From Cave Walls to Canvas: How Art Shapes Society

Today, we live in a world saturated with media. It’s a constant presence that can make us forget that just a century ago, things were drastically different. Movies were silent and in their infancy; radio broadcasting was brand new. Before then, people relied on the written word, in-person communication, and art to learn about their society’s history, culture, values, and laws. Let’s take a moment to step back into a more distant past where only a handful of images remain to tell the story of the world.

The Foundation: Before Writing There Was Art

We know little about the earliest human societies, largely due to a lack of written language and few surviving artifacts. Oral tradition was essential for passing down rules, customs, and stories. But how could these foundational ideas and narratives maintain consistency without a permanent written record? Art and artifacts provide a compelling answer.
No one knows exactly when people first began using paint, clay, and other materials to form images, but the evidence is stunningly preserved in early cave paintings. These dynamic works, found in caves from Europe to Oceania, often depict a wide variety of animals in motion and sometimes overlapping. We also see outlines of human hands, created by blowing pigment over a hand pressed against the wall.
The true meaning or inspiration behind these works remains a mystery, but the underlying ideas must have been vital. People took the time and effort to locate and create these images in places where the work would remain intact, allowing for repeated visits and additions over time.

Written and Visual Records: Egypt, Greece, and Rome

The creation of images remained important even after written languages developed. Great ancient cultures, including the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman, created both written and visual records that offer a rich tapestry of their history, beliefs, and societal ideals—creative reflections of the human spirit. Each culture developed a distinct artistic language:

• Egyptian art typically features painted surfaces and shallow relief carving and a highly codified style. Symbolic representation of what we “know” was favored over strict realistic representation of what we see. (Think of the tomb paintings and the Sphinx).
• Greek artists focused heavily on sculpture and pottery. They valued idealized and harmonious forms (like the Nike of Samothrace or paintings on surviving vases). Today only pottery provides examples of Greek painting skills.
• Roman art remains well-preserved and prized realism. We see evidence of their sophisticated approach in sculpture, fresco painting, and mosaics, often depicting heroes and emperors. Surviving fresco paintings show continued development of form coupled with attention to individual characteristics.

While art was important in these cultures, individual artists were not necessarily recognized. Today we can recognize individual artist’s work, but for the most part categorize them with a general name  (The Achilles Painter or Harvest Scenes ) rather than by an individual’s name. 

A New Narrative: Art and the Church in the Middle Ages

When the Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, western Europe fractured into many small regions. The empire had been vast and multicultural. A mighty administrative state had provided order and consistent laws throughout Europe. When this powerful force dissolved, nothing remained to unify the empire. Eventually Christianity would step into this gap, but it would take centuries  to build the administrative network, educational system, and loyal adherents that would develop into a political and spiritual institution.
As Europe moved through what is considered the Dark Ages,  societies were rebuilding identities and the Catholic church was growing into a powerful, unifying force. By the 10th century both the Church and urban centers had reestablished themselves enough to provide stability and growth. In stronger urban areas guilds of craftsmen, including artists developed. These guilds set standards for workmanship and pricing. They also saw to training through apprenticeships. The Catholic Church would provide employment for these master craftsmen through building and decorating many churches and cathedrals. 
Art was an invaluable tool for the Church, and Europe is filled with examples of art created to reaffirm the Church's ideals, with messages focusing on the symbols and narratives of the Christian religion. A spiritual message was prioritized over the physical realism of the individuals or places depicted. In a world where life was tenuous and hope often scarce, faith in a greater power could provide order and comfort.

The Rediscovery of Man: Art in the Renaissance

As societies became more stable and prosperous, kings, lords, and a growing class of merchants and craftspeople began to amass wealth and power. Education became available to men outside of religious orders. Coupled with technological advances, this shift encouraged scientists and artists to contemplate humanity's place in the world. Slowly, "new" ideas about science, philosophy, the individual, and the arts emerged and spread among the elites. Today we still learn about both individuals and their achievements that further advanced society in a variety of ways.
The Sistine Chapel ceiling is a spectacular example of these ideas in action. Until the early 16th century, the ceiling was a simple ultramarine blue painted with gold stars. When Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to repaint the vault, the artist delivered a remarkable fusion of the traditional and the innovative.
Michelangelo's images of the God’s Creation of the World, biblical prophets, and ancient oracles grounded the human-centric philosophy of the Renaissance in vivid imagery. He infused the traditional religious narrative with the idea of humanity’s individuality and intellect. For instance, in The Creation of Adam, the power of a creative God is clear, but so is the profound individualism of Adam—a physically idealized, yet distinct, man.

Art for the People: Portraiture and New Genres

Art was also a tool for civic leaders. Public buildings in Italian city-states were decorated with murals celebrating victories. Powerful men commissioned portraits and allegorical works to ensure their skills, beliefs, and significance were known contemporaneously and for all time. As scientific discoveries and global exploration created opportunities for more people, the secular ideas in business, innovation, and learning became a driving force in society. Individuals, including artists, became recognized for their individual talents and acumen.
With this economic development, a new customer base would arise and artists could now fill the marketplace with new types of paintings like landscapes, interiors and still life painting. While religious subjects could still be commissioned, artists were increasingly able to focus on secular themes such as portraiture and genre painting. 
As artists began to be individually recognized, the guild system would  vanish. Formal training continued, but now in academies. Annual exhibitions, complete with vetting committees and awards, provided young artists the opportunity to be introduced to potential clients. For young artists this training ground became a vital path to ensuring the success of promising young painters and cementing the prevailing artistic taste of the time. Approved styles and standards were adhered to until well into the 19th century, but the expansion of painting categories provided room for individuality and ideas.
​Eventually a series of rapid stylistic developments and artistic experimentation would erode the strength of the academies. These changes in styles and artistic experimentation continue today with artists expanding the category of “Art” in new ways. While this can be bewildering at times it represents one of mankind’s greatest strengths, a creative and ever evolving intelligence.