Artist and Patron
There were times when the artist and patron understood one another but the political changes and industrial revolution of the 19th century disrupted this relationship. This greater independence led to many experiments and novel stages but also to confusion. This, in turn caused mistrust between artist and public who feared they were being had.
Official (Galleries etc.) and private organizations have recently done much to improve matters by holding exhibitions with explanatory information, but the misunderstanding still lingers on.
Environment and Task
In the early days of European painting the artist was given a definite task. Free choice of subject was rare until the 19th century. The artist could have been called upon to decorate a church, a palace, or document the historic events and places of recent times. Since the 19th century, self expression - the Freedom of choice (democratic right) - has become the motive fore in art.
Creative Impulses
The artists personality is naturally the decisive factor in the formation of a art. Creative impulse is the main incentive to producing art. There is a remarkable similarity between the paintings of primitive men and children. Both show the essentials of what they want to illustrate and are unconcerned with the exactness and completeness. But these improvisations do not represent the mature work of art, in which the supreme effort of its creator combines the experience of a lifetime, with the knowledge and craftsmanship of generations of painters. This is taking Democratic freedom to the point of meaningless.
Training
In earlier times than our own, the painter, sculptor, potter was apprenticed in the workshop of a master until such time as techniques and materials were understood and mastered.
After a thorough training in techniques the young artist would then work in the style of his/her employer with little concern for originality, for true originality comes with maturity.
Inspirations
Feeling or intuition may occasionally produce a work of art, intelligence and skill cannot. Nature is still the inspiration behind creative impulses no matter how abstract the final result - we cannot get away from what we have seen.