A Bit of Retrospective Housecleaning

                A Note from the Arbiter               

Arbiter has embarked on a descriptive survey of the humanities spanning from the Baroque period to the 21st century.

Thus far we have covered the emotionalism of Baroque Italy, the austere piety of the Baroque North, and the blossoming of scientific thought in the 17th and 18th centuries. Next, we move onward toward the Enlightenment!

The objective of this series to provide the contextual information one needs to interpret and empathize with the art forms of the past, as well as a description of those art forms-- to bring language to the intuition. Arbiter believes that all audiences have an intuitive, abstract understanding of art forms (as we are all humans, however separated by our experiences) and it is the job of historians, curators and the like to bring coherency and discernment to this intuition. Further, situating this intuition in a foundation of historical and cultural context helps better filter this intuition toward an astute, critical lense, enhancing the degree of empathy and translating this intuition into "knowledge". Art (and expression) is a language of knowledge.

Titian's Ascension

                Arbiter