Overview

Context-when and where and why and for whom a work of art is produced-has a powerful effect on a work's style and meaning-in other words, on how it looks and on what it says. Many cultural and social forces inform and shape a work of art: politics, economics, philosophy, religion, biases and discrimination, and so on. Similar contextual forces likewise affect the reception of a work of art, and its place in the history of art. What is Fine Art, what is great art, what is merely good, what is art and what is not are all determined by a given context, and the standards are not constant, the answers not fixed. Conversely, some art may aspire to alter its context: a beautiful sculpture may aspire to ameliorate society, or a well-designed building may reshape its environment and improve the lives of its users. For proof of changing ideas about art, one need only compare the seventh edition of Janson's History of Art with the first edition, published in 1962. Who and what is worthy of inclusion, and who and what is left out: these have changed dramatically over the last four decades, and will no doubt continue to change in the decades (and editions) ahead. In comparing the first edition with the current edition, one would also notice that the seventh edition pays far more attention to context.