Question

Explain the significance of portraying nations as female figures by the European artists
of the 18th and 19th century. (3 Marks)

Answer 1

Explanation:

Significance of portraying nations as a female figures by the European artists of the 18th and 19th century :

• Nationalism feeling : Romantic artists used their full strength in popularizing nationalism through paintings and sculptures instead of  reason and facts. They were using their culture in arts for popularizing nationalism among people. Since culture plays important role in a society.

• Illiteracy : On those days people in Europe were mostly illiterate. So, there was no reason for dissemination of Nationalism through books or posters with nothing but texts. So, people used paintings and sculptures of allegories so that they can understand the real intention of those paintings and sculptures. Also a paintings and sculptures say thousand words.

• Figure of female : On those days females had became the most vulnerable group in the society for they had no basic rights like, right to vote. Also one more motive for making allegories a female figure was to express motherhood feeling among citizens. Since motherhood feeling cannot be altered by any citizens in any circumstances, so allegories were females, mostly.

• Need for a solid figure : No one can express his/her feeling without expressing his/her devotion toward someone or something. So, for this devotion allegories were created.

• Also those allegories depict some of those things that are somehow related to their cultures or traditions (like, in Germania - Oak, sword) which made them more effective and successful in wide number of people in Europe. Not only in Europe but even in other countries too but through their own allegories like in our India where Abanindranath Tagore made the allegory of Bharat Mata with the aim of promotion of Nationalism in Indians.

That's all.