The social structure and social inequality throughout history have significantly influenced art. An individual’s material condition and background largely determined their lifestyle and destiny. In this study, I aim to trace: how class divisions were depicted in art across history, and who had the right to be «portrayed»? How did the representations of declassed elements begin to evolve and become romanticized? And how did the depiction of each class differ in different eras, from antiquity to contemporary art and cinema?
Topics
1. Antiquity. Levels of Social Hierarchy
2. The Middle Ages. Divine Order
3. 13th–18th Centuries. The Daily Lives of the Elite and the Common Person
4. 19th Century. Life Without Idealization
5. 20th Century. Social Struggle
6. Contemporary Art. Investigating and Critiquing Inequality
