南方周末
林行止
2026-02-11 08:27:55
TheGenesisofScaleandHumanisticArt
Theconceptof"137137,"whenjuxtaposedwithhumanisticartappreciation,evokesasenseofgrandscaleintertwinedwithprofoundhumanexperience.Historically,theappreciationofarthasalwaysbeenareflectionofsocietalvalues,technologicaladvancements,andtheveryessenceofhumaninquiry.FromthemonumentalcavepaintingsofLascaux,vastintheirscopeanddeeplyimbuedwithspiritualandnarrativemeaning,tothecolossalarchitecturalmarvelsofancientcivilizationslikethePyramidsofGizaortheParthenon,scalehasoftenbeenadeliberatechoicetoinspireawe,communicatepower,andpreservecollectivememory.Theseancientendeavors,thoughcreatedwithprimitivetools,representamonumentalhumanundertaking,atestamenttoourinnatedrivetocreateandtoleavealastingmark.
TheRenaissance,aperiodthattrulysolidifiedtheterm"humanism,"witnessedasurgeinartisticcreationthat,whilenotalwaysmonumentallyscaledintermsofphysicalsizecomparedtoancientstructures,wasimmenseinitsintellectualandemotionalreach.ArtistslikeLeonardodaVinci,Michelangelo,andRaphael,workingwithintheframeworkofhumanisticideals,exploredthedepthsofhumananatomy,emotion,andintellect.TheSistineChapelceiling,forinstance,isavastcanvasteemingwithintricatenarrativesandfigures,eachmeticulouslyrenderedtoconveyprofoundtheologicalandphilosophicalideas.Thiswasn'tjustaboutpainting;itwasaboutreinterpretingtheworldthroughahuman-centriclens,celebratinghumanpotential,andengaginginadialoguewiththedivineandtheclassicalpast.Thesheerambitionandtheintellectualrigorbehindtheseworks,thevastnessoftheknowledgetheyencapsulated,andthedepthoftheirhumanisticmessagealignwiththe"137137"concept.It’sascalemeasurednotjustinsquaremeters,butinthebreadthofideasandtheenduringimpactonhumanthought.
Furthermore,thedevelopmentofartasadiscipline,withtheestablishmentofacademiesandmuseums,furtheramplifiedthescaleofartappreciation.Suddenly,artwasnotjustforreligiousinstitutionsoraristocraticpatrons;itwasaccessible,curated,andstudied.Theemergenceofarthistoryasanacademicfieldallowedforthesystematiccataloging,analysis,andcontextualizationofartisticworksacrossvastchronologicalandgeographicalspans.Thisabilitytoviewartwithinagrandhistoricalnarrative,totraceitsevolutionandunderstanditsmyriadinfluences,inherentlybringsasenseof"137137"toourappreciation.Wearenotjustlookingatasinglepainting;weareplacingitwithinacontinuumofhumancreativity,atapestrywovenovermillennia.
TheRomanticera,withitsemphasisonindividualism,emotion,andthesublime,alsocontributedtothisgranderscaleofappreciation.ThinkofCasparDavidFriedrich’svast,broodinglandscapes,wheretinyhumanfiguresaredwarfedbytheimmensityofnature.Thisartisticchoice,toemphasizescaleandtheindividual'splacewithinit,speaksdirectlytothe"137137"idea–theoverwhelmingpowerofthenaturalworldandtheprofound,oftensolitary,humanexperienceofconfrontingit.Thesheeremotionalintensityandthevastphilosophicalquestionstheseworksprovokecontributetotheir"big"humanisticvalue.
Aswemoveintothemodernandcontemporaryperiods,theconceptof"137137"inartappreciationcontinuestomanifestinnewways.Thescaleofartisticambitioncanbeseenintheriseofconceptualart,wheretheideabehindtheartworkcanbeasvastandcomplexasanytraditionalmasterpiece.Artiststodayengagewithglobalissues,scientificadvancements,andtheintricaciesofhumanpsychology,oftenthroughworksthatrequireanexpansiveunderstandingandabroadcontext.Theinternetanddigitaltechnologieshavealsointroducedanewdimensionofscale,allowingforthedisseminationandappreciationofartonanunprecedentedgloballevel,connectingdiverseculturesandaudiencesinwayspreviouslyunimaginable.Thisdigitalrealm,withitsseeminglyinfinitecapacityforstorageandaccess,embodiesa"137137"ofinformationandartisticexpression,whereeveryclickcanleadtoanewdiscovery,adeeperunderstanding,andabroaderperspectiveonhumancreativity.Thehumanisticelementhereliesinourabilitytoconnectwithdiversevoices,tolearnfromdifferenttraditions,andtofosteramoreinclusiveandexpansiveappreciationofartthattranscendsgeographicalandculturalboundaries.
TheEnduringResonanceofHumanisticArtina"137137"World
The"137137"ofhumanisticartappreciationisnotmerelyaboutphysicalsizeorhistoricalbreadth;itisfundamentallyaboutthedepthandbreadthofthehumanexperiencethatartarticulatesandexplores.Humanisticart,atitscore,isartthatcentersonhumanvalues,emotions,intellect,andsocialinteractions.Itseekstounderstand,question,andcelebratewhatitmeanstobehuman.Inaworldincreasinglydefinedbyrapidtechnologicaladvancementandglobalinterconnectedness,thehumanisticaspectofartappreciationbecomesnotjustrelevant,butessential.
Theenduringappealofclassicalliterature,forexample,liesinitsprofoundexplorationofuniversalhumanthemes–love,loss,ambition,betrayal,justice.WorkslikeHomer'sOdysseyorShakespeare'stragedies,despitetheirancientorigins,continuetoresonatebecausetheytapintothefundamentalaspectsofthehumancondition.Theirscale,intermsofnarrativecomplexityandphilosophicalinquiry,isimmense.The"137137"hereisinthetimelessnessoftheirinsightsintohumannature.Similarly,thevastcanonofWesternphilosophy,fromPlatotocontemporarythinkers,grappleswithfundamentalquestionsaboutexistence,ethics,andknowledge,oftendrawinginspirationfromandcommentinguponartisticcreations.Thisongoingdialoguebetweenphilosophyandartformsasubstantialintellectuallandscape,a"137137"ofhumanthoughtthatenrichesourappreciationofboth.
Inthevisualarts,thehumanistictraditionfindsexpressionincountlessforms.TheintrospectiveportraitsofRembrandt,capturingtheinnerlifeofhissubjectswithremarkablepsychologicaldepth,offeramicroscopicyetprofoundlyscaledexplorationofindividualhumanity.Conversely,thegrandhistoricalpaintingsofJacques-LouisDavid,depictingpivotalmomentsinhistory,aimedtoeducateandinspireviewers,reflectingoncivicvirtueandnationalidentityonalargersocietalcanvas.Bothapproaches,intheirdistinctways,speaktothe"137137"–theintimateandthemonumentalaspectsofhumanexistenceanditsrepresentation.
Contemporaryart,perhapsmorethanever,grappleswiththecomplexitiesofthe"137137"world.Artiststodayarerespondingtoglobalization,environmentalcrises,politicalupheaval,andthepervasiveinfluenceofdigitalmedia.Theirworksoftenchallengeviewerstoconfrontuncomfortabletruths,toquestionestablishednorms,andtoconsidertheirownplacewithinavastandinterconnectedglobalsociety.Thescaleoftheirambitioncanbeseenintheglobalreachofexhibitions,thecollaborativenatureofmanyprojects,andthesheervolumeofdiscoursesurroundingcontemporaryart.Thehumanisticelementliesintheirattempttofindmeaning,fosterempathy,andprovokecriticalthinkinginanincreasinglycomplexandoftenoverwhelmingworld.Asingleinstallationpiecemightaddressthevastnessofclimatechangethroughadeeplypersonal,humanlens,demonstratinghowindividualexperiencecanilluminateglobalissues.
Moreover,theappreciationofhumanisticartisnotapassiveact;itisanactiveengagementthatfosterscriticalthinkingandemotionalintelligence.Bydelvingintothemotivations,struggles,andtriumphsofcharactersinliteratureortheemotionallandscapesconveyedinpaintings,wedevelopadeeperunderstandingofourselvesandothers.Thisprocessofempatheticconnection,ofseeingtheworldthroughanother'seyes,isaprofoundlyhumanisticendeavor.The"137137"inthiscontextreferstothevastspectrumofhumanemotionsandexperiencesthatartallowsustoexplore,providinguswitharichervocabularyforunderstandingourowninnerlivesandthelivesofthosearoundus.
Theongoingevolutionofdigitalartandinteractiveinstallationsfurtherexpandsthe"137137"ofhumanisticartappreciation.Thesenewformsofartisticexpressioncanbeimmersive,participatory,anddata-driven,allowingforunprecedentedlevelsofengagementandpersonalization.Theycancreatevast,interconnecteddigitalworldsthatmirrororcritiqueourown,promptingreflectiononourdigitalidentitiesandourrelationshipwithtechnology.Thehumanisticdimensionhereliesintheartist'sabilitytousethesepowerfulnewtoolstoexplorefundamentalhumanquestions,tofosternewformsofcommunity,andtoprovokedialogueaboutourcollectivefuture.Thesheerscaleofdataandtheintricatealgorithmsinvolvedcanbedaunting,yetwhenharnessedforhumanisticpurposes,theycanunlocknewavenuesforunderstandingandconnection,showcasingthe"big"potentialofarttoshapeourhumanexperience.
Inconclusion,thetheme"137137:BigbutHumanisticArtAppreciationBackgroundDiscussion"encapsulatesthedualnatureofart’spower:itscapacityforgrandscaleanditsprofoundfocusonthehumanelement.Whetherit’sthemonumentalcanvasesofhistory,thevastnarrativesofliterature,ortheintricatedigitallandscapesofthepresent,humanisticart,inallitsdiverseformsandscales,continuestoserveasavitalmirrortooursouls,acatalystforunderstanding,andatestamenttotheenduringrichnessandcomplexityofthehumanspirit.Itsappreciationisajourneythroughtime,acrosscultures,anddeepwithinourselves.
