Narratives in Art History

Narratives are a great way to depict what an artist wants to share with the world and it allows them to do it in a unique matter. Dating all the way back to the days of cave paintings, people in different parts of the world with different beliefs and customs have found interests in incorporating stories into their artworks. Whether they did it for symbols and personification, worship, or even just decoration, their narratives always have and continue to illuminate the social, political, and religious meanings of their cultures. In 1400 BCE, Egyptians of the 18th Dynasty and New Kingdom included narratives in their artworks to reveal and signify their religious and political beliefs. Egyptians during this time period strongly believed in the ka, the soul of the deceased that would remain on earth and reside in another object. Another strong belief of theirs was the hierarchical scale and that the higher you are on it, the more significant your existence is. The Nebamun hunting fowl from tomb of Nebamun depicts Nebamun in the afterlife hunting birds from a swamp, and the hieroglyphics included on the fresco say that he is enjoying the afterlife. The narrative showcases the afterlife and was placed in Nebamun’s tomb to remind his ka how life on earth was and to ensure that he would live a happy life. It also depicts hierarchical scale since Nebamun, a powerful ruler is the largest being in the fresco. Since this artwork includes signs of hierarchical scale, showcases recreation and the afterlife, and was created for the ka, its narrative communicates both religious and political meaning of the time period. Fast-forwarding a hundreds of years ahead, the Greeks in early first century CE revealed their religious beliefs through their narratives. Religion was a significant part of the lives of these Greeks, and their Gods, as well as mythological creatures were the majority of the subject matters in their artworks. In Laocoon and His Sons, the narrative is showing them being attacked by serpents sent by the Gods who favored the Greeks during the Trojan War. Laocoon tried warning the people of Troy about the possible dangers of allowing the Greeks’ wooden horse into Troy, and as a result, the Gods punished him and his sons. The Greeks lived in fear of their Gods since there were many mythological stories and artworks that showed what the Gods were capable of doing when they were angry or upset. Since this narrative clearly depicts retaliation from the Greek Gods, and since the Gods were a key factor in a Greek’s everyday life, it communicates religious meaning. In conclusion, narratives are a way for people to observe and learn about a culture’s different beliefs, customs, everyday life, and what was most significant to them. These two artworks may be separated by hundreds of years of events, but they both still manage to have their narratives illuminate some sort of meaning. Narratives are still used in artworks today and still serve the same purpose as they did during the Stone Age – to reveal and communicate different meanings and to share their art with the world on a deeper and more meaningful level.