Sydney Garrett

[emilyleifker-blog]

Week 15 Chapter 13

This week we read about Gothic Art. The term Gothic implies to the art produced in Western Europe from around the middle of the twelfth century to the sixteenth century.

The focal point of Gothic Art is quite clearly their architecture, namely, the cathedrals. Not only was the outside of the cathedrals a beautiful embodiment of the Gothic style, but the insides added a whole other level of beauty. The interior of the cathedrals typically consisted of more complex and intricate architectural features. Rib vaults, replacing the Romanesque barrel vaults, allowed more space for windows, reinforced ceiling vaults, and distributed their weight more evenly. Compound piers, large columnar supports, are connected to and support clusters of colonnettes. Flying buttresses, thin half-arches providing exterior structure, replaced the Romanesque thick wall style buttresses and support them all at the point where the driver of the arch or vault is the greatest. Pointed Arches, the junction of two arcs of concentric circles, are more flexible to build with than round arches because of their ability to be raised to almost any height despite the distance between their supports. The skeleton, the combination of all of these features, is what all of the nonsupporting components are attached to. Stained-glass windows, translucent colored glass cut to form a design, filtered light into the interior of the cathedral.

I thought these cathedrals were absolutely beautiful. I have never seen anything like this in person, so I think it would be amazing to visit! Along with witnessing their beauty, I find the skeleton to be very intriguing! I think it is so interesting to learn about each individual part of something, and then learn about how they all work together to create something totally new.

Another thing I found to be absolutely stunning in this chapter was the exterior sculpture of Chartres. There are so much detail and design in even the smallest section of these pieces. There is so much religious symbolism it is almost overwhelming to focus on just one part. Even the interior of the Chartres is stunning. They have long hallways with tall stained glass windows, creating a beautiful scene.

[gsydney11]

Great post Emily! I found this chapter very interesting. It was filled with a lot of different incredible artwork. I also thought the cathedrals were beautiful. They were all very unique in their own way. The stained glass windows were probably my favorite part of the entire chapter. I just love all the different colors in them, and they all tell a different religious story. Each stained glass window is different in its own way.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 13

I really enjoyed reading chapter 13, Gothic Art was very interesting to learn about. There were a lot of different beautiful art pieces in this chapter. I liked learning about the history of Gothic Art. In the book it says, “credit for the invention of Gothic Art goes to Abbot Sugar of the French royal monastery at Saint-Denis.” In the book, it also says that “Sugar decided to rebuild and enlarge the eight-century Carolingian church of Saint-Denis.” I thought the Saint-Denis was incredible to look at. The interior picture of it was beautiful, I think it would be fun to visit this church sometime.

I think my favorite section of this chapter was the Stained-Glass Windows. I just love how colorful and unique they are. Every time I go to church, I love looking at all the stained-glass windows. I like how every stained-glass window has a different religious picture on it. It was intriguing to learn that “the predominant colors of Gothic stained glass tend to be blue and red.”

The Cathedral section in the chapter was also very interesting. The South wall of Chartres Cathedral was amazing to look at. In the book it says, “the vertical towers seem to reach towards the sky.” I thought this was very true because this cathedral looks very tall in the picture, so I couldn’t image how tall it would look in person. The door jamb statues at the Chartres Cathedral were interesting. I liked the one of the saints. Each of the four saints were dressed in different outfits and they all had different objects in their hands. Two of them look like they are holding books, and the other two looks like they are holding canes.  The rose window and lancets at the Chartres Cathedral were incredible. It had a lot of different colors and shapes in it. I think it would be intriguing to know the meaning behind all the pictures on this window.

 I loved looking at and learning about the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. In the book, its talks about how “this chapel was commissioned by King Louis IX, who ruled from 1226 to 1270 and was canonized in 1297 and epitomizes the rayonnant style.” This chapel was amazing to look at, all the gold in it looked very beautiful. I also thought the Salisbury Cathedral in England was stunning. I like how it is all white, I think it makes the cathedral look very elegant.

[elizabethherzmann-blog]

Week Thirteen

Going into this chapter I knew nothing about Islamic art, absolutely nothing. Even knowing nothing, I was still surprised with what I did learn. The Islamic religion follows the Koran and the people were forbidden from drawing representations of their God or their prophets. Therefore they were left to draw pictures of geometric shapes or floral patterns. I didn’t find this to be too odd, because I understood. I can see how the religion would want their followers not to draw what they feel Allah looks like due to the fact that nobody knows. In this case, no representation is better than a false one. What I thought was strange, and I have never heard of before is that they were extremely forbidden from sculpting. Sculptures were seen as the work of Satan. Which in my mind is a little extreme considering the fact that the Islamic nation had a lot of architecture throughout the land. The main piece of architecture that the Islamic people focused on was the mosque, this is where Muslims pray Within the mosque are several other architectural features that were given a lot of time and detail.

Under the yellow heading there is a description of what Islam is and what it means. I know a couple individuals both male and female that happen to practice Islam. They both just happened to start off as Catholic but later converted. I know around here Islam is not a very popular religion to follow, especially with the speculations placed around it. Such as terrorists are Muslims and should not be in this country, in today’s society I hear this statement quite often. Unlike the United States, across the sea Islam stretches through many different countries. Although they did this by aggressive take over, so did the Christians. One thing that did not surprise me, and may be a bit stereotypical is that women are supposed to be “subordinate” to men. According to Google dictionary subordinate means “lower in rank or position.” Which means that the women are less than men. I understand that in some cultures that women are seen still as only servants to the men, providing the cooking, cleaning, and childbearing when the men want it. This makes me sad that women are not allowed to live the life they want. Nobody wants to be a slave and in this day in age nobody should have to be.

The artwork on the walls of the Great Mosque in Córdoba reminds me of the drawings or paintings in optical allusions. If you look at the pictures long enough they almost seem to move. The book mentions that the colored arches were made to appear moving. The Great Mosque was ordered built by the first Muslim ruler of Spain, Abdar-Rahma-n I. But the building wasn’t just built and left, it was added onto to make bigger several different times. Renovations were done by the Christians when they took it over in the thirteenth century to make it a church. Then later it was damaged when King Charles approved of building a cathedral inside of it. If I was a part of the Muslim community I would have been quite upset. Not only did the Christians take over their beloved mosque but they damaged it. The beautiful Great Mosque was a part of the Muslim history and culture and based on what I read it didn’t seem like that was respected.

A piece of artwork that I found interesting was the Sutton Hoo purse. My first thought was this isn’t like any purse I have ever seen before, this one was hard and make out of gold, enamel, ivory, and garnets. Although it was a purse cover protecting the gold coins that would have been inside, I would imagine it would have been quite heavy to carry. I looked up the purse to find out more information about it. Turns out it covered a leather pouch and was fastened with a gold buckle. Not only does it look interesting but it is the most expensive of its kind found to this day. Although not easily detectable, the mirrored image is a prey bird swooping in a duck type bird. But since it wasn’t recorded their significance will forever be unknown. Theories suggest they mean strength and courage. The purse cover was found in a shipwreck, and was said to be owned by a royal woman.

Link: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/early-medieval/a/the-sutton-hoo-purse-lid

[gsydney11]

Great post! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this chapter. I thought this chapter was very interesting because I didn’t know very much about the Islamic culture. I was shocked when I read that sculptures were a work of Satan in this culture. I thought it was very strange since sculpture is a form of art. I also thought the Great Mosque, Cordoba was beautiful. I really liked the red and white striped arches in it. A piece of art that I found strange was the manuscript of the lion. I thought it was almost frightening to look at.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 11

I really enjoyed reading this chapter. It was interesting to learn more about the early middle ages. I was shocked to learn that “sculpture was considered the work of Satan and is virtually nonexistent in Islamic art.” I wonder why sculpture is considered the work of Satan in this culture? I would have thought sculpture would have been a part of Islamic culture since it is a major form of art.  I also learned that “the primary architectural expression of Islam is the mosque, where Muslims pray, kneeling and facing Mecca.”

 The Great Mosque, Cordoba was very beautiful. The arches of it were extraordinary, I really liked the red and white stripes that were on the arches. The dome in front of the Great Mosque was also stunning. The gold on it was very pretty and all the designs were incredible.

 The manuscript of the lion was very interesting, it was kind of frightening to look at. The red, green, and yellow colors on the lion were fascinating. I liked learning about the Equestrian statuette of Charlemagne. The book talks about how “on December 25, 800, the pope crowned Charlemagne Roman emperor at St. Peter’s in Rome. He ruled a large portion of Western Europe, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, northern Spain, and Italy to the south of Rome.”

 Charlemagne’s palace chapel was amazing to look at. The inside of it just looked so beautiful. In the book, it says that “the palace chapel has a sixteen-sided outer wall and an octagonal central core.” This palace looks like it has so much space because it is so big. I feel like it would be an incredible place to visit sometime.

 The Four Evangelists from a Carolingian Gospel book was very intriguing to learn about. In the book, it says that this gospel book “includes the saints’ symbols set in a landscape indicated by rolling hills.” It is interesting, because in the image each of the four saints are sitting at a desk, holding a pencil, and there is paper in from of them. It looks like they are each writing something on their paper.

 The image in the book called Christ in Majesty was very stunning. In the image, Jesus is in the middle and he looks like he is sitting on something. He also looks like he has something in his hand. I think the red and blue colors are very beautiful in this image.

 The restored abbey church of St. Michael’s was amazing to look at. I didn’t know that this church was destroyed and then rebuilt, so it was interesting to learn about it.

[elizabethherzmann-blog]

Week 12

I was so excited when I read the first paragraph in chapter 10. I loved reading and finding new information out about the time period when Jesus was alive as well as right after he died. Although Jesus was a Jew the Jewish people have a different faith than Christianity due to the fact that they believe their savior has not come yet. At mass every Sunday we receive the holy eucharist, after Father blesses the body and blood of Christ. The wine and bread turn into his body and blood and he does this symbolically by reaching his hands outspread into the air. I remember clearly Father saying, “Take this all of you and eat of it for this is my body that will be given up for you.” This is my favorite part of mass and it is so historic too because it relates directly to what happened during the last supper. The book mentions that the Christians monotheism didn’t allow them to worship the rulers that ruled over the lands. This was because of the 10 commandments that Moses brought down from the mountain. The book also states that Rome was not safe for Christians, this was so true. Christians used to draw half a fish in the ground in front of them and if the person across from them drew it back then they were a friend, and if they didn’t they were an enemy. It was kind of like a secret handshake.

One thing I did not know related all the way back to the early B.C. was catacombs. I first learned about catacombs when reading The Cask of the Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe a couple years ago for my English class. Catacombs are a burial place for people’s families. What I did not know was that they were a safe place for Christians away from the Romans. Also, they were a popular place for Christian art to be found, but one thing’s for sure. With all  those bodies, that is the last place I would want to make art. The Good Shepherd is an art piece that comes from a wall in the catacombs, it was seen to represent compassion. The term shepherd is still used today very often in the Christian faith. I once had a small praying animal that would talk to me, and the first thing it would say was “The lord is my shepherd, he leads me along.” It was a very comforting prayer to hear before I went to bed every night.

The churches were a beautiful part of this time period. They were decorated from head to toe with angels, disciples, and images of Jesus. Before the churches were built Christians found time to pray to God in their own homes. There were many different styles of churches that were built. My personal favorite from those listed in the book is the Hagia Sophia. It was made using the designs from a basilica such as the dome that’s in the center of the church. The Hagia Sophia was an extraordinarily complex structural building that required much thinking in advance. There were many different arches and piers that blended together so smoothly. Not only was it blended smoothly but made rather thinly. The dome of the church was made out of only a single layer of brick, and to do so, they made it more structurally sound by putting buttstressings around the windows. Even though the outside of the church is immaculate, my favorite part is the dome on the inside. The gold dome truly shines in the pictures and I cannot imagine how beautiful it is to see in person.

From the time period 450-175 B.C. from the country of Peru, located in South America there is a particular piece of art that I find most inquisitive. This piece of art is described as a border fragment made from fabric. This was made with many different colors and seemingly abstract people. The colors are still vibrant due to the fact that the dry climate preserved it. It was discovered on the Paracas Peninsula. In the border fragment there are four backbent figures that look the exact same way shape wise but color wise they differ immensely. The four characters are seen as floating, flying, dancing, as well as drowning depending on how you look at it. Along with the bigger four creatures there are four smaller ones that all do not share the same color schemes even though they are all doing the same thing. The Peruvian culture uses many bright and bold colors in their artwork. I once had a girl in my grade that was from Peru and she had many different art pieces from her home country and they all were very bright and bold. Most of the art from Peru includes many abnormal animals, insects, and humans.  

Source Links:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/316945

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29050464@N06/24107979547/in/photostream/

[gsydney11]

Great post! I also enjoyed reading more about the time period when Jesus was alive. I found this chapter very interesting. I thought a lot of the paintings of Jesus in the book were just stunning. I liked how you talked about that every Sunday at mass you receive the holy eucharist. I also go to church every weekend and receive the holy eucharist. I feel that this chapter was easy to relate to because I consider myself a religious person.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 10

I enjoyed reading chapter 10. It was interesting to learn about Early Christian and Byzantine Art.  I liked this chapter because it was around the time when Jesus was alive. I feel that I can relate to this chapter because I go to church every weekend and I consider myself a religious person. The chapter talks about how “the teaching of Jesus and his followers led to the establishment of the Christian religion, whose impact on Western art after the fall of Rome cannot be overestimated.”

 I thought the fresco of Christ as the Good Shepherd was very beautiful. I think this has a lot of meaning behind it and shows how kind and caring Jesus was. I also thought the Apse mosaic showing Christ with San Vitale, Bishop Ecclesius, and two angels was stunning. In the mosaic, Jesus’s halo has the image of a cross in it, I think this represents all the pain and suffering that he had to go through to save our sins.

 The Hagia Sophia was amazing to look at. This church looks like it would be breathtaking to see in person. It is incredible that the inside ceiling was made of gold. I thought it was meaningful to learn that this church was dedicated to Christ.

 The painting of Saint Peter, Church of Saint Catherine’s monastery was intriguing to learn about. In the painting it shows a man with a beard and a halo behind him. The man looks like he is holding a long cross in his hand.

 I did some research on Ancient Greece 1-500 A.D. The overview of this time era says that roman lifestyle architectural achievements, and propagandistic endeavors influence art and architecture across the peninsula. I thought this time period had very beautiful artwork. The marble statuette of tripled bodied Hekate and the three Graces was very interesting. The description of this artwork says that Hekate was the goddess of the moon and of nocturnal sorcery. The Brooch in the Form of a Panther was a very unique sculpture. I thought this was very creatively made. I didn’t realize that it was made out of metal until I read more about it. The sculpture of the Head of Emperor Constans was very beautiful. I thought this sculpture had a lot of meaning behind it since Constantine was the first Christian Roman emperor. “Christian Constans became ruler of part of the Western Roman Empire including Italy, Africa, and much of Greece in 337, at about age 17.”

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.107/

[routtsh88-blog]

This weeks chapter covered Ancient Rome. This was a very long chapter that is for sure. Yet is was very fascinating. It covers so many topics. Since there was so much information and so many topics, I am just going to highlight some og the topics that caught my attention throughout this chapter.

Domestic architectures, which many were preserved due to the eruption of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius dated back in A.D. 79. This eruption covered many towns and villages. The two major ones include Pompeii and Herculaneum. Both these towns were lost and forgotten until 1592 when some Roman architect were digging and discovered some ancient ruins that was preserved by the ashes from the volcano.

Public baths caught my attention, due to the fact that in this day and age, we like our privacy when it comes to our body. Plus I feel bathing together is a little unsanitary if you ask me. Yet is really fascinates me in the fact of how open and accepting people are to the point they can bath together without being ashamed. I like the idea of a community area to come together and do things as a community. I just feel bathing in the fame water together with a lot of people is not a good idea. I like the idea of swimming and wrestling, but I would pass on cleaning myself with a bunch of random people. I do find the fact that they had 953 baths by the fourth century. If you ask me that is a lot.

The Colosseum is an amazing building. Even if you don’t know much about Rome nine time out of ten people have heard of the Colosseum. It is now a huge tourist area. This was a huge amphitheater, which in Greek amphi means around. Which there were “seats” all the way around this building so everyone could enjoy the theater, or whatever event they hosted in this arena. The Colosseum was seen more as a death bed for those that enter the main level. It was used for battles or fights between gladiators and animals or man versus man. I think it is a little morbid, but things have changed from back then. Now I get entertainment from cats doing silly things on the internet whereas they got their joy from watching people fight to the death. Interesting how things have changed if you ask me.

The Parthenon is extraordinary, I actually got to see the replica of it that is in Nashville Tennessee. It is enormous. I never wanted to leave. There was some much effort, beauty, and time put into this building. There was so many details, from the carving of the pillars, the war on the top of it, to the huge statue of Athena that is on the inside of it. The Romans definitely put purpose into every piece of building or art work they made. It was either luxurious or made  with lots of time and talent. The more I learn about the Romans art and structures, the more they amazing me in the amount of time they were willing to put into their belongings. This was definitely a culture to learn about when it comes to how you want to present yourself. They were not a lazy culture that is for sure.

[gsydney11]

Great post! I also thought this chapter was fascinating. I didn't really know anything about Ancient Rome before reading this chapter. The public baths also caught my attention. I thought this was very strange to learn about. I didn't realize that the Romans had a public place where they could go to bath and socialize. I really liked looking at the temples. The Pantheon was my favorite one. I just thought the inside was stunning and the outside was very beautiful.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 was very interesting to read and learn about. I enjoyed learning about the Roman culture. One thing I learned was that the political genius of Rome lay in its ability to encompass, govern, and assimilate cultures very different from its own. I learned that according to Roman legend, Rome was founded on April 21, 753 B.C., by Romulus and Remus, twin foundlings who had been nursed by a she-wolf on the banks of the Tiber River.

 A lot of the buildings that the romans built were very beautiful. I thought the Canopus, Hadrian’s Villa was amazing to look at. I thought it was pretty that it was right in front of water. The sky was so blue in the picture. I also liked the image of the Remains of Trajan’s markets, seen from the west. I think the color of the building draws my attention in this image.

 I thought it was very fascinating to learn about the public baths that the Romans used. I didn’t realize that they had a place to go to where they could socialize with other. In the book, it says that the Roman public bath was a cultural place, a place for socializing, bathing, and swimming. It also provided a facility for playing ball, running, and wrestling. I didn’t realize that people had facilities to play sports back in this time frame.

 The Roman temples were all very beautiful. The Pantheon was probably my favorite out of all of the temples. I just thought it was very stunning. The inside of the temple had a very pretty design. I think it would be fun to visit this temple sometime. I feel like the second you would walk into the temple, it would take your breath away because it is so beautiful.

 I thought the Ara Pacis was very relatable to me. The image shows a child tugging on an adult’s clothes wanting to be picked up. I work at a daycare, so children are constantly doing this to me. I just thought this image was very precious.

 I thought the portraits were all very stunning. My favorite one was A Young Flavian Woman. The woman looked very beautiful in this sculpture. I thought the curls in her hair looked very creative since they were made out of marble. The back of the sculpture is intriguing, it looks like the back of the woman’s hair is wrapped up in some type of cloth.

[howej23-blog]

Blog 7

The art of Etruscans in something I have not learned about in the past, I am finding a lot of what is in the textbook is new to me.  Something I found interesting about this chapter is they connected back to the chapter of Ancient Greece.  I thought it was interesting that each of them had a connection to each other.  While looking over chapter eight, there are lots of unique sculptures that was made during the time of Etruscans.

The sculpture that grabbed my attention the most was on page 118, figure 8.2.  When I look at it I do not see a wolf, as they say it is in the description.  I see it more as a very scared pig while baby humans drinking its milk.  This sculpture is called the Capitoline Wolf.  The statue shows the wolf protecting her cubs, she shows her teeth to the intruders.  The stature goes with the tale of Romulus and Remus, who are the founders of Rome.  This stature of the wolf nursing Romulus and Remus is the symbol of Rome.  The wolf was most likely suppose to be a guardian.  This statue was one of the few remaining sculptures of the bronze industry.  

On page 120 in figure 8.2 shows the back of a mirror with Uni nursing Herakles in front of other Gods. Herakles is an adult which shows he is accepting into the pantheon of gods and his attainment or immortality. The mirrors were decorated with mythological scenes and their names were carved into them showing who it belonged to. Women of Etruscan art were viewed more highly than women in Ancient Greece.  They enjoyed public life with their husbands and held higher positions than Greek women.  They went with their husbands to banquets.  Higher class Etruscan women wore jewelry to outing to show their ranking.  In Etruscan art women dominated over men by being older, more powerful, and higher in status.  You can see this in the picture of the mirror.

Tomb painting grabbed my eye, they always do. They tell a story shown out, unlike a sculpture which is only one scene, where a painting can be many.   Painting on page 124 in figure 8.12 grabbed my attention the most.  I think this is because of the leopards at the top and the people down below.  In the painting women are drawn in lighter skin and men have darker.  In the picture it shows men and women sitting and the servants are standing.  The colors shown are terracotta tones of brown, with wreaths, plants, and extra details in the background.  

Chapter 8, in my mind was very crazy.  I do not understand how a wolf nursing Romulus and Remus could be the symbol of Rome or how it came to be.  I think that is part of the mystery of the past, the not knowing.  We can not answer every question because we were not there to live it and to understand it.  

[gsydney11]

Great post Journey! I liked learning about Etruscan art because I knew nothing about it. I also thought that the sculpture of the wolf grabbed my attention. I was very confused when I first saw the sculpture since it was a wolf nursing human children. After I read more about it, it made more sense to me since it had a story behind it and it was the symbol of Rome.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 was very interesting. I enjoy learning about different art cultures. The Etruscan civilization was fun to learn about. It was intriguing to learn that the Etruscans had elaborate burials that included iron, bronze, and ivory objects. I also learned that the Etruscan’s homeland covered the west-central part of the Italian peninsula. The Etruscans established commercial trade routes throughout the Aegean, the Near East, and North America. The Etruscans never formed a single nation but coexisted as separate city-states with their own rulers. They were never established an empire.

  I found the sculpture called Capitoline Wolf very strange. I was very confused as to why in the sculpture a wolf was nursing two children. After I read more about this, I realized that it has a story behind it and it is the symbol of Rome. It also says that in Etruscan culture, the wolf was probably intended as a protective guardian.

 I thought the sculpture called Wounded Chimera was very unique and fascinating. It was very creative that the artist made a lion with a goat’s head on its back, and then the lion’s tail was a serpent. The sculpture called Mater Matuta was very beautiful. It was a woman with a child laying across her lap. I just really liked this sculpture.

  Tomb paintings were also a big part of Etruscan culture. Etruscans used pictures as well as architecture and sculpture in the service of the dead. Hundreds of paintings have been discovered in the underground tombs of Tarquinia, which is a site northwest of Rome. Tomb paintings were usually frescoes. I really liked looking at a couple of the different tomb paintings in the book. The tomb painting called Mourners at the Door of the Other World was fascinating. I enjoyed learning the meaning behind the painting. In the painting, a couple of the men are wearing pointed boots. In the book, it says “pointed boots are normally worn by mountain people and are another example of influence from the Greek lonian cities and Asia Minor. In the painting it also shows a couple of men who look like they are wrestling. In the book, it says “the scene at the right shows two wrestlers and the gold and bronze bowls for which they are competing. Tomb paintings are very creative and unique. It’s crazy to think how talented some of the Etruscans were.

[cyberstudentsoul-fan-blog]

Week 8-Ch.7

The Ancient Origins of Modern Beauty Podcast:

I found the beginning very pleasing. The beginning with the music made it soft to make us feel beauty. Well…I felt it anyway. The man asked two questions that are commonly asked which is: What kind of things do people think are beautiful? and What does beauty do? “Is it the effects at which we admire or are attracted to?” that creates beauty. A Goddess statue is fit to describe the standards of beauty which we do not inherit today. Some may look at statues and simply fall in love, while others, may only look at it and think of themselves. The only meaning to beauty which the Greeks found to be true was through symmetry and thought up proportions, while the attractiveness may have some biological factor to beauty. Simple biological beauty for instance is around the time reproduction was possible or signs of health. Birth’s are said to be beautiful today because it’s another life that had been created, but only through the eye’s of God that biological factors reflect from the parents. “Beauty” comes from God. David Konstan, who was being interviewed in the podcast, investigates and suggests that cultural influences are described and further undermines the uses to which it is put, which was from a book “Survival of the Prettiest.” In more terms, to me, he based a lot of his findings and truths off of the book and Greek history.

Book Reading:

From the Women in Ancient Greece reading from a little side note mentioned a lot about beauty and most of it involved family, individualism and marriage. Family simply states that if one is not married, the parents of their children will choose who they marry. If a child does not have siblings or a relative close to them, the women will marry a man from her father’s side to continue their “preservation within their family.” While reading however, I compared their lineage and culture to today’s society. And doing so, I’ve come up with the fact that we choose who we want to live with. One individual chooses someone else to love without their parents choosing for them. 

While this may be fun and have an “amazing” feeling, there comes a time when in most cases, marriage ends in divorce. Back then, a man could divorce only through witnesses while a women simply could take a man to court with serious offenses or accusations. I compared this to today’s society simply stating that divorce could end because there is no love or “spark” between two people in a relationship and witnesses and accusations or not, you could still get a divorce.

 I have also seen and heard from many males (most of which I’ve been friends with for years now) have said that independence in a women is “hot” and makes them more attractive. Being independent and relying on little to zero people makes women stand out more and seem to make males think they are capable of living a life and is prepared for taking care of a family. Almost all of today’s society is pure beauty and I love how women have power over certain things, especially when it comes to our individualism. It makes us who we are and tend to be stronger. Who said you need an army to be strong?

From the other reading in Ch. 7 I picked out some pieces that I thought would help. Starting with the Trojan War. All in all, it was a sneak attack, but the first impression was a present. There were concerns, and when people realized it was an attack, they called it “barbaric.” In today’s society, we mostly look at it as uncivilized, “ridiculous” or “obs-herd.” Now, most women look at men having the same personalities, but with wrong intentions. Women call this ridiculous also, simply because we are more likely to think we are being used only for one thing. 

Their pottery is beauty. Going back to the Ancient Times, were told the symmetry is the main reason for beauty. But they also so this for clay and their pot making, so maybe that’s why we buy vases or have decoration. There is certain importance to beauty. Beauty is symmetric, but also having something of value to it. 

And last but not least, Athena. Many years ago, the Parthenon was build to honor Athena for her “symmetry” or in other words her beauty. Her individualism, courage and pure independence made her beautiful. To me, she could be looked upon as a “hero” or “inspiration!” And seeing as how she was the virgin goddess, gives women to believe that you do not need a man to have power. It is the purity and confidence that makes a women simply powerful!

[gsydney11]

I also enjoyed the music at the beginning of the podcast. I thought it was very peaceful and calming. The pottery section in the book was very beautiful. I thought the Geometric Style jar was very amazing and unique. It had a bunch of different interesting patterns on it. I also thought that the picture of Acropolis, Athens was breathtaking. In the picture the sky was a pretty light blue color, and there were no clouds. It just really showed how amazing the world really is.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 7

 I really enjoyed reading chapter 7. It was interesting to learn more about art in ancient Greece. I liked reading about the painting and pottery section in the book. I thought the Geometric Style jar was very beautiful. I really liked the patterns on the jar, and the colors went together nicely. I also liked the Niobid Painter jar. It was interesting to learn a little bit about Niobid and that she had fourteen children.

 I’ve noticed that there are a lot of nude sculptures in this chapter. I thought the sculpture called “Kritios Boy was fascinating. It was a very plain yet beautiful sculpture. I thought it was different how the sculpture didn’t have any eyeballs. I was also confused as to why the sculpture doesn’t have hands or feet. It would have been interesting to know what the artist was thinking while creating this sculpture. I also thought the sculpture Lapith and Centaur was interesting. I was intrigued because the sculpture didn’t have a head, it just had a body.

   I enjoyed looking at the sculpture called “Neda Leipen and Sylvia Hahn.” I really like this sculpture the gold color is very beautiful with the white background. I thought it was interesting how in the sculpture, there is a woman standing straight, and a tiny angel is standing in the palm of her hand. I wonder what the artist was thinking when they created this sculpture. I just think it is very creative and unique.

   I thought the image of Acropolis, Athens was breathtaking. It just looked like an amazing place to be. The sky is just so blue in the image and there are not any clouds. The grass and the trees are such a pretty green. This image really makes you really appreciate how beautiful the world is, and how lucky we are to live in it.  The image called “Theater of at Epidauros” was also very fascinating to learn about. It is interesting because it doesn’t look like a normal theater in America. At this theater the seats are made out of stone. I wouldn’t think that would be very comfortable to sit on.

   The sculpture called “Sleeping Eros” was very amazing to look at. I thought it looked very peaceful and calming that the artist made the angel sleeping. This sculpture reminded me of when I go to church, because there are different angel sculptures in my church.

   I thought the podcast “The Ancient Origins of Modern Beauty” was very interesting. The music at the beginning was very soothing and calming. I think it did a great job of explaining beauty. I thought it was intriguing when the podcast said that beauty is rarely ascribed to adult males, but most commonly ascribed to women and boys.

[jadegamm-deactivated20190524]

Week 6

Whenever I think of or hear the word ‘Egyptian’ I automatically think of tombs, mummies, temples, and pyramids. That is exactly what Chapter 5 is all about. 

The purpose of the pyramids was for burials and the passage into the afterlife. They were also made out of mud-brick. This amazes me because it would have taken a lot of time and effort to build these pyramids out of mud-brick. Another major development was the design of the pyramids- a triangle. This reminds me of all of the times I learned geometry back in high school and the Egyptians were practicing the same type of math, but not knowing it. 

Pyramids reflected on death, and so does mummification. The purpose of mummification is to also ensure a good afterlife. To do so they used to bury the bodies in the dry sand, and then, later on, had coffins that insulated the bodies. This reminds me of how we embalm people in today’s society to preserve their body for a visitation and funeral. Preserving the dead back then took a lot more work and they removed the organs out of the body. The outside of the body is then wrapped in bandages of linen. Mummification reminds me of breaking a bone and having a cast put on. I have a friend that recently broke her arm and they had to put stuff on the skin and then proceeded to put the cast on, which is a lot of layers of bandages. 

The sculpture of Khafre represents his position as a king. He had a lot of power, therefore, there was a sculpture made of him. This sculpture reminds me of how we have the statue of liberty in New York, which represents freedom. Khafre’s statue represents his power and authority. 

Temples were in the form of huts back in the Neolithic period. A sanctuary, courtyard, and hallway were also added. When I hear of temples, I think of churches. People would go to the temples to worship the gods and today people go to church to worship. So it’s kind of like the same thing.

There were also paintings created among this time, and there were major uses of pigments. There are a wide variety of colors used in their paintings. The artwork Gypsum Plaster shows a man hunting birds with his wife and daughter alongside him. There is a great majority of blue in this picture coming from the pigment from lapis lazuli. Paintings created in the New Kingdom show shading and have a more naturalistic look to them compared to those in the Old Kingdom.

Lastly, Tutankhamon’s Tomb is in memory of himself. His tomb has a pretty shiny gold mask with blue glass all around. This tomb has a great amount of detail and there was a lot of work and time put into it. 

I think it would be really neat to travel to a museum to see artifacts back in the Egyptian time. I think the tombs and mummification are fascinating and knowing the importance behind them makes it even more special to specific people.  

[caseynicc]

The first sentence of this post was spot on. I think of the same things when this topic is mentioned. I thought it was interesting to look more in depth at into this topic. I also am glad you mentioned the process of preserving the bodies because I never really thought of it in that way that we too preserve bodies in a way similar to them. Finally, with the last statement you made I agree it would be fascinating to see these in person because for me personally I have only seen videos and read about Ancient Egypt. To see in person would be interesting. 

[gsydney11]

I feel that I have learned a lot in this chapter. I didn't really know very much about ancient Egypt so it was interesting to learn about. I thought the pyramids in this chapter were very beautiful. It is crazy to think how big they are and how long they took to make. I was very intrigued by Tutankhamon’s tomb. It is very entrancing that his body was found mummified and that a sculpture was made of his mummified body.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 5

 I really enjoyed reading chapter 5 this week, I found it very interesting. The Pharaohs were fascinating to read about. In the book it says, “from approximately 3100 B.C., Egypt was ruled by pharaohs, or kings, whose control of the land and its people was virtually absolute. In Mesopotamia, kings mediated between their people and the gods. In Egypt, the kings were considered gods.”

 The pyramids were also very interesting to read and learn about. The book says that, “the most monumental architectural expression of the Egyptian pharaoh’s power was the pyramid, his burial place and zone of passage afterlife.” Pyramids were originally made of mud-brick and later were faced with cut stones. The pictures of the different pyramids in the book were amazing to look at. The people in the picture are so tiny, it’s crazy to think how big pyramids actually are.

 I learned more about temples through this chapter. The Temple of Amon-Mut-Khonsu was beautiful. This temple contained both earthy and celestial symbolism. The original ceiling was painted blue and decorated with birds and stars, denoting its symbolic role as the heavenly realm. I also liked Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple and Sculpture. This was a Funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. I thought this temple was amazing, and the book says it was made from sandstone and rock.

 I learned about the Amarna Period through this chapter. Amenhotep IV, was the Eighteenth Dynasty king of Egypt. He entrenched religious cults. The book says, “Amenhotep worshiped the Aten, represented as the sun disk, and accordingly he changed his name to Akhenaten. The sculpture of Akhenaten in the book is very unique. The artist who created it did a very good job and put a lot of time, effort, and detail into it.

 It was very fascinating to learn about Tutankhamon’s Tomb. It was very interesting to learn that after Tutankhamon’s died, his tomb, with its four burial chambers, was discovered intact. I was also very intrigued learning that an English Egyptologist named Howard Carter found the mummified body of Tutankhamon. It is very fascinating that a sculpture was made of Tutankhamon’s mummified body. The Canopic coffinette of Tutankhamon was very amazing to look at. The gold and the stones that were used make the sculpture look very beautiful. It is crazy to think that this sculpture was of what Tutankhamon’s mummified body looked like back in 1922. I really enjoyed learning about Ancient Egypt in this chapter.

[melaninliv-blog]

Week Four

Reading

This week reading was very interesting and informative. I am not an expert to this art thing, yet I find myself learning more and more about its origins and meaning. I don’t know much about the ancient eastern world, just the fact that it was very influential on art culture and history. Through reading this chapter I can see how important art and culture played an important role together and in human history. I continue to gain more respect for the history of art and its true purpose. I feel that this was a lesson learned for me to get the knowledge and history of art and its significance in the world.

From the invention of writing being established in the ancient Near East to some of the most profound pieces of art that displays a sense of emotion and communication. Through the evolution of written communication became an advanced and well-developed part of human history. From the Neolithic Era where humans adapted to the hunting and gathering lifestyles, while learning to gain sustainability. I find this chapter intriguing for the simple reason of survival. It appears people were faced with some trails that were overcame by faith and creativity.

Carved art attributed to the Uruk period was images and/or words pressed against a soft surface leaving a depiction and an image that told one’s story. In this period, we find our clay and stone tablets. Through time art became more popular and relevant. These pieces have structure, detailed images, and a powerful emotional presence. I mean these images are detailed down to the hair. I find it very impressive, especially during that period and time. I find the art history of the Near East very interesting. Having knowledge of something so great and powerful is amazing. The carving and statues are phenomenal. The power that was created between man and material will forever play a major role in human history.

From the presence of divinity and worshipers from the Early Dynasty Period to the Sumerian site of gold items that can be found at burial site that display true craftsmanship. Art history was created in the ancient Near East were many different styles of artistry are developed. People lives being depicted, cities, kingdoms and empires are being worshiped and honored. Art that was created to communicate to other people of different lands, even to a divine being. Using some of the richest materials that could tell the story for centuries is what’s most interesting. I wonder, how did they know what materials to use, or even it the art work would manage? I figure they were some very intellectual beings themselves.

For example, the Third Dynasty of Ur is magnificent. The architecture and structure of the building is pure artistry. The structure seems very complex, yet brilliant. The amount of material used to create the structure must had been some of the best of all. The uniqueness for the creation of the stairways are just genius. The curvature of the walls carries on the architectural design of the structure. I can now look at art with respect, with the new gained knowledge, and tell its purpose and meaning.

[gsydney11]

I find the history of art very interesting. It is very fascinating to think that some pieces of art were made so long ago. I enjoy looking at art pieces and learning more about the creator and the history of the art piece. I also wonder how some of these artists knew what materials to use. I think they just had to use what they could find. I’m excited to learn more about different artists and their work.

[gsydney11]

Chapter 4

I really enjoyed reading chapter 4. There were a lot of different unique sculptures that were mentioned in this chapter. I thought that a lot of these sculptures in this chapter were amazing to look at. Someday, I would like to go see some of these sculptures at an art museum. I think they would be breathtaking to look at in real life. I have always admired sculptures, and I like learning about the history of them and when they were built. I thought the Neolithic plastered skull from Jericho was very interesting. I thought it was crazy to learn that it was built c. 8000-7000 B.C. In the book, it says “skulls such as this reflect an attempt to reconstitute the image of the dead person by modeling features in plaster.” I thought this was very fascinating to learn. The Head of Gudea sculpture and the seated Gudea sculpture were also interesting. I enjoyed learning more about Gudea. I learned that he was the king of Lagash, and that he embodied the transition between gods and humans. I also learned that Gudea either stands or sits, usually with hands folded in an attitude of prayer. The Hittites were interesting to read about. I didn’t know anything about those people, so it was fun to read about them. It was fascinating to learn that they kept records in cuneiform on clay tablets. I thought the Lion Gate Stone was very unique and creative. I was intrigued when the book said, “the guardian lions are a traditional motif in ancient art because of the belief that lions never sleep.” The Hittite war god sculpture was amazing to look at. I just thought that it looked very beautifully made, and it looked like it took a lot of time and effort to create it. The Achaemenid artists also have some very amazing and beautiful artwork. My favorite was the Achaemenid drinking vessel, because I thought it was very unique and creatively made. I thought it was amazing that it was made from gold. It is very fascinating how the metalwork is a lion on one end, and a drinking vessel on the other end. I loved reading through this whole chapter. I enjoyed learning about some different ancient artists and their artwork. Art is very interesting to look at and learn about, so it is fun to look back on artwork that was made such a long time ago by incredible artists.

[jesuscamprocksstuff-blog]

Blog Week 3

http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/cave-painting.htm#cavepainting

Have you ever been to a cave? If so have you seen art or different pictures on the stones in the cave? For this blog, I have decided to research more about Cave paintings which are also known as cave art. Around 40,000 to 14,000 years ago, people first saw these painting in European caves and shelters. There are many more places that you can find cave art such as Italy and Germany. There are around 400 places that you could go see cave paintings.

One thing that I found interesting was that the meanings of some of these cave paintings are for religious meaning. This hits me in a good way because I am a very religious person, and I wanted to learn a lot about this. I thought it was cool because they made pictures of jesus and christian symbols such as the fish and the cross.    

The only thing that cave people painted were animals. They were the predator animals that they painted. Some of those animals were lions, bears, and more. They also painted the game animals. Many symbols were also drawn quite frequently. That was their primary way of communicating most times.

There are three stages of cave painting. First off, they need to get the outline of the animal or symbol they are creating. They can do this in many ways such as applying a sharp stone to the rock they are using. They also use charcoal to make the outline in black so they can see it. Second off, they draw and complete the drawing with detail in a red color. They would need to be precise and make sure everything is perfect. This part will be one of the most important. The third part of this project is the animals will be shaded with black or another pigment that someone could find. This process takes a long time. These people had to be very patient and creative to try to get what they needed, done.   

In my opinion, Venus of Willendorf represents a mother who is pregnant and carrying her child. One of the reasons I think this is, is because she looks like she is with child due to her round, and protruding stomach. She also looks like she would be a great mom even without a real description of her body.  

I feel like cave paintings are a good way for people to understand what people did back then. They learn about how you can use the resources you have around you to make something creative. People nowadays think they need to go out and buy new things to make art, and cave paintings can show them they don’t have to. Just have a creative mind and that’s all you need.

   I agree with them as they say we can learn more about the paleolithic society. We can learn from them by doing research and reading more about what they did. It surprised me how they explained that they arrange bodies in multiple orders.  

[gsydney11]

I also found it interesting that cave paintings were used for religious purposes. it is crazy to think how long ago some of these cave paintings were made. Another thing that I found interesting was that when the Stone Age people did their cave paintings, they used seashells as their paint trays. It is pretty amazing how creative and artistic the Stone Age people were. I love looking at cave paintings, because they are so beautiful and unique.