Art has for long held in its bosom a mirror to society. It has reflected both the virtues and vices of the socio-political and cultural climate of multiple eras. All of that is masked behind aesthetic color palettes and nuanced brushstrokes of master artists.
Considering the value of age-old artworks, it becomes our historical responsibility to cosset these little pieces of history. For these purposes, online art encyclopedias like Wikiart were birthed to life.
Wikiart is a portal that documents all types of visual art pieces that famed artists have left behind when they parted the world. On top of that, Wikiart also doubles as an art education and a marketplace, more of which will be discussed below.
Learn about varied artworks and school yourself
Wikiart’s user-friendly interface smoothens the process of browsing through it whether you are a novice or a well-informed enthusiast. Wikiart has categorized artists into a plethora of categories via an array of segments to make nitpicking easier. The subcategories range from the nationalities, fields of the artists to the art movements and schools and groups that existed.
Suppose you click on art movements, a humongous list of movements that have shaped modern art will befall your eyes. To learn about any of them, all you have to do is tap on it and a brief introduction of it will follow. The introduction will allow you to understand the circumstances from which the movement took birth. What will follow is a list of artists that fell in line with the movement, each of which you could individually delve into.
Realism
For instance, clicking on ‘Realism’ will help you understand how the movement pushed to break away from artistic norms and present a topic as it was, in its raw form. As you surf through the page, you may come across Jean-Francois Millet, a name as synonymous with the movement as the supernatural elements that ironically reflected in the era’s artworks.
The Angelus is one of the paintings that will surely catch your eyeballs, owing not to its dark persona but the meaning hidden behind it. Jean attempted to portray the pitiable state of the peasantry. It shows two figures standing against the light for a shadowy effect, making it a universal symbol of the cause.
Similarly, if you want to study the varied art fields that existed click on ‘Artists by field’. Categories including animation, architecture, tapestry, etc will pop up and you can choose your learning preferences from here.
Wikiart is subject to change
The information provided on this online art encyclopedia isn’t like the stringent laws of physics which can’t be bent. Rather it is, on the contrary, Wikiart accepts any change with open and welcoming arms. Any viewer or user of the portal can pinpoint a mistake or a statement that doesn’t hold moral ground.
Yes, you can do it too! You are also free to translate any content available at Wikiart in your native language or any other for that matter. These practices do not just cultivate a feeling of belongingness in the users but also make the portal more inclusive.
There is also an option to change the image of any artwork, any artist which may or may not depict a clear picture of the subject matter. You can replace the said image with a more relevant one or one with a higher resolution if the clarity is an issue.
What does Wikiart offer besides learning?
While learning about things of the past that stand relevant as ever today is in itself an all-consuming process, what if you want more? Say, if while reading about the swirly and post-Impressionist brushstrokes of Vincent Van Gogh’s painting you fall so in love with it that you want to own it. Wikiart has a solution for that itch too where you can get a reproduction of a painting.
This is Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night which does not just hypnotize the onlooker by its spectacular color scheme and brushwork but also holds a deeper meaning. This was Van Gogh’s impressionist of a star-laden night sky which ironically lacks the color black.
You can easily get it remade in oil paints through a plethora of art galleries and painting suppliers that offer such services. The only decision you will have to make would be regarding the ideal size which would suit your living or working space. After that, you can just add it to your cart, add your personal details and wait for it to reach you.
The Bottom Line
Art is an expanding tornado that you can’t help but get sucked into. And rightly so, because each artwork exudes a multitude of symbols that sing a bittersweet serenade of yesteryear. Online art encyclopedias like Wikiart keep the art fire burning by disseminating information enveloping around it and promulgating reproduction artists.