Before discussing the Mona Lisa, where did Leonardo da Vinci stand on the role of the papacy in Renaissance-era Italy?

Do our personal feelings regarding Napoleon and the French Revolution inform our judgement of Jacques-Louis David’s paintings?

It might seem absurd, yet that’s where a lot of our engagement with art stands today. We are in the era of the parasocial relationship and art has failed to escape its grasp. In an isolating modern society, connection and reassurance can be an entirely one-sided affair, propping up and informing our identity and beliefs.

It’s increasingly rare to find perspectives that can compartmentalise and consider artistic works on their own merit. A wider branch of external influences plays on our interpretation, from social and political identities to the commercial world of branding and marketing.

And one of the strongest brands there is? The first name entity known as Beyoncé. The singer has not only dominated the music field but has become a massive cultural icon. Her every move is dissected endlessly, generating constant think pieces and analyses on the social and political implications of anything she does. Beyoncé is never judged on her work alone, but on how her work fits into our cultural landscape.

Derek McArthur: The downfall of Taylor Swift is not a matter of if, but when

Beyoncé announced her new........

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