Why is it important for historians to look at the art of a society to understand their past?

Art from the past holds clues to life in the past. By looking at a work of art's symbolism, colors, and materials, we can learn about the culture that produced it. For example, the two portraits above are full of symbolism referring to virtues of an ideal marriage during the fifteenth century. The young woman's portrait contains symbols of chastity (the unicorn) and fertility (the rabbits), virtues that were important for a Renaissance woman to possess. After decoding the symbolism in these portraits, we can learn what was important to these people and how they wanted to be remembered