The Importance of Imagery throughout History

Theme: Importance of Imagery  

 

Around the world and throughout history, artists and photographers save moments in their lives by capturing the importance and meaning that is the centre of focus. Whether it be from a picture taken during an important milestone or a painting done to express the artist’s perception on an event or idea. There are artists and photographers who capture the joy and triumph that events bring us but also the sadness and defeat that we feel. We, as artists, capture moments in our lives to commemorate the emotions and thoughts that were there during the time the image was taken. The following images share this idea with their important historical value, deep meaning and the strong context behind each image.

The following image has a strong historical meaning and importance, in that it represents a very old struggle between black people and the oppression that they face. The woman shown here is holding hands united with other black people peacefully protesting with a sign that reads, “Jim Crow must go”. To understand this statement, you need to know who Jim Crow was, or actually what he was. Jim Crow was a non-existent man who the Jim Crow laws were based upon, they were racial laws bent on segregating the white and black communities from each other. The artist captured this image to show the emotions that were present during this protest. He uses clear body language to portray these emotions present. The head hung down at the ground shows a sense of defeat which represents the hard fought battle but also an idea of humbleness and the fact that the protest is peaceful and that the woman means no harm. The way the women are holding hands to create a barrier alludes to the idea that these people are determined to get what they want. This shows the strong willed emotions and the powerful people behind this protest.

Another show of emotion and triumph in history is the painting “Napoleon crossing the Alps”. This image shows Napoleon Bonaparte on top of a war horse rearing his horse vigilantly. This painting was originally commissioned for the king of Spain and depicts the crossing of the St. Bernard Pass in the Alps led by Napoleon himself. The artist, Jacques Louis-David, glorifies Napoleon’s role in the treck but remains to capture the feeling of triumph by using critical body language and vibrant colours. The way he rears the horse and points to the direction of travel alludes to the fact that the journey is almost over and all because of the savior Napoleon and his navigation. The painting was commissioned multiple times and with different lighting which shows the situation in many different moods, but this specific colouring displays a positive connotation. This consequently leads the viewer to a happy feeling, otherwise shown as a triumphant and glorious moment in French history. We, the viewers, see the importance of this event through the positive body language of the horse and Napoleon and the happy connotation.

A third image that brings a strong message along with it is one of the World War II posters that you would see up everywhere at the time. This poster reads, “Loose lips might sink ships,” this has a strong message in itself because of the theory that there were spies everywhere at the time. The image is shown black and white with a very obvious background image and no foreground. The artist who designed this placed the sinking ship in the background to show that even though the battle and “sinking ships” were far away, it was imperative that you did not have loose lips lest this happens. The black and white colouring and the ship on fire all display a negative connotation to give the idea that this was a serious and dangerous thing that was happening. This was used more as a scare tactic during the time and it was successful due to this kind of imagery that was everywhere. The image ties together with the rest to show the importance of using the right images when needed and how effective it can be.

The last image that I will be using is a very strong one that speaks to a more modernized demographic. This shows that even though images have been relevant throughout the years, they still remain to be whether it gives us a scare or not. This image shows the Twin Towers during 911, a terrifying event still in peoples minds today that were affected by it in one way or another. The towers contrast each other in a negative attitude creating a negative connotation throughout the image. Although it is a cloudless day with blues skies, the colouring and lighting of the image are cancelled out in the shadow of this connotation. The black smoke billowing from the tower on the right added with the explosion of the tower on the left add to this negative feeling and create a sense of despair. Without knowing what the image is about, the viewer can piece together the clues and come to the conclusion that this image represents a bad and important event. The image overall shows the importance of imagery in more recent times because of the ability to capture an event and thusly capture the terror and despair that is associated with said event.

In summation, the previous images all connect together to show the importance of having images, painting and photographs throughout history because this allows us as a society to capture events and the emotions that were present at the time.

Citations:

1. "History." Glogster. Ed. Amber Hutler. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2015. <http://www.glogster.com/ amberhutler/history-project/g-6mlft9s47ng38ecsjr2uoa0>. 

2. "Bonaparte Glorifie." Reunion des Musees Nationaux. Ed. Henri Bovet. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 June 2015.  <http://www.histoire-image.org/site/oeuvre/analyse.php?i=437>.o;,,

3. "World War II." National Archives. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2015. <http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/photos/>

4. "Why 9/11 debates still go on." Wide Shut. Ed. Judy Wood. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2015. 

<http://wideshut.co.uk/judy-wood-911/>.