A lot of people now a days have art in their houses, even if it isn’t original or one of a kind, anyone can have art. During times like the Baroque period and the Rococo period, art was made for the wealthy and the ruling class.
During the Baroque period, art played a significant role in reinforcing power in the ruling class like the Catholic Church and Monarchs. I read the khan academy article Baroque art, an introduction; and they talked about how Catholic Churches were a huge patron of Baroque art, using it to propagate religious doctrines and reinforce its spiritual and temporal authority. Catholic Churches were filled with sculptures, paintings, and ornate decorations designed to convey the majesty and supremacy of the Church. One example is ‘Baldacchino’ by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Lorenzo’s baldachin was made to mark the place of Saint Peter’s tomb in a monumental way. The Pope commissioned the piece and by having it over Saint Peter’s tomb the art gave off a sense of power.
During the Rococo period art played a huge role in reinforcing power for the wealthy. I read about the Medici family and the Palazzo Pitti, the Medici family was the wealthiest family in Florence during the Baroque period. They bought the biggest palace in the center of Florence and built a corridor connecting their palace to town hall. The palace is also home to his art collection with over 500 different artworks from the most famous artist. This palace reinforced power and strength just by looking at it.
Art nowadays may not be a reinforcement of power after doing some research It definitively gave off a wave of power and strength back in the day.
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