大家好，我是SK2实力养成班兼J2机经顾问Jacob.
同学常常觉得托福艺术史非常困难，主要原因就是完全猜不到会讲到艺术哪
些层面，导致任由摆布。其实艺术史还是有很多常见的几个走向，今天就先
介绍一个讲到艺术运动（art movement）的时候，很常见的一个主题—
时代背景。
就像每个人来自不同原生家庭，性格处事方式都有所不同，艺术运动也很
像，在怎样的时代背景，因而产生出怎样的绘画风格，也是很重要的一环。
以下举三个大家应该都相对熟悉的艺术运动当例子：
1. Baroque 巴洛克
16世纪中期，许多人皈依路德教派，天主教会深感威胁，于是在1545到1563
年间召开特伦托会议。在此次会议中，马丁路德质疑宗教改革，并且出现很
多其拥护者。为了回应大众的批评，天主教会开始大肆宣传攻势，重申自己
的教义，试图反击新教徒的批评。但当时识字的知识份子很少，所以就把重
点放在没受过教育的大众。
The Baroque period in art has a rather fascinating beginning.
During the mid-1500s, the Catholic Church was feeling threatened
by the increasing conversion of the population to Lutheranism. The
church convened the Council of Trent, which took place from 1545
to 1563. At the Council of Trent, religious reforms were being
questioned, proposed, and reconsidered. Martin Luther’s scathing
criticism of the church found supporters everywhere. As a
response, the church launched an advertising blitz, reiterating
and reaffirming that its fundamental teachings(教义) to combat the
Protestant criticisms that were turning the public away from the
Catholic Church. Since winning over the few educated intellectuals
who were able to read at the time would not make a big difference
maintaining the power of the Catholic Church, the uneducated
masses were targeted.
既然一般民众都不识字，最有效的宣传媒介当然就是透过艺术了。巴洛克艺
术就此诞生。
Since the majority of people could not be reached via the written
word, to inspire them to stay loyal, the Catholic Church and its
teachings would require a medium that did not require literacy.
The answer to this was clear, the church embarked on the
systematic religious advertising campaign using art. This marked
the beginning of the Baroque era.
2. Ukiyo-e 浮世绘
浮世指的是漂浮不定的人世间生活百态，反应着当时正崛起的中产阶级享乐
至上、无忧无虑的人生态度。
The term, ukiyo, means floating world, an idea which reflected the
hedonistic and carefree lifestyles of Japan’s rising middle
class.
17世纪初，当木版画出现的时候，日本正面临一个转变。经历多年战争及经
济萧条，日本终于在德川家族的统治下进入了和平及繁荣的时期。此时的经
济促使了量产、消费、货运的发展。量产也包括了木版画，并在1615到1858
年间盛行起来，特别在商人间特别风行。在江户时代，商人在经济上受益最
大。当商人逐渐富有起来，浮世绘变成一种财富的象征。许多人家里都会摆
放描绘艺妓、歌舞伎等等主题的木版画。
At the beginning of the 17th century, when woodblock painting just
begun, Japan had reached a turning point. After years of war and
economic struggles, the nation finally achieved peace and
prosperity under the rule of Tokugawa(徳川) family. Japan’s
increasing wealth allowed for a mass production, purchase, and
transportation of goods, which had never been possible before.
Among the mass production of goods, ukiyo-e prints became popular
between 1615 and 1858. They were especially popular among
merchants, the lowest class of Japan’s Confucian social hierarchy
at the time. The merchants actually benefited the most financially
during the Edo period. As the merchant class grew wealthier,
ukiyo-e art became a popular symbol of wealth. Many families
decorated their homes with prints featuring beautiful geishas,
kabuki actors, historical events, and the natural world.
3. Cubism 立体派 (*请注意立体派这个翻译其实很容易引起误会，往下看
就会发现，其实立体派一点也不“立体”，反而是由一块一块的方块组成
的。)
20世纪初，当时艺术家处在一个瞬息万变的时代。科技进步、政治变革、以
及社会结构变化都在此时发生。摄影变成人们取得肖像的方式，人们也用拍
照来纪录历史事件或是日常生活。很自然的，画家必须改变绘画的主题。当
时代表性画家毕卡索、乔治˙布拉克认为需要有新型式的艺术风格来跟当代
民众连结，并反应当时生活的挣扎。
At the turn of the 20th century, artists found themselves in a
fast pace in ever-changing modern world. Technological advances,
political changes, and dramatic changes for their social
structures were all happening at this time. Photography was
increasingly being used for portraiture and to document historical
and everyday events. So, it was only natural for painters to turn
to other themes. The leading artists of the day, Pablo Picasso and
Georges Braque, felt that the new artistic style was needed to
connect with the modern audience and reflect the struggles of
modern life.
受到后印象画派画家塞尚的影响，立体派艺术家脱离了从文艺复兴开始就习
以为常的3D透视法。取而代之的是用多重视角来画2D人像，藉以呈现完整度
以及现代独特性。
Inspired by Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne, Cubist artists
deviated from the three-dimensional perspective that have been the
norm in art since the Renaissance. They instead painted two-
dimensional figures from multiple perspectives to convey a sense
of totality and the uniquely modern way.
看了上面三个例子，同学应该可以感觉到其实艺术并没有那么的虚无飘渺，
多看个几个艺术运动后，还是有一些共通性的。
建议同学可以多看看以下这个Youtube频道，把里面的艺术运动都看一看，
看能不能找出其他时代背景。有机会下次再多分享几个 :)
https://www.youtube.com/user/Philinthecircle
Cheers,
J2