HOW TO UNDERSTAND A WORK OF ART

There are no two identical people...

You are probably wondering: why are works of art dating from the same period of time so different from each other? Even though their form was affected by social relations, a certain knowledge about nature. How come there was such richness in art, such variety which didn't correspond with the epochs when they developed?
14. AUGUSTE RODIN Balzac 1891 - 98	Here are two sculptures made by one artist - Auguste Rodin. The first sculpture is the "Balzac" (illustration 14), the second one - "The Kiss" (illustration 15) representing two lovers. Sculpting the writer wearing a dressing-gown (it was considered a scandal by contemporary artists) the artist made use of strong, bulky lumps with an unsettling, broken form, whereas the figure of the couple frozen in an amatory embrace was modeled delicately and softly. It is obvious that the subject was close to the artist's heart, that he was tender and passionate about it.	15. AUGUSTE RODIN The Kiss 1882 - 98
We have to remember that although every painting, building or sculpture was created in a certain period of time and they reflect its spirit it was made by a human being - a creature that thinks, feels, has certain talents, different moods and is most of all "unique", as there are no two identical people. This is why different artists' works which were created in the same epoch differ tremendously. Even further, the originality of an artist causes that he is not only distinguished from other artists, but even his own works can be completely different.