What kind of critical approach considers the interrelated historical, social, and political conditions that surround a work of art?

Meaning of context and elements that affect it consists of the interrelated social and political conditions that surround a work of art. It includes factors such as historical events, economic trends, contemporary cultural developments, religious attitudes, other artworks of the time, etc.

The content of art is conveyed in three ways which are: 1) subject matter 2) symbolic or iconographic references that go beyond the subject matter 3) by studying the written materials and cultural background that explain the artwork's content.