Throughout my drawing and painting lessons, the instructors remind me that it’s OK to change the scene I am painting. They resize buildings, add trees and people, change colors, modify the light source and redirect shadows.
One instructor even said, “Never copy the image you are painting. Don’t try to match the colors. Your goal is to create a painting that makes you feel something – not one that duplicates your reference image.”
In studying these lessons I’ve realized that this is a common practice. And suddenly it hit me – the famous paintings I’ve seen in museums and books that are done in a realistic style were probably done in the same way.
The portraits likely removed blemishes, wrinkles, and disfigurements. In the feasts and royal gatherings were the drunken sot was eliminated. The royal family members weren’t shown with wine stains and spittle dripping down their faces. The flies, rats and messy chamber pots were “airbrushed” out by hand.
Of course they were.
These paintings were a representation of ancient society, but they were not photographic replications of reality.
Just like art today, they were edited to make the viewer feel something.
I find this fascinating.
When I visited the art museum, I felt as if I was drawn back to ancient times. I imagined life when the art was created. I thought about the painters, the subjects, and society.
I had thought these were accurate, historical depictions.
Now, I have my doubts. It seems that the proliferation of photo and video editing on social media that seems so pervasive today is nothing new.
The technology is different, but the editing, not so much.