Art as a Reflection of Social Trends Art is something that can be analyzed to provide deeper insight into the common values ​​and beliefs shared by members of a given society. Regardless of the place of origin or time period of an art form, it will always be a reflection of the social structure in which its creator lived. However, the way the artist perceives the common culture of his time is very relative. People belonging to a higher social class had different values ​​and ideologies than members of a lower class. This different view of life can be seen very clearly in individual art forms such as painting and music. These specific forms of artistic expression required very little money, so they could be practiced by anyone, including members of a lower class. Other art forms such as architecture and sculpture required more money and in most cases wealthy patrons such as kings or queens. The architecture also required large numbers of workers, which often made it difficult to see any individual influence in the design, yet it showed the collective ideology of everyone involved. The cost of labor and materials was also so high that very wealthy members of society were needed to financially support the entire process. Sculpture was also an art that required large amounts of material and labor. This led to a more normative art form that represented social aspects in a way that interested funders. By studying folk and normative art together you can gain a broader perspective on a specific culture. External influences from other countries can also influence the art and artists of a particular society. As a country sees more and more immigrants from a certain… center of the paper… everyone makes it a very popular art form. Someone could make a tool out of anything they could get their hands on. Singing doesn't even require an instrument, just a voice and some artistic talent. Courtly music forms show the lifestyles of the rich and wealthy members of society, while folk music illustrates that of the common man. Since all these art forms are products of society, the driving force behind them are the normative and popular views of life of the time. While individual expression is always important to any artist, people won't like their art if it isn't representative of society. This makes art a constant reflection of social trends, be they those of the common man or those of the king and queen. Studying art can prove useful in analyzing a specific culture or society because it embodies the ideology of the nation.