Page 7 - For the purpose of this essay when I refer to ‘spirit’ ‘devine’ or ‘spirituality’ I am referring

as humility, an obeisance to something we are a part of, that separate from it we are
less, but connected, with humility, we have an illimitable resource.
Although there are many painters and movements that could be discussed within the
historical context of this essay, such as El Greco or the Baroque period, I will mainly

focus on Turner and Rothko. For the Contemporary section I have interviewed four
practicing contemporary painters whose work I admire, asking them to answer five
questions on what spirituality or divine influence means to them in their daily fine art
practice.

Historical Context

The marks made throughout prehistoric times, whether they be abstract symbols such
as zigzags, concentric circles or indeed early language such as ogham which can be
seen at Newgrange in county Meath, to figurative symbolism such as depictions of
animals in cave paintings which can be found at Niaux, ‘Composition with Bison, Ibex
and Horse’ (Fig–1), to pagan
representations of the sun, moon
and stars, have been associated
with a connection to the spiritual,
often to gain favour with a source
or the divine in order to protect
against evil or harm or to assist
in the success of the hunt and
therefore the survival of a people.
These marks or depictions
whether or not we can truly relate
to their full and true meaning are
undeniably acknowledging a
Fig – 1.Niaux, ‘Composition with Bison, Ibex and Horse’,
Middle Magdalenian spiritual connection, a way of
putting meaning to something
which often words fail to do, which the visual language of art often universally
expresses.
As Moulin writes in his introduction to ‘Prehistoric Painting’ (1969, p7-
48) ‘Authentic art materialises the spiritual potential of a culture or civilization
inexhaustibly, always ahead of its time: no one can interpret it once and for all, its
meanings are not immutable, it reveals our feelings to us’ he goes on to say, ‘They may
also be mythical, metaphysical and religious, reflecting the spiritual and social
experience of Palaeolithic humanity’. Albeit that all such meanings are not unalterable
the acknowledgement here that a spiritual dimension is present seems assured.

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