Trad Dude Gets Roasted By Art History Nerds

Why is art the way that it is? That is one of the first questions you might ask when looking at a new painting, and the answers can come from various places. Of course, the historical context of different art movements informs why paintings are a certain way. However, questioning a painting and finding your own answers can be the answer to some of the most prominent questions art inspires. Sometimes, it's easiest to ask your Twitter followers.

Posted by Emmy Ward

Michael Knowles sparked some conversation about art when he posted this tweet on Tuesday.

The implication of this tweet is obvious: he can't wrap his mind around why famed painted Pablo Picasso would paint something colorful and abstract when he could paint something beautiful and realistic. This is ironic because the painting style used in the painting on the right is what has made Picasso such a well-known painter for decades. The first painting is Science and Charity, a painting Picasso did as a 15-year-old. Picasso created the second painting, The Weeping Woman, in response to the Spanish Civil War.

This sentiment that realistic and traditionally beautiful paintings are the only kind of valuable art has been sweeping some online circles for some years now. However, not everyone was willing to play along with Knowles's pointed question.

Some people took his question at face value and tried to answer it earnestly.

There's nothing wrong with having a preference for realistic art over abstract art and vice versa. However, to imply that there's no value in art that pushes the boundaries of what is beautiful is a classic trad miss. Art can look like anything, and that's what makes it art.