Final answer:
Ralph Waldo Emerson encouraged people to use art as a medium to elevate their lives, experience a profound connection with nature and spirit, and embody the beauty and lessons from art in their own lives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emerson's Lesson from Great Works of Art
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a central figure in the romanticism movement, believed that great works of art should teach people to elevate their lives through a conscious endeavor. His essays, such as 'Nature' and 'Self-Reliance', champion the idea that true spirituality and individuality are found in nature and in resisting mass conformity. Art, to Emerson, is a means of reflecting the profound truths of nature and the human spirit, and the artist's role is to let creative genius emanate from their work, thus providing a profound emotional experience for the viewer.
Emerson proposed that the purpose of great works of art isn't just to create beauty, but to influence the way we view the world. It challenges us to make our daily lives worthy of our highest ideals and to be critical thinkers and observers. This expectation invites an ongoing engagement with art, an 'infinite expectation of the dawn' that forever pushes us towards personal and spiritual growth.
In summary, Emerson encouraged people to engage with art in a way that affects their quality of life, aiming to embody the lessons and beauty of art in their own personal conduct and view of the world.