Image Empire - The Existence Of Images From Traditional Painting To Contemporary Art

In the paper,the basic concept on image is clarified firstly from the relationship between art and image.Then longitudinally the existing form and the role of image in the traditional art of painting are discussed from the aspect of art history and iconography;laterally the philosophical significance of the end of art is analyzed according to Hegel's aesthetic point and Danto's theory of the end of art.The paper issues that the end of art is actually the historic end of the form of painting rather than the end of the form.And painting continues to provide aesthetic meaning.Image goes on with a new look in these "new" art medias,such as readymade art,device art or video art which appeared later,so image is still alive.Finally,the paper holds that the main function of image is to spread the ideology of the author,namely Roland Barthes's Myth,by studying the forming structure and the methods of transmission of image from the perspective of linguistics and semiotics.The aim of the above research is to see clearly the outline and the appearance of "Image Empire" hidden in the history of art.