The Newspapar as an Indicator of Social Processes in the Cultural Space of Western Countries: An Analysis of Paintings

Abstract

The article analyzes the image of the newspaper in works of fine art as a socio-cultural and communication phenomenon. The paper provides an overview of the newspaper's representation in the foreign visual tradition, where it occupied an important place as a socio-cultural and art-critical phenomenon. The periodization of the stages of the newspaper's development is summarized and the connection of historical realities with its representation in Western painting of the XVII‒XXI centuries is revealed.

The analysis showed that it was newspapers that created the foundations for the formation of unifying social meanings and in the work of fine art they appear as a cultural and mental form reflecting and forming the national unconscious. The image of a newspaper in Western visual art reflects its dual character — it is presented both as a source of information involved in the process of communication with the viewer, and as a visual symbol understandable to a wide audience. However, in both cases, the use of a newspaper as an object always appeals to socio-political processes, as well as reflects key cultural codes. In portrait and genre painting, the newspaper becomes not only an indicator of belonging to a certain social class and evidence of the hero's political preferences, but also reflects the social processes that took place during the period under study. In the subject compositions, the newspaper becomes a visual symbol, used as a metaphor, into which the artist puts additional connotative meanings, within the framework of his characteristic way of reflecting reality.

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