As my investigation into power related art begins, I would like to ask the question: why do ruling classes produce art for the societies they govern? More directly, what do they have to gain?

So much can be learned from studying the visual components and artifacts from a culture’s language of life. Pictorial representation of ceremonial traditions, class structures, and law codes serve as tools for understanding life in cultures-prehistoric to modern ages.

When the ruling citizens control the means of naming, describing, and showing the world to those who do not have religious or economic status of the elite class, they gain power. They hold the reins to the powerful horses of expression and thought. There is much to gain from controlling the production of art and the content of art imagery. Themes and methods vary but they are all currents in the same stream of power related art.

Humans put a dear price on beauty and beautiful objects. But obviously not every artifact surveyed here is aesthetically pleasing to a modern viewer. What else do humans assign value to? Every time I enter a large shopping mall it is impossible to deny the reverence people have for expensive items.

People in general entertain great attachments to their belongings. And so there is a respect for those who can purchase things that the working class, whether they are plebian, proletariat, or just plain poor, only dream of.