In this introductory chapter we have considered some of the purposes, functions and themes of art. We have also surveyed the changing status and professional roles of artists. We have also provided some aids for entering the world of art, discussed the process of visual analysis, and explored specific examples of how to profit more fully from careful analysis of paintings, sculptures and architecture. In so doing, it may have become apparent that artistic quality is not therefore something that can be measured against any absolute standard. As we saw in studying and comparing various works, the aesthetic qualities of art (their visual forms) are interdependent with the social demands and artistic conventions of any given time and place. Any given work of art is therefore best judged in relation to its specific context and in relation to other such works made within the same general context. In short, a work of art, to be effective, must have a perceived relevance and resonance within its own context. It should be judged on that basis as well as in terms of its ongoing and changing relevance to subsequent viewers, including ourselves. In selecting the works discussed in this book, we have attempted to choose those whose relevance has held up over time. But even then, textual limits result in a drastic process of selection which is also inevitably influenced by the author's particular biases. Even though many significant works have been excluded, it is hoped that illustration and discussion of the selected examples will serve to open doors to wider exploration.