What makes an artwork iconic?

Artworks represent many things. For most of history, they're used to make forms out of religious teachings. Art such as paintings, sculptures, music, or literature served not only to bring delight, but also as a language to express doctrines. 

At certain points, there came artworks that totally embodied such beliefs that we continue to appreciate them hundred of years after their conception. Some examples include art that depicts Christ on the cross, a meditating Buddha, or the Arabesque patterns of the Muslims. 

Clockwise: Christ crucified by Diego Velasquez, The great Buddha of Kamakura in Japan, A rosette in Arabesque design.

What is it in these artworks that makes them have lasting imprint on our perceptions? 

What is it that makes them iconic? 

Our attitude in classifying artworks has changed throughout history but there remain common traits that we consider when we evaluate an artwork's significance.  

These criteria that makes artworks icons are what I'm going to explore in my blogpost this week. 

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From religious icons to present experimentations

For centuries, there have been disputes over religious iconography, the most prominent being in semitic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). Idol worship is thought to be blasphemous since the object of veneration-artworks made in the image of religious characters-is seen as but a worldly representation. 

The edict is that they're not exactly the god or deities that they represent, hence they should not be treated in their likeness. 

Moses breaking the tablets of the law by Rembrandt (1659).
The first of the ten commandments in Christian doctrine reads: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

This attitude caused dilemmas for artists because it limited their creative visions. Techniques and subjects that may count as heresy had to be abandoned, resulting in experimentations in mediums, movements, and styles that reach up to our present times. 

Top left: The son of man by Rene Magritte ( 1946), Top right: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso (1907),
Bottom: One: Number 31 by Jackson Pollock (1950)

 

This experimentation brought about abstraction, surrealism, cubism, and other art movements unfathomable during times when art and religion are deeply intertwined. 

These ventures revealed that icons are not solely confined to religious contexts. There can be icons in different art movements, mediums, and settings, and they don't necessarily need to be subjects of worship. They can be just a firm representation of a world-view or standard.

The makings of an icon

Artworks that belongs to this status of representation exhibit these observed traits:

1. It is capable of shaping belief and identity.

Iconic art resonate to audiences. It has drama; it has a compelling story or message that shapes people's beliefs about their culture. They serve as ideal markers that brings direction and coherence to people's identity. 

Liberty leading the people by Eugene Delacroix (1830). A painting commemorating the French revolution of 1830.

Artworks that exhibit such influence reflects the beauty, but at the same time, the tragedy of the human condition. The more such artworks depict authenticity, the more audiences are drawn into them. They move people from within, and brings emotional and psychological empowerment.

Bonifacio shrine by Eduardo Castrillo (1998). A city sculpture remembering the deeds of Filipino Hero, Andres Bonifacio.

This resonance makes people put such artworks in a pedestal. It turns into a symbol of personal and cultural values. It becomes a stimulus for passion, just like how monuments of heroes and deities functions. They become part of people's self-images and secures a lasting relevance to a certain society.

2. It represents a leading idea.

Artworks become icons because they set standards. They gain cultural approbation by being at the forefront of attention, representing leading thoughts and innovation. They are the meaning-bearers of their culture that influences ways of living and thinking. 

The statue of liberty by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (1886). A gift of the people of France to America, recognizing the latter for championing the spirit of independence and liberty.

Each period has a different zeitgeist. Formerly, it was religion, specifically Christianity that dominated our conception of the world. It was no wonder then that many iconic artworks of the past are based on the same theme. 

Left: Pieta by Michelangelo (1499) Right: Notre Dame Cathedral by Jean-Baptiste-Antoine-Lassus, Jean De Chelles et al. (1345)

In the 21st century, we are experiencing the ascent of a new zeitgeist: Science. It won't be long before this leading idea completely permeate the state of art. We can now see glimpses of this change in the rise of digital art and it is likely that a future icon will rise among them. 

Clockwise: Fishing with grandpa by Erik Johansson, Lush by Nik Ainley, Full moon service by Erik Johansson

These contemporary works will be the beacons of the leading thought they represent, just like how artworks of the past did with former zeitgeists.

3. It is simple and definitive. 

Iconic arts share the traits of being definitive. They are products of artistic precision; a culmination of skills, knowledge, and techniques. They are compact mediums encapsulating deep thought, toil, and passionate execution. 

David by Michelangelo (1504), a renaissance masterpiece.

This masterly attributes results in an elegant simplicity that makes such artworks easy to recognize. They easily spread into people's impression and invades common parlance. Their aesthetic qualities makes them distinct, thus serving as paragons of leading styles and tastes. 

Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci (1503).
One of the first painting to demonstrate sfumato, the use of mellow color tones and shades. Another masterpiece of the renaissance.

Their originality naturally draw recognition. They stand the test of criticism and time, and become exemplars of creativity and artistic excellence for every artwork that succeeds them.

4. It inspires new ways of thinking. 

Iconic arts are products of novel ideas. Their existence bends convention, allowing for new ways of expression and creation. 

They broaden the possibilities of art and culture. 

Top: Impression, sunrise by Claude Monet (1872, impressionism). Rejected in an exhibition, this painting soon gained acclaim and influenced succeeding art movements.
Bottom left: Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh (1889, post-impressionism)
Bottom right: The scream by Edvard Munch (1893, expressionism)  

These artworks have the force to inspire new art movements, techniques, and philosophies. They are the blueprints-the newfound harbors-to which further art explorations can set sail. They sit at the edge of culture, guiding people towards knowledge, innovation, and creative thinking.

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Conclusion

In general, iconic arts are those that serve as concise representations of shared belief, custom, or taste.

Once an artwork acquires the force to shape identity, symbolize leading ideas, exemplify definitiveness, and inspire new ways of thinking, it will gain significance and become an icon. It will have its place in culture and will reflect the values, ideals, and standards of a specific social group. 

These hold true no matter what movement, style, or theme an artwork is brought about.

References: 

Articles:

https://www.sybariscollection.com/what-is-an-icon/#:~:text=What%20Made%20Them%20Iconic%3F,an%20extraordinary%20attachment%20to%20them

https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/what-makes-an-artwork-famous/

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200624-what-makes-an-iconic-work-of-art

https://usaartnews.com/art-market/what-makes-an-iconic-work-of-art

https://www.ft.com/content/256fe29c-e110-4d9a-9fb2-ef19e1b79327

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/iconic-artworks-21st-century-1092800

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3100.html

https://theartofeducation.edu/2017/10/11-fascinating-artists-inspired-science/

Youtube Videos:

The art of photography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68iv3nR9Qko

The art assignment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IYiReDWI88

Design theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wHlJXnx0bM

National galleries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0wYYq6j8-c

Book:

The story of art by E.H. Gombrich

Photos:

https://www.erikjo.com/

https://shinybinary.com/index.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page