Introduction
Art takes multiple forms, yet the correlation of one’s soul is, almost certainly, presence. The subjectivity of art can be debated, yet the fact that one’s approach to being subject is, to a certain extent, inspired by the inner emotional context is unequivocal. The two pieces of art that can be evaluated in terms of their inner connection with the artist are Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The two seemingly different pieces, however, share the similarity of being inspired by war. The fact that art is inherent to one’s soul is portrayed through the prism of the impact of external events on artists and their audience in the form of connecting to the content.
Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son
Saturn Devouring His Son is one of Goya’s most gruesome, emotionally charged, and tragic works. The work is often interpreted as depicting the Greek myth in which Cronos devours his children as a prophecy, which entails that his offspring will lead to his downfall (Artincontext). The painting illustrates a giant-like figure consuming a smaller man and is part of the Black Paintings collection of illustrations.
It is important to determine the context of the piece of art and how the artist’s soul has ultimately impacted its occurrence. Goya has reportedly been affected by the events following the French invading Spain (Symmons). To a certain extent, the piece of art can be evidence of how the artist has poured his war-torn soul into color and style. The giant can represent the government and its corrupt and unethical agenda in this case. The man who is being devoured, on the other hand, is the person who has to face the consequences of being the raw material used in military conflict.
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
John R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is arguably one of the most famous literature pieces globally. The fantasy trilogy depicts friendship, war, bravery, and the battle between light and darkness. The author himself had first-hand experiences by participating in World War I (Liu). It is reasonable to attribute his experience to the depiction of war in his most famous literary works. However, Tolkien had a different perception compared to the previously mentioned Goya.
The author has illustrated military conflicts as events in which one objectively righteous party fights against evil and darkness. Hence, the main battle in the book is between courageous men and orcs whose main motivation is to enslave and destroy all that is innocent and beautiful (Tally 54). In this case, art is inherent to the existence of the soul as it helps reflect on the author’s experience through fiction and fantasy. The soul is the inherent perception and self of the creator, which is subjectively implemented in the art being produced.
Art and Perception
The two examples provided exemplify how one’s soul correlates with art, as art is subjective and encompasses the overviews of the artist. This derives from the differences between how an event can have different depictions. Goya’s experience is that war is dark, devouring humanity and impacting people to commit acts that do not derive from ethics and morality. On the other hand, Tolkien views war as evil while acknowledging that it gives people a higher purpose than individual desires. Researchers debate whether a representation of war is personal or objective (George and Young). However, the painting and the novels exemplify how art and one’s being are linked.
Soul and Art Correlation
Art has been defined in a variety of ways. The exemplification that appears to have the most substance is that art is the combination of an observer and their external world (Mohammadi and Abachi 5). The observer interacts with external circumstances, and, as a result, art is created. However, one’s soul simultaneously combines the person and the experiences that shape them. Hence, art is inherent to the existence of every soul, as art is one domain that can portray a soul. In the examples provided prior, Goya’s war-torn soul is depicted in his painting. Tolkien’s soul is illustrated through the evils and courage-inspiring acts of war in his novels.
Art is also inherent to the existence of the soul, as interpreted by how the public relates to Goya and Tolkien. An example would be the influence of art on social awareness and inclusion (Hannes 103). Goya’s gruesome interpretation of war may be extrapolated by the public that views war solely through the lenses of humanistic destruction. In this case, the existence of the soul would imply an understanding of the interpretation of Saturn Devouring His Son as an emphasis on cruelty inspired by war. One’s soul, however, can be evidently highlighted in interpreting Tolkien’s depiction of military conflict as a battle between goodness and evil.
Conclusion
The idea that arts are inherent to the existence of every soul can be emphasized in the correlation between Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Goya’s subjective depiction of war is an inherent illustration of his soul, which rejects war as a form of corruption in humanity. Tolkien’s existence of the soul is suggested in his take on war as evil yet helpful in the hyperpolarisation of goodness and courage.
Works Cited
Artincontext. “‘Saturn Devouring One of His Sons’ by Francisco Goya – A Study.”. 2022. Web.
George, Margaret, and Victoria Young. “Artists and War Art.” Military History, 2020. Web.
Hannes, Karin. “What Art and Design Do for Social Inclusion in the Public Sphere.” Social Inclusion, vol. 9, no. 4, 2021, pp. 103–105. Web.
Liu, Lili. “The Analysis of j.r.r.Toliken’s Ecological Responsibility Consciousness in the Lord of the Rings.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 9, no. 10, 2019. Web.
Mohammadi, Samaneh, and Masume Abachi. “Hidden Subjective in the Object of Contemporary Art.” Journal of Fine Arts, vol. 27, no. 1, 2022, pp. 5–15.
Symmons, Sarah. “Sacks, Giants, Owls, Cats: It’s A Mad World in the Graphic Art of Francisco de Goya (1746–1828).” Forensic Science International: Mind and Law, vol. 2, 2021. Web.
Tally, Robert. “Demonizing the Enemy, Literally: Tolkien, Orcs, and the Sense of the World Wars.” Humanities, vol. 8, no. 1, 2019, p. 54. Web.