On the Importance of learning Western Civilization

In France, there is a famous sculpture made by Michelangelo（1475-1564）standing in a famous museum. The name of the sculpture is David. Michelangelo was a famous artist during the time of Renaissance. He ever spent 4 years to draw a great painting for Sistine Chapel in Florence. That was really a hard and boring work, but he kept on doing it until finished it. He was so famous that most of artists admired him very much, and also for his works. David is a enough work to represent Michelangelo’s eminent talent. David was a hero from the story of the Bible. David killed a brutal enemy who was a strong man when he was bringing lunch for his elder brother. That led a victory to the Hebrew; as a result, David became the king of Israel. He was a good king, and through his administration, Israel became rich and powerful. The sculpture David shows many beauties from any angles. It’s worth to be visited. It’s a great honor to see the real David sculpture. Every year, many people especially artists comes to see the sculpture. One day, a artist came to France to see the David for its fame. He couldn’t help being excited as soon as he saw it. He was addicted to the great work in spite of himself. Suddenly, he fell down on the ground of the museum. When he was sent to a hospital, the doctors found his coma relating with the sculpture David.
Why? When he saw the real sculpture David, there were so many components of arts running into his body. His body was greedy to receive all of the nutrition, but it couldn’t contain so many components of arts at once, so the artist was shocked by the components to a coma. In medical area, we call this “David disease”.
If a man didn’t know western civilization, he couldn’t understand this thing had happened. Even the artist, he didn’t get a coma if he knew nothing about western civilization and arts. Maybe, he only took some photos, or said the sculpture David was beautiful. That’s all! What a pity to him. Facing such a great work, he couldn’t be moved by the components of arts. Therefore, learning western civilization is important. It can improve people’s character of arts. It can improve people’s interests for life. It can fulfill people’s needs for life. Such as after my learning western civilization, I will be more excited than before when I get to Florence or Venice, the roots of Renaissance. I can feel the winds full of arts and humanism.
Also, I wondered why “David disease” happened in China. China has a lot of great works such as great wall, the warriors made by dust. Why there is “dusty warrior disease” or “great wall disease” happened in China? Perhaps, some differences between eastern and western world, but indeed I thought were Chinese people known a little about civilization. To know much more about civilization, we have to know the western civilization to compare with ours. That can help us know our own civilization better.
It can do some help for us to know the meaning of life from western civilization learning. I am not joking. Religion took a very important role during the middle ages. Religion is a kind of spirit relying to lead people to know the meaning of life. Except you are a philosopher, such as Plato, Pythagoras, or you couldn’t know the meaning of life. Up to today, Christianity is also the biggest religion in the world. Holy trinity (father, son, and Holy Spirit) is still giving a great influence to the world.
Still, from learning western civilization we can know western world much better. We can learn their advantages, and cancel their disadvantages. We should know Petrarch who did a great contribution to the sonnet. We should know who Alexandra is, and who Caesar is. We should know Dante who wrote the divine comedy. We should know gothic architecture, Romanesque art and baroque architecture. From that, we can know why they could defeat us in the war, why there are so many developing countries in western world.
After learning western civilization, I got to know there were a lot of technical methods we used now days were from western civilization. For example, some terms of fine arts: linear perspective, atmospheric perspective invented by Brunelleschi, and chiaroscuro, sfumato invented by Leonardo da vinci(1452-1519).
At last, I am an English major. Maybe, maybe I will work in a foreign company in the future. At least, I should communicate with foreigners often. Learning western civilization can help me to know much more cultural background knowledge. I can communicate with foreigners easier with the help of the background knowledge.
I have a dream that one day, I will go to Paris to see Notre dame, to see the real Mona Lisa, to see the real virgin of the rocks, to see the last supper.
I have a dream that one day; I will go to Florentine to see the Sistine chapel, to see the last judgment, to see the Sistine Madonna.
I really got a lot after learning western civilization. I hope that every person living in China will learn western civilization to improve his art character. I hope one day, “David disease” will happen in China!