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exhibit-of-the-century · 9 months ago

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Lecture Notes MON 29th JAN

Masterlist

BUY ME A COFFEE

The Artwork in History: 'Beyond' Europe

Giving general History as background becomes not applicable due to the world being so large and so much happening. Not only that, but historical and cultural contexts begin to fall apart due to our lecturer not specialising/lecturers knowing certain places etc. A trend in Art History is that the country in which you study it, is usually the country that specialises in it. Even in Europe, despite Art History being considered Eurocentric.

Which it sort of is, but even so, it focuses on Britian (England), France, and Italy. Perhaps momentarily Spain, but very rarely. And when foreign language classes are offered alongside Art History studies, they will still focus on these countries, maybe Germany is added but very rarely.

This is slowly being tackled within universities, especially the ones in London that I had applied for and discussed attending with. But still the European dominance and favouritism is obvious, perhaps mainly due to the fact that to do cultural and contextual reading you need to know the language/should as it shapes the understanding of the artwork a lot.

Our lecturer admitted to realising that he was very much uneducated on the rest of the world, admitting his ignorance, he had decided to educate us and show us how he attempted to tackle this. As he dubbed it, his “revelation of ignorance”, with this blog while I do focus on what I’m learning in class, I try to reach out and also cover other art in Europe and across the world. Albeit I am a student learning alongside everyone else, and everyone who discovers this blog.

Here is the reading list given by Oxford covering Art History, I’ve highlighted all the Eurocentric/Western books: and as you can see, there is very little variety.

I recommend reading Craig Clunas books if you’re interested in Chinese Art and Art History in China as he is an incredible Art Historian and very well versed. Speaking of Chinese art, I present a Ming Dynasty scroll:

youtube

This YouTube video does an incredible job of displaying the whole scroll, rather than cutting it up like in photos.

Xia Chang (1388-1470), Bamboo-Covered Stream in Spring Rain, 1441, handscroll, ink on paper, 41.3 x 1500 cm, Art Institute of Chicago

This scroll was made around the same time as the Renaissance was beginning/happening in Florence, it’s a very contemplative view of nature and draws on calligraphy. While it does not display as much detail, that is to not say that it doesn’t evoke emotion and stir the viewer. Originally this was a private gift exchange, which at the time in China was a common occurrence.

Zhou Jihong of Haiwu built a house at Xichou, where ten thousand long bamboo trees surround the stream. I love the quiet and beautiful scenery of stream and rocks, and the green and moist color of bamboo is enough to clean away worldly worries. One day Jihong had his second son, Tingyue, bring me a roll of blank paper and ask for a painting of bamboo. At that time, I was enjoying the coolness at the Pine Pavilion; therefore, I thought about the scenery and painted the Bamboo-Bordered Stream in Spring Rain. Although my painting cannot match the old masters’ essence of learning, it resembles the scenery of Xichou. I wonder if Jihong, who is a scholar of profound knowledge, has the same feeling when he looks at this painting. On the first day of the sixth month, in the xinyou year of the Zhentong reign [1441], Xia Chang Zhongshao of Dongwu.

We are very used to seeing old maps of the world, from the Eurocentric perspective, but what about maps from other nation/country perspectives? Cartographer books help Art Historians to understand other perspectives/what other nations may consider important as it’s closest to them/in their vicinity. It also helps show and track the development of a nation in a way, as you see their world expand in their maps you understand the influences and countries, they have connections too.

Map of the world from al-Istakhri, Kitab al-Masalik wa-al-Mamalik (Book of Roads and Kingdoms), 1470s, Istanbul, Sülemaniye Camii Kütüphanesi, Aya Sofya 2971a, f3a.

Another thing art reveals, apart from location and trade, it can also reveal religion and it’s spreading into other cultures. For example, this artwork has no real background or noted background, much of its history is lost and so we can only speculate. This artwork is believed to be from Kosovo, and given the rich history there, especially with the Ottomans, we can only guess at what it’s depicting: one such answer (and favoured) is a Christian institution in the Ottoman empire. We know it’s from around the 15th century and contains inscriptions. We also see Bells in the artwork, which is most associated with churches as opposed to other religious houses, and the interior of the building is covered with wall paintings perhaps of Mary or Jesus on the donkey. And the head coverings are non-Islamic.

Monastery Scene, Iran, fifteenth century, opaque pigment, ink and gold on paper, 34 x 48cm, Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi, Istanbul, H.2153, f.131b

While we have little context, this artwork was found stuck into another book, like a scrapbook. This lack of context means we must refer to cultural background to make the history. We do know that Persian art draws on many artistic backgrounds.

This next painting comes from Spain, Barcelona. A large-scale painting, part of many other paintings in a giant altarpiece, or rather put behind the alter. While looking straight on from a photo doesn’t do this painting justice for its scale and gold detailing, and it’s low relief like sculpture aspect to it.

Reconstruction of the St Augustine Retable for the church of St Augustine, Barcelona, commissioned from Jaume Huguet 1463

This painting has colonial history to it, while our lecturer realised it predated the slave trade and Spain plundering of America (1492), it did not predate Spain and Portugal’s plundering of Africa. Economic history factors into current art and art ownership. Note: Europe imports many luxury items and good, apaying with vast amounts of gold as it doesn’t have luxury goods to send back. So where does the gold come from when it’s predating the America’s. Africa of course, pillaging the caravans filled with Gold that travelled across the Sahara and other places.

Now keeping this knowledge in mind, turn your attention to the painting, and a secondary photo from a visit in person, notice all the gold low reliefs.

Jaume Huguet, The Consecration of Saint Augustine, between 1463 and 1486, tempera on panel, 250 x 193 cm, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

The Catalan Atlas, c. 1375, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

Once more cartography books boost Art History, showing world views of the historical world and in art. While this Atlas has a great many details, I would like to highlight a specific part, which relates to the aforementioned painting from Spain. When in the 15th century Portugal and then Spain navigated North Africa.

'This black Lord is called Musse Melly and is the sovereign of the land of the black people of Gineva (Ghana). This king is the richest and noblest of all these lands due to the abundance of gold that is extracted from his lands.’

Musse Melly is where the gold comes from, and this man was a real Lord. There are records of his travels across Africa to Egypt, and giving away do much gold in Egypt it ruined the economy for many years.

PART 2 OF POST: BENIN ‘BRONZES’

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