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  3. Historical Changes in the European Art World 1. European artists in the Late Middle Ages were accorded the same social status

Historical Changes in the European Art World 1. European artists in the Late Middle Ages were accorded the same social status

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问题             Historical Changes in the European Art World
   1. European artists in the Late Middle Ages were accorded the same social status as blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors, and other craftsmen. Whereas philosophers, musicians, and poets were seen as exercising intellectual skills, artists were not. Like other craftsmen, they were organized under the guild system. Originally developed prior to the second millennium AD, guilds were formal organizations founded by people who practiced a similar craft, with the intention of ensuring they received fair payment for their services and fostering the exchange of knowledge among members. In most European cities, there would be a masons’ guild, a smiths’ guild, and a carvers’ guild, along with those established by painters, sculptors, and architects. New members began as apprentices, learning from the masters of their craft, and if they demonstrated enough skill, they would one day be eligible to become master craftsmen themselves.
   2. Then, in the fourteenth century, Europe entered a period of significant transformation known as the Renaissance. This term literally means "rebirth;’ as it describes an era when European scholars were rediscovering works of the Classical Greeks and Romans. Ancient texts on math, science, and philosophy, written by such figures as Plato and Cicero, became the subjects of intense study and altered the ways in which Europeans Viewed their world. From its origins in Florence, Italy, the Renaissance radiated throughout the continent and affected every aspect of the lives of the people living there.
   3. The quest for Classical knowledge that characterized the Renaissance also led to a rebirth of the conception of the artist,A Depiction of nature in its true form became the ideal, and painters began to study mathematical perspective and optics in order to more realistically represent their subjects.B This emphasis on intellectual investigation distinguished the arts from the so-called mechanical crafts, and artists witnessed a marked improvement in their social standing. C By the 1500s, descriptions like "genius" and "divine" were being ascribed to Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and other creators of artistic masterpieces.D
   4. The Renaissance also spawned the introduction of formal educational institutions. Called academies, the first of these, such as the Platonic Academy founded in Florence in 1438, focused on literature and scientific disciplines. Soon, though, artistic pursuits were added to the curriculum, including everything from painting to architecture. Next came the rise of academies dedicated solely to education in the arts. Rome’s Academy of St. Luke, established in 1593, was one of the most popular, and these centers quickly replaced the artists’ guilds as the premier purveyors* of artistic knowledge.
   5. By the close of the Renaissance in the late seventeenth century, academies of art had spread from Italy north to other regions. French academies became highly influential, and their mission shifted from general education to the cultivation of a national artists’ movement. Whereas the early Italian academies had not charged their pupils or limited their enrollment, French academies instituted tuition and entrance examination systems to ensure that only certain students were admitted. Control was exercised by the government, and as time went on, the academies devised very specific artistic conventions that its members were expected to follow. Still emphasizing the Classical ideals that had flourished during the Renaissance, they came to be regarded as conservative rather than creative. The artwork of academy students was displayed in exhibitions known as salons, which were usually open only to people of high social status. Any artist whose work was not approved of by the academies was barred from participation in the salons.
   6. After the French Revolution, a gradual move toward greater public access to artistic works began with the opening of the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1793. This idea caught on, and soon public art museums could be found all over Europe, loosening the hold of the powerful academies on the art world. New styles were more easily met with acceptance and new avenues were created through which the work of artists that the academies saw as too radical could be shown. Subsequently, the nineteenth century witnessed the introduction of many unique artistic styles, a trend which has continued to the present day.
   purveyor* a person or company that provides goods or services
Based on the information in Paragraph 5 and Paragraph 6, what can be inferred about the French academies?
选项 A、They were initially operated by successful artists and teachers from Italy.
B、They eventually began encouraging artists to be more radical and creative.
C、They dominated the European art world in the period after the Renaissance.
D、They played a pivotal role in opening up the art world to the general public.
答案C
解析
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