It shows the inner workings of the minds of great artists at the time. It provides an insight into how society and events (such as different monarchs coming into power) could have influenced the works themselves.
Explanation:
An example of this is how Queen Elizabeth I was a fan of comedies, and so Shakespeare wrote many comedies during her reign. Whereas with King James I Shakespeare wrote many tragedies due to that being the new King's preference in art.
