Last Blog!

My favorite pieces of art were from when we studied Ancient Egypt. I love the unique qualities these artworks used to express the religious context and purpose of life. I am a religious person as well so when I see how Egyptians used elements in their life to achieve a personal relationship and physical closeness with whom they cherish, it allows me to realize my faith. I was also amazed with the pyramids, because when anyone mentions pyramids, it is very often that people think of the Egyptian pyramids. It was mentioned in lecture that the taller and larger the pyramid was, represented that person was of more power. I especially favored the breathtaking and overwhelming appeal to The Pyramids at Giza, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, because of their sheer massive size, and how people carried these concrete slabs to the top of the pyramids when they were building them was just extraordinary to learn. I think I would have to say that the Great Sphinx Funerary Complex of Khafre would have to be one of my favorites, due to cultural aspects behind it. A very distinctive element shown was the Great Sphinx, and that they looked at with such protective qualities. It acted like their guardian that protected them from evil and destruction It was very smart to allow light in by a technique of putting windows called clerestory, as well as over time observe how certain techniques developed and how they were carried out. I mentioned in my Ancient Egyptian blog that I remember learning about the Egyptian history in sixth grade, but I never once heard of the different structural aspects inside and the purpose in which they serve, such as the mastaba, stepped pyramid, and pyramid on page 55 of our textbook. The purpose of these pyramids was not only to show their gods by sacrificing tangible objects, but they also served as burial areas.

I am also intrigued about the ruling of one person, because that cultural aspect obviously does not exist here in the United States, so to learn about the dynasties made it that much more interesting to learn about. Also, the afterlife of which the Egyptians believed in was extraordinary to learn about. The Ka, or the life force or soul of every human was reborn again into someone else after death. I personally do not believe of such, but to think that you never really spiritually die is another spiritual aspect that was introduced to me.

Another element in Egyptian art that I had an interest in learning was the Hierarchy of Scale to show who had more power and control, and depicted significance of characters, while Canon of Proportions was used to draw figures to proportion. I also mentioned in my blog that this was used to signify the togetherness of that culture, even though certain characters were shown in a larger way. A measurement I still recall was that the feet were always two and a half squares long. With these techniques, the audience is able to distinguish who is of importance and more importantly what their role was, compared to art we have studied the last couple of weeks where figures are of equal size. I also am fond of the descriptive narratives told throughout artwork such that of Palette of Narmer, where it is a narrative of the life of Narmer himself, and showing other people in composite pose, or of which were different angles of body parts are depicted into one person. I also learned that it was used for makeup.  In narratives such as this one, we can also observe figures wearing jewelry and artistic clothing, that was in a way stylistic in their own one of a kind way. These stories give me a perspective that allows me to see that these were indeed real people, instead of a fictional story.

Of course I learned several other cultural aspects, reasons why they do things, and elements of artwork, but the Egyptian artwork was by far my favorite to learn about!  

The Life of John the Baptist: Extra Credit 2

I chose to write about The Life of John the Baptist, specifically the South door, which is on page 533 of our textbook.

The Life of John the Baptist located on the South end doors of a larger piece of art called The Baptistery Doors, was developed in 1330-1336 CE, and was presented as a gift to Andrea Pisano in place of money or another gift for his hard labor. The Baptistery that this door is located also has elements we have been studying such as the apse, which is a round extension in a cathedral (Stokad & Cothren, 2011). These doors are certainly interesting in the way they are decorated of gilded bronze. Gilding is a technique in which you apply gold coloring such as paint or gold leaf that allows certain elements within a piece of art to stand out more so than other elements (Whitley, 2011). In the South doors of The Baptistery Doors, you can see that this technique applies to the twenty-eight sections, or squares depicted amongst the two doors. These first twenty squares depict the lively events of John the Baptist’s life, and the last eight squares depict the eight personifications of the Virtues, which is stated in our textbook. These squares were also meant to be visualized just that of a book, in which you would read from left to right. The four scenes depicted at the very top show John the Baptist’s childhood life, and as his life story continues it shows events such as his public ministry, and the baptism of Jesus Christ (Bluffton.edu). The last eight squares, which was I mentioned earlier as being John the Baptist’s virtues were hope, faith, Charity, Humility, fortitude and temperance, and justice and prudence. Through these squares, are also cycles of John the Baptist’s life (Falk, Lanyi, 1943).

As it can easily be seen, the figures within each square has a surrounding border called the quatrefoil frame, and is the same shape throughout each of the squares. These quatrefoil frames have round as well as triangular shaped edges that allows for unique and stylistic representation of the story being presented. There is also noticeable diamond and round designed ornaments used as a border around each of the squares. Due to the strict structural elements within these two doors, it came to my mind as it wanting to be taken seriously, but also allowing for personality encased with in the structure to appear to the audience. Something about this makes it that more interesting, and would like to find out if it was just because it was a door, or was it trying to tell us something about this artwork.

What is interesting about this South door is the way you can be seen using naturalistic poses such as body anatomy visual, instead of being hidden under a robe such as earlier artwork we have seen this quarter. Arms and legs are posed but are naturally depicted to show gentle and flowing actions. In this article, in mentioned that the artwork is seen from an iconographic perspective, which I found to be interesting because the term did not come to mind before reading this article. We studied iconography earlier in the quarter, but just as a refresher, it is a way of representing a narrative using symbols and different elements associated with a person of interest, which was mentioned in lecture. When I look at this door, I get a sense of a rich culture, authentic, and something that has a lot of history behind it, but also because of the medium and the structure as discussed before, I almost in a way am intimidating by this door.

Falk, I. & Lanyi, J. (1943). The Genesis of Andrea Pisano’s Bronze Doors. College Art

            Association, 25(2), 132-153.

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/florence/pisanosouth/pisanosouthdoors.html

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/Baptistery_of_florence.html

Stokad, M. & Cothren, M. (2011). Art History. Pearson Education Publisher. Page            

           

            197.

Extra Credit: Ara Pacis Augustae

I chose to write about the Ara Pacis Augustae, also known as the Altar of Augustan Peace on page 176 of our textbook. 

Augustus was the first emperor of Rome who used propaganda to prolong and to, in a way, stabilize his command, which was a very useful technique and strategic play. One of the ways he showed his propagandistic techniques was to build an altar that was dedicated to his wife, and that was completed in 9 BCE. This peaceful time was described as a period in which Rome had never established before. The Altar of Augustan Peace was supposed to stand for all to see the triumphs Rome had established. This was a useful technique that allowed Rome to see what it wanted to become, as well as define a new beginning (Armstrong, 2008). Of course, with such big ambitions, the people under him expected big power, control, and for Augustus to live up to his word and actions. Augustus wanted to be known for restoring peace, by which he created functional temples (Armstrong, 2008).

The creative detailed artwork within the Altar of Augustan Peace was certainly unique in that it was tailored to the sacrifices made. The book states that skulls of ox are placed inside which was meant to resemble that of offerings (Stokstand & Cothren, 2011). Within the wall of the altar, it is said that the artwork represents sacrificial ways that are representational of one sacrifice, whereas the outside is specific to the Roman culture. Also, I found it rather interesting that when a sacrifice was made, it was said to have no audience members present, instead if you were to watch a sacrifice happen, you would actively a part of it instead of watching from a distance (Armstrong, 2008).  I think that it is significant to point out that the artwork is trying to show the similarities as well as differences from the new and old sacrifices and time frames. It shows that Romans are still who they were and will forever hold the culture aspect of what they do and believe in, but wanting to signify the meaning behind the sacrifices in a new modern way from what is used to be seen. The new and improved way is depicting itself as more powerful and significant compared to the old time (Armstrong, 2008).

We have discussed earlier in the quarter the meaning, function, and significance a frieze has, but just to refresh, a frieze is a sculpture or some type of decoration between to parallel horizontal bands. It can embody high-relief, low-relief, or paintings within the bands. There are numerous friezes surrounding the Altar of Augustan Peace, which has been considered as a narrative of Augustan’s time of reign and what he did for the people under him. On the north side of the altar, Armstrong suggests that there are recognizable figures of which belong to Augustan’s family. On all four panels, animals are present, perhaps to represent the fierce fight for a new beginning, or it could represent the fight in Augustan himself, for the peace that is important to obtain (Kellum, 1994). The East wall contains a female figurine that is unrecognizable and is described to have weapons from enemies in her possession (Kellum, 1994). This part of the frieze goes along with the theme of this altar, which is to help maintain the peace that Augustan wanted. 

The West wall contains an image and representational sculpture of fertility. We have learned that fertility can be symbolized with many elements, such as fruit, and non-proportional features of a women’s body, but here the frieze is described to have twins sitting on a women’s lap (Kellum, 1994).

References:

Armstrong, G. (2008). Sacrificial iconography: Creating history, making myth, and

             negotiating ideology on the Ara Pacis Augstae. Religion and Theology. 15,

            340-356.

Kellum, B. (1994). What we see and what we don’t see. Narrative structure and the

            Ara Pacis Augustae. Art History: Blackwell Publishers. 17(1), 26-45.

Byzantine Art

The Byzantine art is certainly distinctive then other pieces of art we have studied throughout this quarter. We continued to study this shift of art from unrealistic forms to more naturalistic people within paintings and sculptures, but in a way, we are going back to unrealistic body forms. The one trait I see different from this is the Byzantine art still carries out recognizable human form, unlike Prehistoric cave paintings where we seen elongated arms, legs, and skinny waists.

I chose to discuss the Emperor Justinian and His Attendants which lies on the North wall of the Apse on page 240. The composition of characters is of equal size, and is depicted as equal or almost the same body positions throughout the painting. Emperor Justinian can be seen centered in the middle with his soldiers to the left of us, and his clergymen on the right side. I find it interesting to find soldiers who are of little importance in terms of class to be shown next to an emperor. As it was discussed in lecture, Emperor Justinian was more about the “togetherness” and showing to all who viewed this painting, Emperor Justinian was not wanting to be depicted as in an higher class. It looks as if he wanted to be seen as equal to his men, which you really do not observe like in some cases such as the hieratic scale where a significant person would be much taller than those of lesser class. I think by keeping everyone of equal size, it symbolizes peace, which goes along with the idea of Christ. However, one element does allow the attention to focus in on Emperor Justinian. In this two-dimensional artwork, we can see that Emperor Justinian stands out more so than compared to his soldiers and clergymen, due to the dark stylized cloak, where it was not unusual for emperors and empresses to be seen in dark blue clothing. The men are standing in a very stiff and frontal manner, which is a stylized characteristic of Byzantine art. Their robes do not allow any anatomy or physical human positions to be easily recognized, instead they drape over the body where only the head, hands, and feet are showing. Again, this is showing stylization. In most art, such like Romans, we see proportional body parts, as well as the curvature of body parts under robes. In Byzantine art, this is one aspect that we do not see.  One other Byzantine characteristic to point out is the colored feet of emperors and empresses posses. Here we can see that Emperor Justinian’s feet are painted red, whereas the rest of the figure’s feet are white which is one more trait to show he is more important than the rest of the figures. The Bishop has a brown or gold portion of his robe to signify importance as well as wealth and prestige. A very distinct characteristic in defining Byzantine art is the gold background and halo around a significant character. In this artwork, a gold background can be observed, as well as a halo around Emperor Justinian so signify the spirituality and the relationship he has with Christ, who places Emperor Justinian at His right hand side. Emperor Justinian symbolizes Jesus Christ. As it was mentioned in lecture, this could be used for political propaganda. Emperor Justinian is also holding a gold bowl where it is used to hold the Eucharist, and one of the clergymen holding a holy book, also a gold color.  It was mentioned in lecture that Emperor Justinian and the Bishop had body positions that were in front of one another. We can see that the Bishops feet are in front of Emperor Justinian, but yet the Emperor Justinian’s robe is covering the Bishop on top.

There is certainly a serious theme that comes to mind, because of how serious the men are standing, and their faces are very serious as well. Facial expressions are absent, and the men and other elements are outlined in black, which helps determine whether the artwork is two-dimensional. With that in mind, I also notice that there is a colorful background that is established with vibrant patterns which allows for a somewhat dynamic view.

Such elements can be shown in another panel of the Apse, called Empress Theodora and Her Attendants, which face the panel just discussed on page 240. On this South Wall, the composition for the most part is the same except for that Empress Theodora is not centered compared to Emperor Justinian. She is off to the side where she is suppose to be depicted outside the sanctuary next to the open door. It was unusual for women to be portrayed inside the sanctuary. Empress Theodora is also shown with a gold halo around her head to signify spiritual importance, and another element that was not shown in the North wall is that she is placed under a dome like pattern, perhaps to show her purity and that she is protected. This dome shape acts like it is taking the place of the cross in terms of being protected. Empress Theodora, just like Emperor Justinian, is dressed in a robe with dark colors and gold. At the bottom of the robe, there are three men who are suppose to be the Three Wise Men, bringing offerings, which go along with that of the bowl being held of Eucharist. It also can be seen that Empress Theodora has colored feet different from that of her attendants. However, her attendants have different colored feet, which is different from that of the North wall. I would venture to guess that this is just to show different classes of figures.

One last piece of art I would like to discuss is on page 252, called the Virgin of Vladimir. It does not seem strange to see that the border is painted in a gold color, because as it has been mentioned several times, gold was a characteristic of Byzantine art. The Virgin Mary can be seen holding Jesus Christ, where Virgin Mary can be seen dressed in a dark robe with gold patterns on the hood and sleeves. We can also see that the Virgin Mary’s fingers are elongated which resembles that of a stylized artwork. She depicts a gentle and caring position holding Jesus Christ, where it is seen as she bends her head down. Compared to the North and South Wall of the Apse, I believe that this allows for a more personal commitment to be made with Jesus Christ, due to the mellow features of the faces, and gentle positions of the body. It is also obvious that the Virgin Mary has an elongated face, and this nose. The facial features are very stylized in that they are depicted to show a more spiritual peace than compared to realistic features. 

Commodus as Hercules and the Portrait Head of Caracalla

The bust of Commodus as Hercules certainly has a busy style comprised of various patterns, as well as a muscular stature that depicts someone of a strong character. This carving of Commodus is meant to emulate Hercules with strong elements such as the lion’s hide and a weapon. Commodus also has physical features that are presented in a way of verism, which is meant to show intense realism. Commodus’ face does not depict these for the most part, unlike his body where his body can be seen that of human characteristics. You can see a mature muscular build. As it was stated in lecture, Romans had a creative aspect to depict someone in their heritage line, especially if it was a well-known senate, which was someone of an advisory body that lead citizens, or patricians, who were members of a powerful upper class who had political positions and power. It was a way of showing where and whom they came from, and at the same time portrays a type of propaganda. The statement I believe this statue is trying to convey is that Commodus is more powerful than that of Hercules as well as what he represented. He wanted to let people he ruled know that he was going to be identified with Hercules, but at a more forceful, unstoppable and maybe an unfriendly character.  When we think of Hercules, we may think of physically powerful, intelligence, wealth, and a prestigious hero. Commodus portrays himself as that of the hero, and much more. Elements that add to the propagandistic statement are the lion’s hide placed on top of his head and wrapped around Commodus chest, the weaponry in his right hand, and golden apples in his left hand. All of these elements were a representation of Hercules. I think some of these propagandistic elements are well understood, such as the lion’s hide and the way they sturdily wrap around him, which can represent the power Commodus holds, as well as something that relates to his character, and the destruction he could possibly do. The weaponry can also represent the destruction as well as protection he had. This too can be meant to show that he was wealthy enough to afford protection, due to his heritage. Commodus’ hair has also caught my attention in that it is full, where this can mean that he is wealthy with money or with other possessions in his life. I believe that this is propagandistic statement is geared to everyone, because of reasons I state below, such that of being jealous of what Hercules had.  

The Portrait Head of Caracalla looks to resemble that of a grumpy man that had a lot of life experience or a difficult lifestyle. Throughout the course, we have observed statues with little to no facial expressions which of that resemble what we see today. This Portrait Head of Caracalla has noticeable verism. He has wrinkles on his forehead and lines that are called smiling lines from smiling, and bags under his eyes. His facial hair looks that of a man we would see today. Even though there are no extra elements attached and built into the artwork, I believe that this head is making a propagandistic statement that he is ready for battle, that fighting spirit that can relate to the army. In order to fight a battle and have a chance at winning, he must put on this strong front for his enemies that produces a powerful and meaningful presence, which I believe to be unlike the Commodus of Hercules. I say this due to the physical facial expressions portrayed on both of these statues to an audience. Commodus does not have this strong front like the Portrait Head of Caracalla does. Both are portraying masculine appearances, and strong characteristics of build and personality, but in different ways. I can almost imagine that the Commodus as Hercules portrays an envious and jealous energy, due to what I have stated above, that he alone is not enough for himself to be satisfied. With the Portrait Head of Caracalla, he is there to get a job done, and do what he needs to do without showing off to anyone. After analyzing the Portrait Head of Caracalla, I would have to say that the propagandistic statement is more geared to enemies, rather than everyone, unlike the Commodus as Hercules.   

Greek Art

As we all know and have become more familiar with, artistic beauty comes in all shapes and forms, whether it is a sculpture of figurines, pottery, low or high-relief carvings, colorful art versus uncolored art, they are favored in by a variety of ways.

Perceptions are driven from the essence and beauty of what we view. Of course, what we think of beauty and essence is defined by our own definition. Winckelmann was infatuated with what he thought the Greek culture did with their art, and the way it was presented to an audience. The two sculptures in our text of “Archer” are great examples. When I observe these two statues resembling the “Archer”, even though they are trying to depict the same sculpture, they look like they are from two different cultures, and they do not show the same elements and characteristics we value. In the reconstruction of Archer, I am distracted from the busy patterns rather than focusing on the unique elements such as that of the “Archer (Paris)”. Such as Winckelmann suggested, the “fine and simple” elements make it more rich in culture. Winckelmann thought the Greek art was more pristine by leaving the naturalistic appearance of a sculpture, rather than marking a piece of art with color. Winckelmann’s idea was more so along the lines of the “less is more” theory, which I have to agree with. As important as color is and what color does to paintings, which is bring out characteristics of life that may not have been easily seen, it also acts as a mask that does not allow any audience to see what Winckelmann says, and that is “pure and simple” elements or techniques that were used in creating the piece of art. From the lecture, Winckelmann quotes, “color ought to have a minor consideration in the role of beauty.” The fine detail is what makes artwork unique to its time frame, and what helps present the characteristics of the artwork come to life. What Winckelmann did not know was that the Greek culture and art were full of color. He must have made a premature judgment of a few artworks, rather than a variety of pieces with and without color. Winckelmann valued the naturalistic and true to life elements that were present in what he thought defined Greek artwork. Greeks thought that color was a useful technique and helpful attribute to express what we think of naturalism. However, as this may be, today we more so agree with Winckelmann, and that is we think true naturalism is seen in artworks made out of marble, absence of color, and the pure elements.  The bright colorful patterns are very distracting, however skin tones are not distracting and they bring out a lively feeling. What I mean is that the skin color adds to what brings the character to life, and will allow an audience to see that these sculptures were suppose to depict human forms.

In a way, I believe that Winckelmann has not affected my modern perception of Greek art, because when I ponder the idea of ancient Greek culture, the idea of white statues, and rich culture that involve traditions come to mind. Of course, today’s Greek culture, I think of vast amounts of colors and patterns being used. However, seeing pictures of Greece has helped shape this idea as well. His definition of Greek art is along the lines of what I think of ancient Greek art. If Winckelmann had not come to this conclusion, I think that I would have had the perception that Greek culture was the exact opposite of what I think now. 

I believe that Winckelmann had a great part of defining what ancient Greek art is, because he valued the opposite of what the Greeks did. He helped define another area of what beauty is within this time frame. Without Winckelmann’s promotion of naturalism, I believe that color would have been valued more today, because there would not have been that aspect to compare Winckelmann’s naturalism with the Greek’s naturalism. The statues that were presented in the lecture and text, reminded me more of characteristics coming from Germany, which can be seen in Leavenworth today. They really redirect us from thinking that they come from another culture just because color was added. Greek culture and the culture from Germany are very different in various aspects.

Mycenaean and Minoan Art

The Mycenaean culture lasted from 3000 to 1000 BCE, and part of this culture was known for making pottery and other luxurious items out of bronze, and local material. This bowl is known as a krater, and kraters were used for mixing liquids such as wine with water for religious purposes or gatherings. The physical characteristics are quite interesting in the fact that kraters are very broad in the middle, and I believe that the opening is almost the same in diameter, however, the bottom of the krater is very narrow.

When I observed the characters on the krater, I remembered in lecture discussing the unique pieces of art that portray figures of both human and of animal form. This piece of art resembles another piece of art that we have seen in lecture and in our book. Even though in this krater, the faces are of animalistic form and the bodies are of human form, the piece of art that I believe it to resemble is the Gaurdian Figures at Gate A of the Citadel of Sargon II. Even though they are opposite of each other, in terms of the places where the animalistic and humanistic characteristics are placed, they still resemble a narrative of strength and power that may not be obvious at first. Strength, power, and taking over, or “extending influence” are repeating themes discussed in our book. The functionality of a tool like this one, I believe ties in with the new civilization that was about to begin, which from what I read, is more independent from the previous periods we have discussed.

There was another krater from our book that introduces us to the use and style, called the Warrior Krater on page 99 of our textbook, which was to serve wine.

This krater certainly has unique characteristics painted on the body. It seems to have rooster faces from what I can tell, but yet human features however not in proportion to what we see when we think of humans today. The arms resemble stick figures and there are no curves whatsoever on the body. This characteristic is also seen on the arms of the individual who is standing behind the chariot on the right. The horse has a very elongated body with thin legs. As I was looking at the people on the krater, I noticed that only some characteristics of the people are highlighted in a darker color, however the horse is shaded as one color. Perhaps this shows that the horse is more significant to this piece of art.

The Minoan culture came into play by 3000 BCE on an island named Crete, which is apart of the Aegean islands. Crete can be described as a productive lifestyle in which the people living there were self-sufficient in terms of growing their own crops and goods. This culture was particularly named after a king named King Minos who was created as half man and half animal. King Minos was known for eating individuals who lived in his kingdom.

Even though this piece of art is not mentioned in our book, while reading about the Minoan culture, it mentioned on page 87 under the Bull Leaping at Knossos as apart of the new palace period, that the painters of this time liked painting human in their everyday lifestyle. Here in this painting, a fisherman obviously has caught an abundant supply of fish, more than likely bring it back to his family and/or friends to have a feast of some sort, or to stock up on food for a specific time frame. Perhaps even that this catch of fish resembles prosperity.

I feel like because the body of this fisherman is depicted as not strong, but almost in a way of elegance, it gives me the idea that this piece of art is in a culture that is rich in rituals, as well as rich in traditions handed down from one generation to the next generation. That is, that tradition is more important or equal to depicting strength or masculine look. This in mind, this reason gave me the idea behind the way the complexes were built. Just as shown in the Reconstruction of the Palace Complex on page 85. The book suggests that the courtyards in the complexes were meant to be the center of focus, because all other settings in the complexes are built around this area. Usually a setting such as this one may also be a symbolic representation of the way rituals, and traditions were mean to be centered around.

In comparison to other pieces of art, the physical way the fisherman is depicted holding the fish almost resembles the Egyptian style like the composite view. For example, the lower half of the body is in profile view, and the feet are facing to one side, however the top portion of the body is in frontal view. A great example on page 52 that we have discussed in lecture as well as some of us in our blogs is The Palette of Narmar, where Narmar is attacking a lower scaled figure below him. Narmer’s lower body is almost a duplication in the way the legs are depicted.