, and the animals they hunted appear quite often. From other examples it can also be

seen that they created a variety of abstract images as well as naturalistic pictures. There are some

with geometric shapes, straight or wavy lines as well as some more complex abstract paintings. The

lack of painting landscape in cave paintings is however something to keep in mind.

What was the purpose of the first humans then, painting their walls with the paint and the

tools they self-made? Some say that cave art might have a religious function, that they might be a

part of shamanic rituals and practices. Because apparently these practices sometimes include a

person to go into a deep cave and perform a shamanic ceremony to connect with souls and lost

ones. Among religious functions, some experts say the paintings were to keep track and educate

their offspring. A hunter would draw the hunting scenes, the tools, the techniques to teach how to

hunt. The glorious paintings of big wild animals that they hunted may also serve as a trophy.

Showing that specific hunter’s bravery and strength, they give the hunter something to show off

with after the hunted is eaten and gone. Other than the religious or symbolic functions, these

paintings may have no meaning aside from pure artistry and the need to express one’s self also.

Trajan’s Column

As the homo sapiens evolve, towering Ziggurats rise in ancient Mesopotamia and giant

pyramids are built in Egypt. These are artistic and architectural forms of propaganda, all serving to

empower the leaders of the time along their initial purposes. Thousands of years later it’s the era of

emperors in the Roman Empire.

In the times of brutal wars and risky diplomatic negotiations; one has to be strong,

persuasive, and charismatic to keep power and rule over a great empire. To be able to do this, the

time’s rulers always seek the help of art and architecture to keep power and sometimes even to

manipulate the people.

Trajan is one of the most memorable Roman emperors, ruling the empire in 106-113 CE.

During his 19 year long rule, the empire reaches its biggest surface area and gains strength in every

aspect. The victory against Dacians especially immensely affects the empire for the better. The loot

the Roman army comes back with is grand and it empowers the empire greatly. After the victory,

Trajan commissions a grand plan for a forum to commemorate the victory. The forum includes a

spacious plaza surrounded by colonnades, two libraries, a big civic space called the Basilica Ulpia,

and a great column. The Trajan’s Column stands, in the forum with the same name, in Rome. With

its 38 meter height, in all its glory, it tells its stories engraved in strips all around it. The column

serves as a reminder of the bravery and the nobility of the Roman army but more so definitely of

the emperor himself.

The column tells the story of the two victories the Roman Empire won against the Dacians.

Trajan appears in the column’s carvings 58 times; depicted as an intelligent commander,

accomplished negotiator, and a powerful ruler. He is the hero of the story as well as the narrator one

might even say. Because his intensions are clear in commissioning this piece. He wants to be

remembered for his contribution to the Empire. There is no blood-shed or other horrible realities of

war depicted in the piece aside from a couple scenes where the Roman soldiers present Trajan

severed enemy heads. [ii] The army in the carvings includes African cavalrymen as well as Iberians,

Levantine archers, Germans in pants which separate them from the toga wearing Romans. These

soldiers from different ethnicities are all together and fighting the Dacians, suggesting that anyone

can become a Roman and be a part of this great empire, as long as they are in Trajan’s command of

course. The forum itself is also filled with spoils and both subtle and more obvious reminders of

their victory. Therefore, a major function of the Trajan Forum is propaganda for the Dacian Wars

and a great plan of Trajan to empower his command.

Because the Dacians had no written language, there is no way of knowing their side of the

story or determining how true these depictions might be about what actually happened.

Archeologists and historians filter what they have from these Roman sources. Since Trajan

continued to rule over the Roman Empire and still is counted as one of the greatest Roman

emperors, it might be accurate to say these pieces he commissioned with propagandistic motives

were successful in their purposes.

Church commissioned paintings

As Christianity starts spreading rapidly, newly built churches seek a way to strengthen their

power and invite more people in their churches and religion. One of the things they do is that they

turn to fine arts’ capabilities of influencing people. They commission many artists to make paintings

and altar pieces to garnish the interiors of the churches. These paintings, almost always, are

embroidered with gold, accentuating the glory and prosperity their religion offers. They are usually

large and make the viewer aware of the importance of the people that are depicted in the painting.

Holy people depicted are not portrayed in historical accuracy most of the time. [iii] For example

when painters, especially in the Renaissance Period, paint Mary and the infant (Madonna and the

Child) she looks like a queen or a lady of wealth with good life standards. However the painters

know that she could not possibly live the life depicted in paintings at the time of birth. These

additions for example are clearly in propagandistic motives. They are there to impress people and

raise the value of religion.

The European Renaissance is clearly influenced by religion and because nearly all of Europe

were Christians, that religion is Christianity. Therefore the art developed is meant for religious

propaganda, depicting biblical scenes, giving out religious messages and promoting the church and

the religion. Christianity is portrayed as the only way to live, and that becomes what art is meant to

do; change peoples opinions and make them believe in churches’ preaches.

Madonna and the Child, Annunciation, Crucifixion of Jesus, Judgment Day, etc., become

phenomenons that almost all of the time’s artists are commissioned to paint. Despite the fact that the

styles of individual artists differ to a careful eye, in a museum one might even wonder if he has

stumbled upon the same painting twice because of the similarities in composition and overall

atmosphere in all the era’s paintings. They almost become fabricated paintings that have to have a

certain set of elements in certain depictions and the rest, which is not much, is left to the artist’s

own style and artistry.