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"The Death Of Socrates"-The Relationship Between Art & Politics

© Glenn Hameroff

My love affair with Art History[Art History Links-http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/programs/art_h... emerged whenever I taught the French Revolution unit to my European History course. One class period, I projected paintings selected to illustrate the relationship between the dominant artistic style of an era and the mores, aspirations and ideology of the established or emerging ruling elite. However my enthusiasm was not always contagious. One class was getting restless and bored. Twenty-eight years of teaching experience told me that a bit of humor would serve as a change of pace and help the students to remember the painting.

The next slide was David's Death of Socrates. (The French revolutionaries honored the great teacher's commitment to republican ideas.) The scene depicted Socrates preparing to drink the deadly hemlock as his punishment for corrupting the young. He is surrounded by both his anguished young protégés fearful of life without their teacher and angry old politicians anxious to see justice be concluded. I told my students that this powerful neoclassical work was actually a source of continual nightmares for me. I would see myself as Socrates surrounded by yawning, bored students. Questions and comments were being called out such as: "Is this going to be on the next test?" "How do you spell hemlock?" "Could you please hurry, the period is almost over and my math teacher doesn't let us come in late."

20th century totalitarian nations[ Modern Political Theory: http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfcjh/wiu/web/m... have employed all forms of artistic expression to further goals of the state. Most of these countries believe that a corporate entity "the Fatherland" is of paramount importance and the individual exists only to serve the state. Artistic freedom was sacrificed for the needs of the group. Patriotic themes, revision of history and the degradation of an enemy were the state's motives for allowing art to exist.

The Nazi and Soviet regimes were infamous for the exploitation of the arts to serve the leader's will. The Nazi's had the dual goals of portraying the heroic myths of a Wagnerian world and the defilement of races, ethnic groups and religions slated for slavery or death.

The Nazi ideal was the blond, blue-eyed of Nordic stock [Nazi & Soviet Art [http://www.primenet.com/~byoder/artofnz.... was to be the savior of German culture and honor. This pure racial stock was contrasted with the so-called inferior peoples. (Warning:some of the materials shown at this link can be offensive to the groups targeted for defilement)[German Propaganda Archive (Guide Page)-http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/]

The Soviets used the arts to support the ideals of the revolution and eventually the personality cult of Stalinism.