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Art History
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Course: FAH216S
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1) Good government and effect
Fig. 1: General sketch, government and effect
Ambrogio Lorenzetti depicts a prosperous medieval city, and people specialized in different work and commerce, and bountiful harvests in the countryside. There is harmony in the ideal political climate despite violence in the middle Ages. The atmosphere of happiness and peace common in societies with good governments is not by accident since people working in a stable environment. The implication of this is that good governance is partly linked to safety and security of the people. In the socio-political result of the way of governing, good governments allow citizen participation and produce the best results evidenced by the welfare of all social classes, peaceful citizens, and prosperous agriculture.[Diana Norman. Siena, Florence, and Padua: Art, Society, and Religion 1280-1400. 1995, 148]
2) Bad government and effect
Fig. 2: General sketch, bad government and effect, by Student
In modern times, bad governments represent the lack strong institution and when there are good institutions, people are motivated, their work is protected, there is less corruption and the state uses resources fairly for the common good. Corruption, restrictions on freedoms, institutional and moral crisis where there is lack of justice are associated with the lack for support for egalitarian ideals. Countries with unstable or incompetent governments deplete resources to wastage and political patronage makes it difficult for all the people to take advantage of the opportunities available without facing unnecessary restrictions. Good governments get results compared to bad governments.
3) Government composition.
Fig. 3: General sketch, Government composition, by Student
Causes and effects are relevant to understand how political order and authority affect the society. Political iconography is like commentary on societies and the idea that war is closely linked to bad government is explored in Lorenzetti‘s paintings. The reign of tyrants contrasts with that of good governments and the government composition influences the policies that are implemented. When there are malicious characters in the government, this will be reflected by the use of falsehoods and propaganda to lie to the populace. On the other hand, if the officials acknowledge the importance of open and democratic institutions they are inclined to stop cruelty and corruption.
Part 2
Fig. 4: Detail painting, Good Government, by Student
In both the cities and the countryside good leaders and strong institutions, avoid pillage and waste and achieve better human progress than in societies with bad governance. Ambrogio’s fresco that represents the effects of good government on the city is an idealization of the city where there is a continuous flow of activities in all sectors because of good government in a city governed with justice. Similarly, the beauty of the surrounding countryside, emphasizes the importance of good governments, while of justice, which is an important aspect of good governments is absent in bad governments. The politicization of art helps to understand how political, social, religious, cultural and religious issues influence a society and political problems in different eras.[Joachim Poeschke, Giotto, Antonio Quattrone, and Ghigo Roli. Italian frescoes, the age of Giotto, 1280-1400. 2005, 300.]
Siena’s principal governing body, known as the Nine, commissioned paintings to depict war and peace as there were fears about the risk of civil strife destroying Siena’s society. However, peace is not merely the absence of war, but efforts to ensure there is harmony, unity and social justice. The turbulent politics of the Italian cities sometimes included violent struggles to gain power over existing governments in the 14th century and Lorenzetti cautioned people about the effects of war on the society. To Lorenzetti, the republican self-government is the best and tyranny the worst of all forms of rule as contrasted by the impact of these types of governments on the societies.[Patrick Boucheron, The Power Of Images. Siena, 1338. (Bognor Regis, W.sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2018), 10] [Ibid, 10.] [Fred S Kleiner and Helen Gardner, Gardner’S Art Through The Ages: The Western Perspective, 15th ed. (Boston, Mass.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2016), 427-428.]
The differences between the effects of god and bad governments are clear that the social justice, benefit people the most even now. While draconian punishments may have been necessary at times to maintain social order in the past, there is emphasis on justice and rule of law in the contemporary world. For the people working peacefully working together, the presence of a good government as represented by the leaders meeting the people’s needs and fulfilling their pledges highlights how the administration can make a huge difference in the lives of the people. When there is a fair and just administration it is less likely that there will be ruins and scenes of violence since the leaders support an egalitarian system. Cruelty, treason, fraud, fury and division are among the characteristics of bad governments that are represented in Lorenzetti‘s paintings.[Norman, 152.]
Societies are not necessarily governed solely by the government, as a network of interactions between institutions and groups allows the various actors to exercise power and especially in open societies. If the governments are networks of political institutions, then the legitimacy of governments to implement political decisions also depends on whether they exercise legitimate power. For the good governments in the modern world there is consensus building is possible, which ensures there is governability, catering to the needs of society, the efficient management of resources, while being accountable and responsible. Mechanisms that enable citizen participation are associated with political legitimacy for the good governments that are seen to work for the people. Contrasting the good government where there is peace and justice from the bad government with war and violence best reflects the effect...