Natural images protected by gods, nymphs playing in water and other erotic encounters are common themes in the art of the Antiquity. Nature is power and connected. The fresco tell tales of man cutting down trees and their nymph spirits as well as gods cruelly punishing men who damaged and attacked Nature. During a lecture by Professor Kerill O’Niel I was interested about how this strength of nature as well as personification of Nature which had disappeared from art during the 20th century would return as our modern perspective focused on the Anthropocene.
Nature is one of the largest means of inspiration when it comes to art. Many artists have had success, either replicating natural scenes like the work of Monet, as well as more expressive representations of natural objects (as in the work of Warhol). The Impressionist movement focused entirely on celebrating the fleeting light in nature and the stillness of nature that was seemingly cracked during the events of the Great War. The art movements that followed (Cubism, Futurism and as late as the Post-Modern era), the art movements of the 20th century described the change in perspective from nature onto the technological world that was created during the war.
Public focus on nature has increased due to activism, as well as greater investments in renewable resources. It will be interesting to see if this increasing focus will result in another era of impressionism that’s focus is recording. Nature has been more looked upon as a struggling force that’s art is slowly being tainted. Technology has aided this changing of focus of art back on Nature, with cameras and more importantly phone cameras help us record the receding Nature.