WATCH: PragerU Discusses ‘Why Is Classical Art So Good?’

Why is classical art — as opposed to much of today’s modern art — so good? The latest video from PragerU discusses the importance of classic art based on refined principles of aesthetics and strict standards that withstand the tests of time and culture.

Robert Florczak, host of PragerU, notes in the new five-minute video that art forms such as painting, drawing and sculpture use many characteristics to create beauty. A masterpiece’s beauty can be recognized by even the most inexperienced viewers. This is due to its form, color, and texture.

“Composition, for instance, is the positioning of objects — elegant and controlled in the hands of a master, or awkward and haphazard in the hands of the inept,” Florczak says In the video “Color can be exquisitely balanced and harmonious, or garishly random and unsavory. Movement can be uplifting and dynamic, or static and perverse.”

He says that art declined in the 1860s, as standard aesthetic standards were slowly abandoned. This resulted in a very different view of art. Art is simply a reflection on its time, are some of the common attitudes toward it.

Florczak also mentions that many claim art is a matter of personal taste or that there’s no such thing as great or bad art.

Is this true? This is more common in the humanities and social sciences than in the arts. Art can reflect a particular time but it also represents something more.

“Art, by definition, is a visual medium. Therefore, its ‘meaning’ and ability to ‘make you think’ are secondary to how it looks,” Florczak argues. Art is visual regardless of one’s knowledge about the artist and the story behind the work.

The skillfulness of visual production is what defines artistic effort. Johannes Vermeer (17th-century Dutch Master) is the subject of the video. To achieve a high level of beauty, the oil painter used a special blend of color and brushwork.

Modern art is still enjoyable, but often it is based on being. “in the moment” A display of skills acquired over many years, such as expressing or reflecting on a particular emotion.

Florczak makes a distinction between quality, taste and art. “Quality is based on developed standards,” He says that while “taste” It is based “on personal preference.”

The video ends by explaining how modern art can push the boundaries of vulgarity and inappropriate content. This contrasts with the beauty of classical art. Modern art may be cutting-edge but it often lacks the beauty of traditional art that preserves beauty and nature.

There is much to be learned from classical art, and it’s more than just the quality of the visual medium. Classical art sets an example for future artists and inspires them to create new works.

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Related: Why Is Modern Art So Bad? Robert Florczak

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