Interaction with Technology
Interaction with Technology
The interaction between the viewer and the painting can tell us just as much about how society was reacting to technology as which technologies were chosen as subject matter. During the early 19th century many paintings were used to promote Bonaparte's military action against Rebels in Cairo. This artwork shows an important shift in the cultures romantic view of Middle Eastern instruments, furniture design, and other technology to a rejection of their people. During the end of the century the views of the Middle East switch again from an enemy to a foreign place that France was comparing themselves to. Everyone shown in scenes of the Middle East this time are viewed at by the viewer as part of the mystery. When performers are depicted with an audience, the European viewer is seeing the audience in the same light as they are seeing the exotic performer, as a mystery that is much different from their own everyday life. This social competition between two different cultures is very reflecting on the technology that is shown of the apposing culture. The west did not pick scenes that showed off their advancements, but instead showed a crumbling infrastructure.
Japanese artists had a very important role in society during the 1850's when Western people began to inter their cities (isolated from the rest of the population) and trade began to open up. The early prints showed the artist and societies misconception about Western technology with inaccurate depictions of the steam ships that came to Japan and the weapons they had on the ships.
