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Gothic art is absolutely amazing and unique in so many ways. I liked how you said what you thought of Gothic art before reading about it. I too thought the same thing because of how Gothic art is made out to be in the world. However, it is something truly amazing and absolutely different! I also agree on how amazing it is that cultures influence one another to expand! I never did write about Chartes so you something it up very nicely! I too think that Gothic art has made a tremendous impact on art history and will always be remember!

Week Fifteen

This week reading was very interesting and informative. First off, I never knew much about Gothic art besides what I have seen on television. When I think about Gothic art, I visualize men and women dressed in black clothing and wearing black makeup with a lot of crazy piercing all over their faces. I once thought that Gothic art was very offensive to other cultures and ways of life. After reading the text, I can now have real and true value and respect for this type of art and its importance in art history. Being that its origins from Western Europe, particular France, the importance and significance of Gothic art are responsible for some of the most elaborate monuments in stone. Gothic art plays an important role in architecture has given structure building a whole new name and look. Cathedrals and chapels made of stone are unique and inspiring creating a new sense of architectural togetherness. The Gothic style architect was so popular and admiral that from the year 1230 to 1250, French architects built over eighty Gothic cathedrals. After the establishment of Gothic art in France, the inspirational art advanced on to England, Spain, Germany, and Austria.

The elements of Gothic construction are phenomenal. Gothic architecture replaces Romanesque way of structure building with the concept of applying rib vaults, piers, pointed arches, and stained-glass windows which makes the structures more elaborate and detailed. For me, it shows the true craftsmanship and artistry of the French architects. Also, adding the color to the windows gives the structures character so it doesn’t seem too boring to look at. As a new learner of art history, I am constantly at an awe when I read the readings, because all of the art and its history can be attributed to ancient Greek and the ancient Near East. I find it very intriguing to know that each culture has influenced another in some ways to help shape and make the history of art worth viewing and now keeping it alive.

When I look at the exterior of Cathedrals and Chartres, they look better outside than inside. The outside walls tell a story of a culture and a way of life. In the reading, the exterior of Chartres shows how important religion was to those people during that time. The full depiction of Jesus and the Disciples, along with angels, prophets, and apostles gives the Chartres value and meaning. The imagery of the exterior of the Chartres are so detail down to the facial expressions each saint held. Their feet rest naturally, depicted at an angle showing the frontal eye, and the importance of the height difference the artist wanted to express. The poses, gestures, and wardrobe, all made the depictions look surreal.

The interior of the Chartres are even more spectacular, long halls, wide windows that allowed the natural light to flourish through, tall ceilings- thanks to the French architects. The windows are what interest me most-so bright with such beautiful colors, designs that meets the eye, and depicts the saints beautifully as they were. From the establishment and development of Gothic art in France, Gothic art has influenced, motivated, inspired, and captivated people from all over the world. I can say that Gothic art has definitely left its mark on art history and would be praised, cherished, and remembered forever.

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Week 15

The term Gothic is applied primarily to the art produced in Western Europe form about the middle of the twelfth century in France to the sixteenth century in other parts of Europe. In the book A History of Western Art, chapter 13, you see that much of Gothic art is architecture. Gothic cathedrals are among the greatest and most elaborate monuments in stone. There are many things that make Gothic art unique and magnificent. There are also many different kinds of Gothic art which include French, English, and German Gothic art.

Gothic art has many elements that make it unique and beautiful. These elements include rib vaults, piers, flying buttresses, pointed arches, the skeleton, and stained-glass windows. Rib vaults replace the earlier barrel vaults of Romanesque. The rib vault requires less buttressing. Also, the weight of the rib vault is concentrated only at corners of the bay so the structure can be buttressed at intervals freeing more space for windows. Rib vaults are kind of like the roofs of buildings or beams that hold up the roofs; they are in pointed to round form. Piers are the supports for vaults. They are large columnar supports on either side of the nave to which clusters of colonnettes (small, slender column) are attached. So in simpler words, they are beams from the vault down to the ground to support the vault and roof. Flying buttresses is an exterior structure composed of thin half-arches. Pointed arches are an essential feature of Gothic architecture. Pointed arches can theoretically be raised to any height regardless of the distance between their supports. The skeleton, also known as the skeletal structure, is the name for the ribs, piers, and buttresses together. The last element, and most interesting in my opinion, is the stained-glass windows. Stained-glass windows filter light through colored fragments of glass. It is translucent colored glass cut to form a window design. The most predominant colors of Gothic stained glass are blue and red which contrast to the golds that character8ze most Byzantine mosaics.

The French Gothic style is amazing to see. The height and luminosity were the criteria by which they were measured. One French Gothic style building I found the most beautiful was the West Façade built in Reims, northeast of Paris, France. This build is 125 feet high. The window space has been dramatically increased as a result of continual improvements in the buttressing system. This cathedral also has remarkably beautiful stained-glass windows. The colors are incredible. I think this architecture is absolutely amazing. I really like this building because of how tall and big it is, how much window space there is, the beautiful stained-glass windows, and how many points and vaults there are.

The English Gothic style art is also very amazing to see. England was the first to adopt the Gothic style once it spread beyond France. One architecture building of the English Gothic style that I really liked was the Salisbury Cathedral. One thing that defines English Gothic from French Gothic is that English Gothic chapter house (meeting place for the discussion for business in a cathedral or monastery) is octagonal. Also, there are fewer stained-glass windows than in the French Gothic style.

The last kind of Gothic art is the German Gothic art. One cathedral I thought was intriguing was the Cologne Cathedral. This cathedral is the biggest in Germany. The towers are 515 feet high. This cathedral has a dramatic upward movement of the interior as well as the elegant patters created by the vertical regularity of piers, vaults, and windows. I really liked this cathedral because of how tall and narrower it is. I also like how many points there are, and how the points have marks on them so it kind of looks like the building has texture.

I think Gothic art is absolutely beautiful and unique. I love how Gothic art has many ribs, piers, points, and stained-glass windows. I also loved seeing the different kinds of Gothic art when it spread. I think that Gothic cathedrals are absolutely stunning with all of their amazing elements.

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There was a lot about of information on all of the religion and I thought you summed it all up perfectly! These arts also really caught my attention! My favorite was the metal doors of the old and new testaments because I loved all the little detail that was put in. They layed it out nicely and precisely so you knew what all happened. I really enjoyed all of the other arts too because of their design, detail, and colors.

Week 13: The Middle Ages

This week’s reading was about the Middle Ages. During this time, there was a lot of change that occurred in Europe. In this post, I will first talk about the different religions that were popular during this time, then I will discuss a few works of art from the chapter that caught my attention.

According to the reading from this week, the Middle Ages occurred during the time after the decline of the Roman Empire. During this decline, Germanic tribes took over Western Europe, which caused a change in the social lives of the people living at that time. At this time, Islam was introduced into Western Europe, and then it quickly spread. Islamic art from this time did not depict Allah, the Islamic god, because in Islam they are against idolatry. They instead created art that consisted of abstract geometric and floral patterns. Sculpture was forbidden because it was thought of as satanic. Architecture, on the other hand, was very popular. The mosque, where Muslims pray, was a very common architectural piece of art. I think the mosques from this period were very elaborate and spoke volumes due to their massive sizes and beautiful designs. Christianity later took control of the area and mosques were converted to churches.

There were a few pieces of art from the chapter that really caught my attention. These pieces are the Sutton Hoo purse cover on page 174, the Lion Symbol of Saint John on page 175, and the Tunc Crucifixerant XPI on page 177. What caught my attention about these pieces is the Celtic-like designs that were implemented. In the Sutton Hoo purse cover, these can be seen in the top, middle piece of metal. In the Lion Symbol of Saint John, the Celtic-like designs create a border around the lion. In the Tunc Crucifixerant XPI, they are used in the border as well as in the body of the lion or dragon that makes the “T” shape. I’ve been intrigued by Celtic-like designs ever since my high school art class where I was able to create some of these designs, myself. I also enjoyed the artwork, which was not Celtic-like, on the bronze doors from St. Michael’s Hildesheim on page 183 of the textbook. I think it was very thoughtful for the artist to have made one side of the door, the left side, out of scenes from the Old Testament, and the other side of the door, the right side, out of scenes from the New Testament. Doing this showed that the Old Testament came first, then the New Testament came second. The door was also very large, which is impressive to me because creating those scenes on such a large scale would take a lot of work.

In this blog post, I first talked about the different religions that were popular during this time, then I discussed a few works of art from the chapter that caught my attention. This week’s reading was about the Middle Ages, and during this time, there was a lot of change that occurred.

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Week 13

The Early Middle Ages was generally known as the period following the decline of the Roman Empire. The Early Middle ages was between the time period of the seventh to the end of the tenth century. Germanic tribes overran Western Europe as the Roman Empire declined. Also, a new influence from the Middle Easter entered Europe during the German invasion which was Islam. These new influences affected artistic development and produced radical changes in social and political organizations. In the Book, A History of Western Art, chapter 11, talks about Islamic Art, Northern European Art, and the Ottonian Period.

The primary architectural expression of Islam is the mosque, where Muslims pray, kneeling and facing Mecca. The exterior of a typical mosque includes tall minarets. One mosque I found intriguing was the Arches of the Great Mosque, Cordoba (picture of an inside of a building will main poles inside). This mosque had double arches which added a very interesting affect to the view. This double arches were either derived or salvaged from Roman and Early Christian buildings. The columns were relatively short, just 9 feet 9 inches high. The architect constructed a series of horseshoe-shaped red-and-white-striped arches. There is a second series of arches springing from piers and also supported by the Roman columns. I really liked the illusion of the arches and the stripes. I think this mosque is intriguing to look at because of the columns and arches that gives the mosque an enlivened effect.

One art in the Northern European Art that I found really interesting is the Sutton Hoo purse cover (picture of a purse shaped cover). This purse cover is an example of the Anglo-Saxon metalwork. This art originally contained gold coins. This purse cover was discovered among the treasures of a pagan ship burial, a practice indicating the belief that boats carried the souls of the dead to the afterlife. The purse cover’s decoration is of gold, cloisonné enamel, and dark red garnets. Cloisonné enamel is multicolored surface made by pouring a vitreous coating applied by heat-fusion to the surface of metal, glass, or pottery. The decoration of the purse cover is symmetrical. At the top, two geometric shapes filled with gold tracery flank a centerpiece containing two fighting animals whose legs and jaws are extended into a tracery of intertwined ribbons. Underneath the two geometric shapes, in the center, are an eagle and a duck that face each other and are symmetrically framed by a pair of frontal men flanked by animals in profile. I really enjoyed this piece of art from Northern European Art because I love to colors. I also love the geometric designs with animals. I think this metalwork is very beautiful, however, I wish I knew more of how it is a purse cover and how it works.

The Ottonian Period contained some amazing buildings and metal. One metalwork art that I found amazing was the Bronze doors in St. Michael’s Hildesheim (picture of two big grey doors). These Bronze doors contain old and new testament scenes. The scenes, depicted in relatively high relief, are characterized by thin, lively figures. These doors are 16 feet 6 inches tall completed in 1015. I though these doors were really interesting because it contains main images (parts) of what happened in the old and new testaments. I found it really intriguing to look at and read about.

There were main kinds of art in the Early Middle Ages. Three kinds of art this book talked about was Islamic Art, Northern European Art, and the Ottonian Period. All of these arts were beautiful and amazing to read about.

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I did not research Japanese art so it was really interesting reading about it in your post! I agree with you that art is more interesting when you know its history and how old it is. I believe that art can only be truly appreciated when it’s history is known. The art may look amazing or beautiful but not as much as when u know it’s background and have a true understanding and connection with it. In the chapter, my first thought to the title was the religion Christianity also. Although that is not my defined religion, I found the art truly amazing and the information behind the art was interesting! I also enjoyed Byzantine art!

Blog Post Week 12

The discussion topic for this week is Early Christian and Byzantine art. Right away I thought of the Christian religion and some of the early history about this. Their religion would have a major influence on their art and architecture because their religion is basically what their beliefs are based off of. The marble sarcophagus in the Church of S. Maria Antiqua in Rome is the perfect example of their religion reflecting art because on the visible side there is a visual from the Old Testament and the New Testament which includes carvings of Jonah and the Whale as well as John the Baptist baptizing a child and other carvings of religious figures. This section notes that this carved sarcophagus had influence from the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans because they would carve sculpture with religion figures. Moving onto Byzantine art previous to this chapter I did not have much knowledge of art from this time. In my opinion I was shocked at how incredible Hagia Sophia looked on the outside and the inside. From the outside it looks like a large temple with 4 towers on each corner. From the inside the ceiling looks drastically high and the pillar structures made it look high class as well as the mosaic decorations. Finally I would like to point out that this place was an imperial building and was only available for the emperor and his court so this was not available to the public. I think this is a true reflection of how important royalty was. In conclusion, the art from this chapter was pretty interesting but in my opinion I like the Hagia Sophia and the San Vitale because of how large and incredible the architecture was. 

For the second part of this post I researched Japanese art from 1-500 A.D. During this time in Japan the people that lived their would practice building tombs out of large mounds and they would be buried with treasure. These large tombs were evidence of Japan developing a power with central government. Some of the treasures buried in these tombs were objects like bronze mirrors, personal belongings, and clay vessels. Advancing into a more structured art in the early 400s more advanced clay pottery was being developed like using a pottery wheel to create their art. During the Yayoi period a piece of pottery was created which was a jar and in my opinion I find it fascinating and impressive that in 100-300 A.D. a jar was created with the design Im familiar with seeing. This would bring up the point that this design has influenced pottery for thousands of years because there is a lot of pottery that looks like this and the Japanese were doing this in roughly 100-300 A.D. In my opinion the art from this period is interesting because at a glance with no prior knowledge these sculptures would seem basic but if you think of how old these piece of art actually are it will blow your mind because art existing all the way back to 300 A.D. seems almost impossible because life was not very advanced in that time.  After doing a little research and seeing some of the art from this time was interesting because I really had no knowledge prior to looking at this website. But in conclusion I was impressed at how influential and advanced this art was i this time.

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/05/eaj.html

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Week 12

On the website, Metropolitan Museum of Art (https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/05/afe.html), there was many times of art from nonwestern places. One place was in Egypt between the time 1 – 500 A.D. One art I read about was the Silver Bust of Serapis (picture of a silver bust) dated in the 2nd century A.D. This bust was of a god, and it had become one of the most popular deities in the Roman Empire. The modius (grain basket) was always shown on the god’s head but is now missing. Another type of are I read about was a Figure of a Woman (picture of a statue of a woman with no face) dated in the 5th century. The statue came from an Egyptian tomb, and is said that the tomb may have been a Christian one. It is said that the tomb may have been a Christian one because the woman depicted wears a cross around her neck. Both of these arts have a religious background attached. The first art is of a god, and the second has a possible Christian religion attached because of a cross in the statue. There are much religious arts in the world. One big religion that is depicted in art is the religion Christianity.

In the book A History of Western Art on chapter 10, speaks about a lot of the religion Christianity, Christianity art, and Byzantine art. One thing I read about that was interesting was that Christianity began as one of many Eastern cults in the Mediterranean world and in Rome itself during the first century after Christ. Also, the roots of Christianity were in Judaism since Jesus himself was a Jew. I found this part especially interesting because I did not know that Jesus was a Jew. Christianity is the main religion where I grew up, but I have never grown up with a defined religion. For me, I believe in God/Jesus, how they are the most powerful, how they look after all of us, and how there is a heaven. However, I don’t follow any defined religion. I never knew this fact so it was really interesting to read about.

There are many kinds of Christian art, and they are all so interesting. One I found really interesting was Sarcophagi (picture of a grey image that has words on top like the word whale). This imagery includes the Old and New Testament scenes as well as combining Roman with Christian meaning. Reading from right to left, the first character from the Old Testament was Jonah. Jonah is emerging from a whale; the whale is represented as a fantastic fish. When I first saw the whale, I was so confused because it didn’t look like a whale. After reading is when I realized what it stands for. Jonah spent three days inside the whale which represents when Jesus was entombed for three days before his Resurrection. I thought this was very interesting to read about its representation to the Christian religion. Next to Jonah are the Christian transformations of Greco-Roman and his muse. The muse stands with her arms raised in a gesture that combines prayer and mourning. It is also a visual reference to Jesus’s Cross. Next to the muse’s hands are leafy branches which represents the Cross and how it was made out of wood. Next to the muse and poet is the Good Shepherd which represents Christ. The last character is John the Baptist who is baptizing a small child. The small child represents Christ when he was little. I really like this art because it was interesting to read what each character represents and how it relates to Christianity.

There were also many kinds of Byzantine art. One Byzantine art I found intriguing is Saint Peter, Church of Saint Catherine’s monastery (picture of a painting of a man holding a long cross). This art is of a bearded saint with a big halo around his head. He is also holding a very long cross and keys. The keys are known as the keys to heaven. This painting was from Egypt in the 6th or 7th century. In the painting, the halo is flat, but the building in the background recede in perspective. I thought this kind of Byzantine art was very amazing because I really like the content in the painting. I also loved how the shading and perspective looks. I think it looks very realistic and beautiful.

There are many kinds of art with religious backgrounds. Christianity was one example of art with religious content. Along with Christian art, I also spoke about Byzantine art. Both arts are both amazing and beautiful!

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I agree with you that Rome is a very beautiful place. I didn’t know much to anything about the Colosseum or any of the other buildings until now. I’m glad I was able to learn more about these amazing Rome buildings from how they were made to their history! I have always wanted to go to Rome too because I always thought it was a beautiful place with all of there incredible buildings but now that I have learned more about some buildings, I am definitely going to go and see all of its breathtaking art and learn even more!

Week 11

Ancient Rome has several beautiful structures that were created for value, entertainment, and accessibility. Also for the visual appearance, and uniqueness as well. Some of these main structured types made by the Romans were the arches, domes, and vaults. They also used various materials to assist them in making stronger and more visually appealing structures. Though the Romans used many of the same techniques and materials as many other groups of people that we have learned about so far, ancient Rome clearly has no problem with standing out on its own. Its visual appearance is strong, unique, and beautifully detailed.

One of the most famous buildings which used several of the types of structures first created and used by the Romans was the famous Roman Colosseum. The Roman Colosseum was basically an outdoor theater or an outdoor entertainment center, if you will. It can be compared to today’s sports arenas like a football stadium for example. The Colosseum had a concrete core, with easy accessibility made possible through stairways and a system of halls. There was even a canvas covering the arena to protect the people watching the show from the very hot sun, or the pouring down rain. The Roman Colosseum was mainly made for gladiators to have contests and battles with other men and animals. (Or to watch animals fight each other) It was built over a pond which made it very easy to clean, drain, and wash off all the blood or ‘leftovers’ after a fight or show was over. Most of the Colosseum still stands today and it a huge tourist spot for people around the word who love and are fascinated by Ancient Rome.

Another very interesting thing about ancient Rome is the materials they used to build with. When learning about the Greeks, we found out that they really enjoyed building with marble, however marble was scarce and much harder to find for the romans making it more valuable. They used it for decorative facing or as an outer layer covering up the core of another less valuable material improving its visual appearance. The Romans also used other materials. They used a golden yellow limestone that was very durable. This was called travertine. They also used a material called tufa which was used a lot by the Etruscans and was very soft and easy to carve. Beside the marble, travertine, and tufa, the Romans used concrete above all. It was easy to make and mix. Basically they used mortar, gravel, and rubble and then mixed it with water. they would place it where they wanted it with with wooden frames and before it dried the Romans would add stones, bricks, or tiles into it for a marvelous design or decoration. After this, they would sometimes add a top layer of stucco or marble.

Ancient Rome was a beautiful place to be in the art and architecture world. Huge strides were made in ancient Rome to get us where we are today. Of all the chapters we have read about in this class so far, Rome has to be my favorite by far! Visiting the Colosseum has always been on my bucket list and I am really happy that i was able to learn more about its structure and history.

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Week 11

Rome designation as caput mundi (“head” or “capital of the world”) signified its position as hub of world power. The Roman Empire expanded to many places like the Iberian Peninsula, Armenia and Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the British Isles. Everywhere the Roman legions went, they took their culture with them. The main parts of their culture that they took with them was their laws, religion, and the Latin language. Romans were influenced by Greek sculpture, painting, and architecture. Roman artists copied Greek art; they also identified their own gods with Greek gods and adopted Greek iconography.

In the book A History of Western Art in chapter 9 of Ancient Rome, it spoke about many Roman art. Some of the arts it spoke about was architectural buildings or cites, sculptures, portraits, and paintings and mosaics.

There were many architectures in Ancient Rome. One architecture I thought was the most amazing was the domestic architecture called House of the Silver Wedding (picture of a room with a rectangular opening in the ceiling). This architectural building was a large hall entered through a corridor from the street. There was an atrium roof usually sloped inward with a rectangular opening that allowed rainwater to collect in an impluvium (sunken basin in the floor). This basin led to a separate cistern. I thought this was very interesting because I really like how the ceiling is open and lets rainwater come in. I think it would be very cool if I was in the building while it was raining. Another architectural building that I found interesting was the Baths of Caracalla (black and white picture with water fountains). This building is known as a public bath. This meant that is was a cultural center, a place for socializing, bathing, and swimming. This building also provided facilities for playing ball, running, and wrestling. Light entered the room through the upper clerestory windows and illuminated the myriad surface patters created by marble, glass, painted decoration, and water.

There were also many sculptures in Ancient Rome. One sculpture that I found intriguing was the sculpture of Augustus of Prima Porta (picture of a man sculpture with a child). Augustus was an emperor, and was portrayed as addressing his troops. The iconography of this statue emphasizes the power of Rome embodied in Augustus. By the statues right led, Cupid (Venus’s son) rides a dolphin and serves as a reminder that Augustus traced his lineage to Aeneas (another son of Venus’s) and thus was descended from the gods. The statue of Augustus was marble and was 6ft 8 in. high. I thought this statue was very cool because of the little kid by his right leg riding a dolphin. At first I thought it was his child until I read more about the sculpture. I also like the detailing in the statue.

The portraits were also very interesting to learn about. One of the portrait types most characteristic of Rome was the bust (head detached from the body). One portrait I found visually pleasing was a portrait of a young Flavian woman (picture of a women head bust). Portraits of upper-class women became popular in the first century A.D. and was showed in this portrait. This bust wears the elaborate, fashionable coiffure of a young Flavian lady. The lady wore curls that framed the face. These curls were deep carved which creates a strong opposition of light and dark that adds to the sense of mass. I thought this portrait was very visually pleasing because of the details in the hair. I thought it was very pretty and intriguing to look at. Another portrait I found very amazing was the portrait of Constantine (picture of a huge male headed bust) who was an emperor. The bust was depicted in a colossal marble and was over 8 feet high. I thought this portrait was very interesting because of the geometric eyes and the size of the statue. My first thought was that the man in the bust was bold and brave. I also thought that the bust showed power and interest from the eyes, and that he represents the power of people.

Some of the paintings were very realistic. One painting I found very pleasant was a still life (picture of some peaches and water). I thought this still life painting was very pleasant because of the shading and highlighting in the painting. It looks very realistic but also looks like an allusion.

There are many kinds of Ancient Rome art that was spoken about. They were all unique and amazing in their own way.

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This chapter was very important along with all of the other chapters. I also loved the position of women in Etruscan art! It is very different from Ancient Greece! Women were able to hold higher positions, which showed in the artwork. I also really liked the Capitoline Wolf sculpture. I loved how the “cubs” where human babies because I thought of it as representing human life. I also thought of it as humans and animals alike.

Week 10 Post

               Before beginning this chapter, I knew it was going to be very hard to read about better art than ancient Greece. Greece left an outstanding mark on the art history world. But, after flipping through the first few pages, many of the objects and sculptures of the Art of the Etruscans are looking very similar to Greece.

               The first sculpture on page 118 is very interesting. It is called the Capitoline Wolf, and it is a wolf protecting its cubs. I really like this picture because it is almost like how mothers in real life do everything they can to protect their” cubs” or children. The wolf in the picture is doing everything in its power in order to stop predators from attacking her cubs.

               The women in Etruscan Art section really caught my eye. The most interesting about this section is how from one art period to another, the position women can hold is significantly different. In Greece, many women were supposed to stay in the house and do the housework, like; cooking, laundry, and taking care of the children. Etruscan women had many rights. They were allowed to be with their husband and could hold positions higher than women in Greece. Another thing I noticed about the women in the art as they were more involved. They are in more pictures and not just for background purposes. They are in clear sight in the paintings and pictures and they are very active. Sometimes even being the lead in the piece of art.

               The tomb painting section is by far the most interesting and my favorite section of this very short chapter. The first sentence reads, “Etruscans used pictures as well as architecture and sculpture in the service of the dead.” This sentence alone really caught my eye. In today’s time, we still use pictures and sculptures at funeral services. As you walk into a service, you will see the long lines of people waiting to look at pictures of the deceased life. The pictures will include from their childhood, midlife, and even their old age. In some cases, there may even be an extra time during the service to show a slideshow on the projector to show off their life. In the Etruscan age, the pictures or paintings may include their favorite painting or the best one they have created. The Mourners at the Door of the Other World painting is very relatable to this today in time as well. But, instead of decorating the walls or having the walls be mourning, we will bring plaques on concrete stones that have a saying on them to let the family know we are thinking about them. Sarcophagus sculpture also represents today’s world. It really looks like a couple mourning the death of a loved one or a close friend.

               This chapter was very short but also it was an important chapter. Many funerals are based on these sculptures and these paintings. I have never realized how much of today’s world is based on the ancient art in this book. This book has taught how important the history of art actually is.

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Week 10

Etruscan art comes from Etruria in Italy. Etruscan art is like Greece and Egyptian art but there are also many differences. Etruscans had many kinds of art which are all in very unique ways. The kinds of art include: architecture, pottery, sculpture, funerary art, and paintings. From reading Chapter 8 in the book A History of Western Art, I enjoyed reading about the sculptures and funerary art the most. I also really enjoyed learning about women and their status in Etruscan art!

Etruscan sculptures are kind of like Greek art. The sculptures, like the Apollo of Veii, corresponds to the Greek Late Archaic in style but slightly overlaps Greek Early Classical in time. All of the sculptures are very unique in my opinion. One sculpture I found really interesting. It is called Capitoline Wolf (the picture of the wolf nursing her cubs) which represents an aggressive and angry mother wolf protecting her cubs. I find this piece really interesting because the cubs are human babies. These “cubs” are to represent the twins Romulus and Remus in Rome, Italy. Another sculpture I found intriguing is the sculpture called Wounded Chimera (picture of an animal that looks like a lion ready to pounce). This piece is of an animal; it has a lion’s body, a serpent’s tail, and a goat’s head. I really like this piece because I feel as though it represents many animals coming together which is amazing.

Etruscan funerary art is another kind of art that I enjoyed. Etruscans believed in an afterlife that was closer to the Egyptian concept. Many Etruscans cremated their dead. One urn is the urn in the shape of a human head as a lid (picture of an urn with a human head). The head is a small representation of the deceased in the urn. I found this very unique and amazing because even though the deceased is cremated, their “casket”, or burial item, can be personalized to them. Another type of urn I found intriguing because it was unique and personal was urns in the shape of a hut or house. These huts or houses also can represent statuses in society. One house urn (the picture of the urn in the shape of a house) was shown to represent the higher class and the “house” was thought to possibly be a palace. The last urn that I thought was very personal and unique was the Sarcophagus which is an urn in the shape of a couch with a married couple on it (picture of an urn with people on a couch). I thought this was very cute and unique because I saw the representation of the couple and how much love I saw between them. I love how this urn shows them in love, and how it shows their life together.

Women were represented in art in a much different way then Greek art. Women participated more in public life with their husbands and held higher positions than woman in ancient Greece. Wealthy Etruscan women were usually fashion-conscious and wore elaborate jewelry commensurate with their rank. This showed differences in equality and the ranks. Etruscan artists frequently depicted myths in which women dominate men by being older, more powerful, or higher in divine status. One art that represented women being more dominate in art were their mirrors. One mirror (picture of a mirror) showed a man, the adult Herakles, being breast-fed by the goddess Uni, the Etruscan Hera, in the presence of male and female divinities. I thought this was interesting because it showed that women can be powerful and more important than the usual man. I interpreted this mirror as representing a man being depended on a woman.

There are many kinds of art of Etruscans and they are all very unique and personalized. I really enjoyed reading about the sculptures, funerary art, and the status of women in Etruscan art. I think that Etruscan art is very unique, personal, and hold much meaning.

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I found Ancient Greek art to also be very intriguing. They did put much time and thought into their art. However, I wasn’t that interested in the nudity sculptures. I found the nudity of the sculptures sometimes unnecessary. I see the sculptures and think of it as being more attractive than admirable; which attractive and admirable was spoken about in the podcast. I think that art should be admired rather than attractive to someone. The art should be admired from the beauty but also by the story. Although I think this, I still find ancient art incredible because of all the stories hidden inside and can’t wait to find out more.

Chapter 7 Blog

Upon reading through chapter 7 in the book and listening to the podcast I feel as if I have a better understanding of ancient Greece and perception of beauty. There were a few things mentioned in the assigned topics that I would like to focus on in this blog. Those being the relation between our perception of beauty and the Greek’s perception of beauty; Greek literature and drama, my main focus wanting to be on their relation to religion; and lastly, some of their architecture. Starting with the podcast, I found it quite interesting to listen to.

I found it very intriguing that the podcast speaks of two different words, that were almost exactly the same, could be used seemingly similar but meant such greatly different things. Depending on whether you find something admirable or something attractive, the word being more emphasized focused on attractiveness. The podcast used an example, saying that when you think of heroes like Hercules you don’t want to simply say he is just pretty when he was someone who was considered so remarkable. As I continued to listen to the listening, I found something quite strange as the Greeks found attraction in their own statues. However, in modern day it has been noted that their Greek statues fit rather closely to what beauty standards today are. Overall, I thought the listening was quite intriguing as the Greek’s put a lot more into their statues than I had thought and it is strange to think about how their statues match interest in today’s society.

Tying into the statues I spoke of in the last paragraph, the Greeks made many statues based around their Greek gods, who were not considered everyday gods to them but rather extraordinary people who acted like humans. They also had many, many gods, that all had a relation in some way. I think I find the religious aspect of ancient Greece to be the most interesting part of this chapter to me because of recent studies of them in other classes and other readings of the Gods in my free time. All in all, I really enjoy reading stories of them and their lives considering they acted and had conflict as if they were human just like their worshippers. Their history truly is intriguing. While speaking of the statues Greeks made, I am also quite intrigued by the Greeks abilities to make their statues proportional and measurements proper in comparison to actual human beings.

Continuing on to their architecture, it really is quite breathtaking to look at. Like their statues, the architecture was also proportional and showed quite remarkable symmetry throughout the entirety of buildings. Entirely I find ancient Greek to be very interesting and am interested in reading more about their lifestyle and their art. I think a lot of their buildings and statues were very beautiful and still cannot quite stop admiring how much calculation they put into their creations and the dedication they had to their gods and lifestyle.

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Week 8

The art of ancient Greece, in the book A History of Western Art, included many kinds of art. It spoke about painting and pottery, sculpture, and architecture. It also talked about the different styles of artwork, similar from previous artwork, and how they progressed. There was a lot of art that was spoken about and showed and they all are remarkable in a certain way.

There are many different styles of pottery in Greece art. Two styles that intrigued me the most was the geometric style and the Orientalizing style. Geometric style is the earliest Greek style pottery. A typical geometric pottery design (picture of the pot with all the lines) is meander patterns circling the body of a two-handled jar. They are also more straight and horizontal; they look more define, separated evenly, and precise. Orientalizing style pottery, compared to geometric style, has become larger and more curvilinear (picture of the pot with people at the top). I like Orientalizing style pottery better than geometric style because I feel as though it shows life more. I also feel as though it has more texture and creativeness compared to straightness and preciseness of geometric style.

Sculptures in ancient Greece, as I have realized from other arts that I have read about, is much different. There is some similarity like how they stand to show power. Men particularly will stand with one foot forward and arms at the side. The hands would be in clenched fists and they would stand up straight. However, a difference is that ancient Greece sculptures are usually nude, especially the men. Women were usually clothed for reasons of propriety. I don’t particularly like the statues of ancient Greece because of the nudity. It is good because it shows the human body in its natural form; which the natural body is beautiful art. However, I also feel like it takes away from the story of what the artwork is supposed to be saying. Some nudity is acceptable in telling its story, however, some nudity is unnecessary. For example, a statue of a king who is nude. He stands in a position of power as I have spoken about before except he is nude. The statue is supposed to represent a man who had much power in his lifetime. The nudity is, in my opinion, an unnecessary factor to the statue.

I listened to a podcast called The Ancient Origins of Modern Beauty which spoke about artwork and its beauty. One take-away I received from the podcast was the question, “What does beauty do? Does it make us admire something or does it make us attracted to something?” I found this question really interesting to think about. I think that it does both. I think that every art is supposed to tell a story that allows us to admire it. Some art, like nudity sculptures or paintings, I feel tries to make us more attracted to the artwork instead of allowing us to admire it and its story. An example of this that I researched was the painting Venus (picture of a woman with long hair), a Pudica painting. The painting is beautiful but I see more of attraction instead of admire. An example of a nudity painting that I feel is more admirable than attractable is the painting Venus and Adonis (the picture of the couple). I see more of a story in this art than I did in the one before. I also feel as though this one is more admirable because it tells a story. Although, they can both tell a story and can both be interpreted in different ways.

Art from ancient Greece is beautiful and can be quite different than other kinds of art. It can also be interpreted in different ways. Although it can be different, it is still quite beautiful in its own way because all art tells its own story.

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I completely agree with you about how insane and incredible it was of how Egyptians made pyramids. I don’t understand how they could have done it. For us, we have many tools and educational skills in order to build things. For the Egyptians, however, they didn’t have those things. They built the pyramids on their own; and these pyramids are huge and incredible with detail. There are also a bunch of them. I find it amazing how they could have done that. Another things I agree with you on is mummification. I also find it insane how they thought of these magnificent ways to preserve bodies. Every detail from removing organs to washing up the body and adding oils shows how much their ancestors meant to them so preserving there body was important.

Week 6

Most countries have a ruler that is either voted in or is in place though his or her ancestors. Ancient Egypt is not an exception to this custom, the royalty of Egypt stays within the family. Although they do differ from other countries on different aspects, the first being that the people believe the king in charge, is a God. While in other countries it is a uniformed belief that the king is in acting as an arbitrator between God and the common people. Another big difference between Egypt and other countries, is who the king marries. It is common for the kings of Egypt to marry their own family members, such as a sister or daughter. To them, and most other ancient countries the point of marriage was to produce children. The wanted a son, who would become the next king, or a daughter, who they could marry off to help form alliances. I can’t imagine being born and my parents already knowing what to do with my life. Nowadays, people are not allowed to marry their sisters or daughters, it is illegal in many areas. In all cases reproduction from incest couples is frowned upon due to the gene similarities and the health concerns it can create.

I read a story on King Tut once, that stated that he had an extreme overbite along with other major health issues that may have caused his early death. He was the product of an incest relationship, and only 18 when he passed away. King Tut is probably one of the most famous King’s of Egypt, his coffin’s are by far one of the most impressive. King Tut was not just laid to rest in one coffin, but three separate ones. The inner coffin was made out of solid gold and decorative glass and stones, weighing around 243 pounds! People are able to view the immaculate coffin in museums all around the world. I have my reservations about this fact, King Tut’s coffin is beautiful beyond means, but that is where he was buried. His soul was laid to rest there and we ship it all around the world so people can see it. To me, this does not seem very respectful, but then again he was a King and royalty loved being shown off. So, maybe people appreciating the beauty of it, is what the young king wanted.

While King Tut may be my favorite person from Ancient Egypt to learn about, there is one other thing that continues to blow me away, the pyramids. The pyramids are beyond impressive. I can’t even begin to comprehend how they made them so massive, and with compartments to place their beloved dead and other artifacts. The pyramids I hear most about, are mentioned the most in movies, or photographed are the Great Pyramids of Giza. The one was 480 feet tall and 755 feet wide, when you think about that size now, it’s not that impressive. There are buildings all over the world that are much taller than that, but we have the tools now to make the building process easier. We have trucks to haul materials and cranes to lift posts and beams. These pyramids were completely manually made, which makes it even more impressive that they were able to make so many.

But the Egyptians weren’t just skilled craftsmen, they were smart when it came to preserving bodies. The act of mummification was very important in the Egyption time period. In fact, when people think about Egyptians, the first word that comes to mind is, mummy. The Egyptians perfected the way of preserving bodies, they got it down to a science. They thought of things, that I wouldn’t have even thought of. Taking all the organs out would have seemed like enough to me, but they dried the bodies in dry natron, washed them, put oils on them, and then wrapped in about 20 layers of linen. The linen gives them the “mummy look” we know today.

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Week 6

Ancient Egypt has amazing types of artwork that inscribes our history. From pyramids to mummies to known Egyptian pharaohs or gods and their stone sculptures. These artworks represent many things like the upper and lower classes and how it is shown. Seeing these artworks and reading their history is something I really enjoyed.

One of my favorite artworks and their history that I read about was mummification. Mummification first started in order to ensure a good afterlife so they physically preserved their loved ones with earthly possessions and other reminds of their daily activities. The preservation was a seventy-two-day process. It first began with the removal of all of their internal organs except for the heart, which was believed to be the seat of understanding so therefore left intact. The body was then packed in dry natron, a natural compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate found in Egypt, which dehydrated the cadaver and dissolved its body fats. Then the corpse was washed, treated with oils and ointments, and bandaged with up to twenty layers of linen. The substance applied to the skin caused the body to turn black. I found this very interesting because twenty layers of linen is a lot of layers. I didn’t think it was that much. In today’s world, we just think of toilet paper over mummies but never thought of the actual process to mummify the great deceased like removing all of the organs. The organs were embalmed and placed in four canopic jars. The brain, however, is discarded because it is said to be useless.

Another interesting piece of artwork and its history that I read about was the great statue of Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut is a woman who became king by exerting her right to succeed her father after her husband died. Women were not known to be kings. In fact, women were of a lower class than men, which was shown in many of the statues. One statue that showed the upper and lower classes of men and women was the statue of Menkaure and his queen Khamerernebty (the picture of the two people standing). Men would be in a standing position with one foot forward and hands at their sides with clenched fists, like this statue. The queen in this statue is holding her husband and is more small in size compared to her husband. Women are also more curvature while men are more square showing toughness. This statue, like most others, represented the men’s power. However, Hatshepsut showed women’s power. Her statue (the picture of one person standing) was like that of a man. She stands with one foot forward and arms at her sides like that of a man’s statue. Although, her fists are not clenched but more relaxed. She wears a ceremonial headdress and beard. I really liked reading about Hatshepsut. It showed that woman can do and be anything men can be. I praised Hatshepsut and her representation. Even in today’s society, women still find it hard to show that they can do anything men can do so it must have been really difficult for Hatshepsut in that time period.

Although I only stated three works of art in Ancient Egypt, there are many more amazing artworks that tell our history. I enjoyed reading about them all and recommend anyone interested to read about them. They all have many representations for many things. Like one artwork I didn’t state was the stone carving of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their daughters (the picture of a stone plate with a family carved in). It shows them both playing with their kids. To me, this represents fun times with family. Other representations are ones I stated earlier with the different classes classified as upper and lower classes. Also, the representation of great and powerful people and how they are preserved and buried. There are so many amazing artworks and histories and I enjoyed them all.

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I completely agree with what you said on the Jericho piece of artwork. I find it very uncomforting that an actual human body lay underneath my feet. It is true when you said, “With as much as they cared about their dead members of the community, I am surprised a burial wasn’t established for them.” I find it very odd also. I also found it interesting when you brought up the topic about not knowing if people knew how to communicate or not because writing fades. That makes you wonder or consider the possibilities.

Week 4

In the reading of chapter four I was first shocked and stunned by what my eyes saw under the section listed “Jericho.” I have met people who have been a part of a cult but no longer are. They do not speak of their time there. By the reading I hope cults now are different than the cults from ancient times. I could not believe they put the bodies of the deceased in the floors. With as much as they cared about their dead members of the community I am surprised a burial wasn’t established for them. But it wasn’t just in the town of Jericho that put the dead under the floors. Several other settlements also placed the dead bodies under the floor, I could not imagine walking or sitting on top of a dead body. Going to a graveyard and sitting by a headstone, that’s on top of the body, somehow seems different than the body being literally under your feet. It seems as if this era is truly the era where architecture took off and advancements were made. I have learned about ziggurats previously during my Faith Formation classes, although I don’t remember much about them except for the word. I’ve also learned about cuneiform before, we talked about it turning my Western Civilization class. I learned that it’s the first known writing. But, a question enters my mind. Did people know how to write, but the only problem was, was that they couldn’t figure out how to make it stay on a slab of clay or a rock? We count the writings as the markings that we can still see now, because it’s still engraved. But, what if they were able to write before, just overtime it faded and disappeared. If we leave a piece of paper outside with printed words on it now, in less than a year the sun will fade the words, and they will disappear. That doesn’t mean we don’t have a writing system, overtime it just faded. Just as there are social classes now, and ways to show how wealthy you are, they too had that back then. Nowadays too show you have a lot of money a person might buy a fancy car or even a large house. But back then they purchased statues. The bigger they were usually meant the more money they were worth. The story of Sargon reminds me a lot of Kate Middleton. She too was an unlikely member of a royal family. She wasn’t sent down a river in a basket, but she was born far from royalty, and it just happened to be fate that brought her to the royal family. I am also amazed by what is believed to be Sargon’s head. The amount of detail put into his curl beard is immaculate and rather impressive. The people back then put a ton of detail into their art work, such as on the body of Gudea or Lamassu. I only wish I was that talented. And the resources they had to work with were far less than what we have available now. You can tell the people back then truly took pride in their work and loved showing it off. I find the Kneeling bull to be a very interesting piece of art. It reminds me of something that my mother would want to have as a decoration in her house. She has always been into decorating with animals. It’s just a shame that because it was moved before any substantial records of it could be made. Now, just like a lot of pieces of art it just becomes something nice to look at since no known location or use was found.

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Week 4

People first invented writing, a momentous development in human history, in the ancient Near East. The Near East produced the first known epic poetry, written history, religious texts, and economic records. It also holds many forms of arts. A few of the arts that intrigued me were the Jericho skulls, statues from the Abu Temple at Tell Asmar, and the Lamassu.

The oldest fortified sites were the Neolithic settlement of Jericho located in the West Bank. It was surrounded by a ditch and walls 5 to 12 feet thick. A tower rose some 30 feet high inside the walls. Jericho’s walls protected a city of rectangular houses and mud-brick public buildings on stone foundations. In addition to providing shelter for the living, it housed the dead. The dead corpses were buried under the floors of the houses which indicated an ancestor cult. The conclusion was reinforced by one of the most intriguing archaeological finds, the so-called Jericho skulls (the picture of the skull). The skulls represent a kind of armature on which to rebuild the face and thus preserve the memory of the deceased. The skulls look cracked and broken but held together at the same time. The eyes were embedded with cowrie shells. I liked this kind of ancient art because I thought it was very interesting. I also think it is very different because it is an actual human skull which is odd.

Another ancient art I found intriguing is the statues from the Abu Temple (the pictures of the statues of people). I really like them because they look frightful but mysterious. When I first took a glance, it scared me a bit. However, I was I was reminded by a movie I once saw. The movie was this new becoming artist who drew people with really big eyes. The eyes from the statues reminded me of the movie which intrigued me to read more. Tell Asmar is a Sumerian site about 50 miles northeast of modern Baghdad in Iraq. The largest male statue is thought to represent an important person dedicating himself to the god Abu. However, the sizes of the statues could also have been determined by the amount of money its donor paid for it. Thus, these statues could stand for the distribution of wealth among people. Most of the statues hold a cup in their hands. The men are bear-chested and the women have a robe over one shoulder. There are also horizontal ridges in the men’s hair and beards showing texture. Although there are many interesting factors of these statues, the big eyes are what stands out the most to me.

Lamassu (the picture of the animal body with a human head) is another ancient art I found amazing. It forms the gateway Dur Sharrukin. Lamassu is stone and symbolizes the king’s power. It is monumental divine genii who guards palace entrances. It is the combination of animal and human features - in this case, a bull’s body and legs with a human head. There was also a wing that came out of the bull’s body. The hair, beard, and eyebrows from the human head was stylized and the figure wears a cylindrical three-horned crown of divinity. Lamassu is more evident from the side than from the front. I really liked this art because I liked the combination of animals and humans. I like how different it is and I feel like it represents how animals and humans are alike. I feel like it shows that we are part animal and animals are part human. I just find it really creative and different.

There is so many other forms of art in the ancient Near East and they are all special in their own ways. I loved seeing them all and how they look. I also loved reading about how it formed and what it stands for. Although I only stated 3 forms of the art, I recommend to read and learn more about all of the others. The book I read from is called, A History of Western Art, chapter 4, The Ancient Near East.

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I really like how you said that “cave paintings depict trails, tribulations, and journeys that our ancestors faced during their time here on earth.” I really liked how you worded it and in my opinion, it is so very true. I completely agree with your disagreement of the theory that in the past, humans wanted to decorate their caves so they drew animals on it. I disagree with that theory because you can see in the paintings that it tells a story. How can these stories not be created for communication but created for interest and design instead? It just doesn’t make sense. Although, there could be a possibility because we don’t exactly know for sure why the cave paintings were created. Cave paintings have definitely given humans the ability to communicate and tell their stories from their perspectives. I also agree with your statement that cave paintings give us a sense of predictions to what the future holds because we are continually learning from the past. I agree with this because learning from the past, we create our future.

Week Three

For this week research assignment, I chose the cave paintings topic. I chose this topic because it is the one, I’m most familiar with and the most talked about in history as well as culturally. Cave paintings has been involved and influential in the life of man all over the world. For me, cave paintings tell a story of our history and the time as it evolved. The cave paintings depict the trails, tribulations, and journeys that our ancestors face during their time here on earth. The paintings shed light on the life of some animals that are extinct to us now. Through those cave paintings we are able to regain our history and are able to continue to educate ourselves about the past.

The origins of cave paintings and engravings can be found in Europe, Spain, France, Africa, Asia, and all the way to the Americas. Most of the cave paintings we see today can be dated back to the Ice Age, about, 40,000-14,000 years ago. The first being discovered and acknowledge as being Paleolithic, meaning from the Stone Age period, that cave painting was in 1870, the Altamira, and could be found in Spain. That painting can be dated back to 16,000-9,000 B.C. At that site the cave art paintings consist of depictions of Bison. Due to the technique and form of design, the paintings were described by experts to be the work of humans because of the paintings being three-dimensional.

Most of the cave art paintings are mage from read or black pigment, and in some instances, clay was used. There are many theories as to why and how cave paintings came to be. One being that, humans that lived inside caves wanted to decorate and make the space more livable and chose to paint animals on the walls. I don’t believe that theory at all. I believe that people who were around during those times whether they lived in caves or not wanted to relay, convey, and transmit information to other people to learn from or experience from the area. They wanted to convey information as to what and how the animals lived and how the animals were important to their survival and existence. Mind you, according to history, prehistoric humans had not learned to fluently communicate in writing, therefore paintings were the best form of communication during that time period.

In the book, A History of Western Art, Chapter 3-Prehistoric Western Europe, references the most popular of the cave paintings and its significance to art history. One being the Chauvet Cave, founded in 1994, by three cave explorers. The cave is located in Ardèche Valley, in southeast France. The cave contains over 300 paintings and engravings, and a bear’s skull that sits on a rock. This cave dates back to 30,000 B.C. Another is the Lascaux Cave and can be found in the Dordogne region of France. This cave paintings can be dated of 1,500 years after the Chauvet Cave. The Lascaux Cave depicts a variety of different animals and human fixtures. It is said that this cave and its paintings are the best example of an artist creating an illusion of motion by capturing the animal’s true characteristics.

Cave paintings has giving humans the ability to communicate and tell a story from their perspective and experiences that was occurring around them during those times. Through those stories and paintings, explorers have gotten a taste of the prehistoric past. Because of cave art paintings we now have a sense of predictions as to what the future holds because we are continually learning from the past.

Source:

A History of Western Art-Chapter 3-Prehistoric Western Europe

Cave painting. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/cave_painting.htm

Young, S. P. (2019, January 21). Cave art. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://www.ancient-origins.net/cave-art