Ideologies as a Form of Oppression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ideologies as a Form of Oppression - Essay Example I am of the opinion that Berger’s statement is one of Marxist elements. Advancing the idea of classes, and in a subtle way, brushing on class struggle and conflict caused by class segregation in society. Berger is presenting the labour world as one that has borrowed heavily from the feudal system that existed in medieval Europe. However, the emphasis on labour has fallen short of its purpose because of its focal point of comparison. This is because research on the symbolic meaning of this painting, reveals that it has many religious concepts. Most scholars are of the view that the painting’s symbolism illustrates the conflict between secular and religious authorities. There is little mention of the conflict between the rich and the poor. Berger’s statement is, therefore, subject to personal testimonies. Though he is a scholar of the art world himself, symbolism will always remain a personal reflection of ideas unless there is a presentation of undisputed evidence . One instance of evidence giving would involve giving another painting as a comparison to The Ambassadors. There are paintings that represent states of poverty in Europe like Spain 'Street-Boy of Seville' by Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1618-1682) or France 'Charity' by Adolph William Bouguereau (1825-1905). From the ideas expressed in the first paragraph of this paper, there appears to be a clear and direct link between events in history and those in present times. One can conclusively state that there is no present without a past. The occurrences of the present times are largely dependent on what happened in the past.