Sam Jochum

[samjochum7-blog]

Chapter 11

In chapter 11, we learn and get insight into the Early Middle Ages. We learn that as the Germanic tribes overran Western Europe, it affected many different artistic developments and producing radical changes in social and political organization. They touch base on Islamic art which was when Muhammad's teaching forbade idolatry and the Koran condemns the figurative representation of Allah or his prophets. Their work was constructed mostly with abstract geometric patterns or floral patterns. It was considered to reflect Satan and is virtually nonexistent. Their architecture really prospered though because they really knew how to flourish it. The one thing I did find interesting when reading about this is their special technique called mosque and just how the Muslims pray, kneeling and facing the Mecca. The Mecca was very important to their culture and they did a bunch of things to reflect how they respect and prosper in their culture. The Great Mosque was very unique in my opinion because the patterns and colors that are represented tell a story about their faith and their values. The central dome has many features that make it pop and make it so special. When they built a cathedral inside of it, it was almost destroyed, but still had the beauty embedded within the designs. Northern European Art was influenced by medieval Islamics, and how their main focus was put towards craft-based art based off the metal work. The coolest piece of art from looking at the images has to be the cover of the purse which originally had gold coins and it was pretty evident that the person who owned the purse came from royalty based on the unique features that it includes. Hiberno-Saxon Art is also something they talked about which included monasteries and, and during this period, the expansion of Christian art took place and I think it is really cool because it is something that I think very highly about. I am not too crazy about the piece with the animal in the middle, because I just don't think the colors are visible enough and I think it should be colored more, but that is just my opinion. I can not really figure out the message behind it but I can tell that it meant something to their culture and there is an ultimate reason why it was put together. The Carolingian Period was a time when Charlemagne came into power and it was a very political time period because of the people who were involved. The Palace Chapel was the place where Charlemagne moved his capital and his court to Aachen and this chapel served a lot of importance mainly because Charlemagne did everything he could to enhance it and make it updated as possible. Manuscripts and Monasteries were also huge back then because education was very important and controlling conquered territory and directing reforms in art and education. The artwork displayed gives us the idea that they prioritized the Lord and how He served significance in their lives. Overall I think this chapter really gives us a lot of insight on how their culture prospered and who their leaders were and I enjoyed reading this chapter!

[samjochum7-blog]

Chapter 10

As we look into the noncurrent events that happened a while back, I found a time period way back in Ancient Greece to where Rome dominates the Balkans. Everything about them including their lifestyle, and architecture and much more really impacts their influences on art and architecture throughout the entire peninsula. This created a whole new era for Greece and marks an important part in their history

The Early Christian and Byzantine Art era gives us insight into how a New Religion was formed and just how this was happening around the time that Jesus Christ had died and how that affected the Roman empire. It talks about how the teachings of Jesus Christ led to the Christian religion and left a major impact on Western art. It goes into detail about how Judaism is what led to all of these beliefs as Jesus Christ was the one who was the major impact on all of this because He was a leader in many ways. With the Passover that happened, it really influenced their beliefs and led to different works of art. Constantine was also discussed and gives us a look at where he stood with Christianity. The divergence of east and west was also very major because the controversies and events that took place around them make an impact on the politics and religious beliefs following the birth of Jesus. This is something that really impacts me as well, because I, myself am Christian so reading about this really interests me a lot because I firmly believe in God and was raised to be Catholic so learning about this era gives me reassurance about HIm. It is very cool to see that He was the one who influenced all of this and their beliefs and how this carried on for us to believe it because this happened so long ago. Christian art was also heavily influenced and looking at Sarcophagus, and how it speaks many volumes. It truly does tell a story from just looking at it, and every symbol has meaning to it and it is a very important part in the artwork itself. It talked about how Christians worshipped in private homes and looking at the basilicas, and other buildings, you can see the architecture and the meaning behind it all is very complex and unique and just another cool thing to look at. It talks about how everything in the basilica has meaning behind it and is very religious. Looking at the many other great buildings that were built back then and the paintings and other art pieces puts it into perspective with what they believed in as a culture. San Vitale's work really interests me because it is just amazing. The detail and the symbolism behind it are very powerful. The Hagia Sophia is something we can look at as well and see how important that is to their society because of Justinian's reign, and the design of it depicts so many efforts of success and well being.

Overall, I drew a lot from this chapter and learned a lot more about my religion and I am glad I did, and had the glimpse of how things were influenced back then.

[esolheim-blog]

Week 11 - Chapter 9: The Romans

Week 11 focused much on Chapter 9 which detailed the incredible feats of the Romans. The Romans seem to be by far one of the most famous and influential people of early times. Even now, the Romans are very popular and many people have at least some knowledge about the Romans. Being a high schooler and to have already learned a great deal about the Romans, I was definitely eager to not only look for new information about the Romans, but also recall many other aspects of that culture. I think what really makes them so special and memorable, is how much they resemble the successful parts of the Greek culture.

Things like extremely realistic sculptures, intricate designs, and huge architectural buildings are what helps them shine, much like how the Greeks did. The architecture in particular is absolutely stunning. I am still amazed at the things they were able to construct long ago with the knowledge they possessed. The arches, columns, temples, and basilicas are all very beautiful pieces of architecture. The invention of the aqueducts was impressive and quite an intelligent use of the resources they had available. Of course, one cannot simply mention Rome without mentioning the famous colosseum.

This thing is quite simply a marvel of a project. The sheer size, detail, and technical mastery of such a construction is breathtaking to behold. Just seeing it in a book makes me wish I could see it in person. It just seems so massive to me and I hope I may be able to see it before I die or it is destroyed, which I hope does not happen anytime soon. Another piece that I saw and felt drawn to, was the Trajan’s Column. I do not recall seeing this piece before although it may have slipped from my sight. Now that I do see it however, it does really intrigue me. It sort of reminds me of a totem pole, just with a lot more detail and enormity. The whole thing looks so intricately crafted and it makes me ponder how it is the people of this time got such ideas for different works of art.

I can understand that the colosseum was utilized as an arena and many other buildings that were previously mentioned were used for social gatherings, water systems, public bath houses, and other things. But a column like the Trajan’s Column just seems so random but interesting to me. I get that it was used as a statue of honor, but I still like to think about what went on in the minds of the people that constructed it. Leading away from the architecture, one thing that did interest me about the Romans was the busts and murals. I was not aware that the Romans used bust as much as they did, especially to honor the dead. I also did not entirely realize that the Greeks did not use busts. It was actually the Etruscans that made such sculptures and the Romans were influenced by them.

I also totally forgot about the murals that the Romans made but I do recall finding interest in the manner in which they made them. I especially found it interesting how the use of buon fresco and wax allowed the murals to withstand volcanic ash without too much damage. It’s pretty cool to me when a civilization has a balance of three dimensional and two dimensional art so seeing murals and painting is always very fun to me. I appreciate the Romans all around incredible art capabilities. The architectural art is incredible. The sculptures and statues are as detailed as always and it is nice to see some mural/painting action as well.

[samjochum7-blog]

As we look at the culture of the Romans, we can visualize what it was like for them back then and can appreciate the many works that were done and get an idea of the many pieces and techniques that were used. I can conquer with the fact that I would love to see some of these amazing buildings in person and seeing the many murals and how they used two dimensional and three dimensional as well is very cool to me. I also did not realize how much they honored their dead with certain things and how they were influenced by the Etruscans by different things and I think it’s cool how they use different cultures to reflect their work. The building with the window at the top which is the eye of the building interests me the most and is the coolest work in my opinion.

[samjochum7-blog]

Ancient Rome

Looking into Ancient Rome, they had some political problems, but then soon seemed to figure it out.  Learning about how after Alexander the Great died, and how they came into power interests me because I remember learning about all of this in my history classes.  Back then, it seemed like they were some compact differences between the Greek and Roman approaches to history.  For example, we look at how Greek art was a model throughout the Mediterranean and provided a classical ideal.  Roman art, however was about local styles, but continued to be influenced by Greek styles such as sculpture, painting, and architecture.  They also identified their own Gods and became familiar with Greek iconography.  This is just crazy to me because it seems like most of these cultures are influenced by Greek ideas because looking back at the Etruscan cultures, they based a lot of their ideas around Greek ideas as well, so it must have been a hit back then.  Looking at the arches, domes, and vaults which were apart of their architecture, they seemed to take pride in their work, and it also seems like you would see most of these works nowadays in that society as well, because it is just so beautiful.  Going into the topic of architecture as well, they had their own styles of getting these projects done as well and this included domestic, and the word focal point really stuck to my mind when reading into this because I feel like this is word that you hear pretty often, but looking at some of these buildings, and such, you can tell they really placed their focal point at the main object they want you to notice.  Looking at the skylight picture, you can tell they want you to focus on the middle where there is green, and you can tell they did a good job with balancing it because the beams really open it up.  I found it very interesting how most of their population lived in insulae which is their blocklike construction that was used for typical town of their empire.  It is crazy how that has carried on because we almost live in the same type of structure.  Between the Markets of Trajan and Public Baths, to the Colosseum, and the many more stuff they created is just so fascinating to me because with my favorite building, which is The Colosseum, they had fights in there and constructed it especially for that.  The Pantheon is so beautiful and the way it is constructed is just so cool to me. The temple is the most innovative and devoted to the planetary gods known in the second century.  The oculus really struck me because it is the eye of the temple and it allows visitors to look up and acknowledge the sky while looking at all of the beautiful sculptures.  I love how it gives us the inside and outside view from in the book because they want to emphasize how important that was to their culture and how it is such a meaningful piece to their culture.   To wrap things up, their sculptures and portraits were really influenced by other styles and were very popular and still are.  The Sarcophagus is my favorite because it reflects their culture and resembles their civilized culture.  

[kelnken-blog]

The Art of the Etruscans

The Art of the Etruscans is an art that I honestly can say I knew nothing about until I read the chapter for this week’s assignments.  I have never even heard the term Etruscans that I can recall.  I do recognize the statue of the Wounded Chimera, I believe that I have seen that before, although I do not recall where or when.  There truly isn’t anything else that I can say I even recognize. Once I read the chapter though, I found that they created and started some things that are still used today.   I do find that their urns are very intriguing to me, I like the different forms or shapes that they used through the years.  I also can see from the different sizes that you could tell who had money and who didn’t.  My favorite ones were of the hut and of the husband and wife together on what appears to be like a dining couch.  This separates in the middle and the ashes are stored on the inside.  In this urn, it is noted that the wife was as important as the husband, because she is portrayed along side of him and their ashes were put together in the same place.  Based on their funerary art, you can tell that they too believed in life after death.  They buried their people as if they were going on to another world.  They had jewels, mirrors, weapons and banquet ware.  Some had images of themselves on the art or some even had busts that were made to resemble the dead as if to keep them alive through his or her image.  Most of their art was found in the underground tombs.  So even though they are depicting life like on the walls they actually show the pleasures of life, such as sports, dancing and even music making.  In the tombs they also show touches of death, this is where the art was painted on the walls and it depicted that they believed that they entered through a door that was below the earth’s surface.  You can tell this by where the people are standing and the plants are coming through the surface.  I find this era to be way ahead of others in that women were shown as equals to these people and at the time that was well below the norm.  Women of this era were shown along side their husbands and were displayed showing them participating in public life.  Wives went with their husbands and participated in the banquets which in the Greek culture was meant for men only.  The wealthy women also were adorned with elaborate jewelry which you could tell their rank based on the jewelry that they wore.  Their jewelry and fashion was widely admired and was the envy of the greeks and roman women alike.  One thing that surprised me was the technical skills and craftmanship.  They excelled in bronze casting, jewelry and dentistry.  They created bridges and dentures that not only enhanced health, but was also cosmetically pleasing.  

[samjochum7-blog]

I also found this chapter very interesting because we learn a new perspective on how this culture based their ideas off Greek cultures and I think it is very neat. Looking into it with the pottery and art and how they use different techniques to create the masterpieces they did is very cool to me. I did recognize some of the statues like you mentioned and it is very fascinating. They do idolize their jewelry and other works of art that represent who they are and what they believe in. I think that all in all, it was a short chapter like you said, but we can learn a lot from it, and personally I had no idea about it either until I read into it. Very cool!

[samjochum7-blog]

Chapter 8

The art of the etruscans was subtly about their civilizations, their beliefs, and their morals or their values. It was contemporary with the Greek culture and it is something we can look at and take some interest in. They existed with their city-states and had their own rulers so they were just like all the other civilizations that we learned about in previous chapters. I think it is very interesting that their language is unknown because mostly every civilization, someone knows their language. It is also very cool how all of their information and historic claims come from the tombs their cities of the dead. Their architecture back then was very nice and was modeled based off the Greek ideas and they used certain techniques to keep everything in line. Their pottery and sculpture actually is different for me because I actually have not really seen anything much like it. I am looking at some Greek animals and some troll like figures underneath. The Apollo is very intrigueing to me because it is arm less and very historic. The women in their life actually surprised me because they took place in higher public life with their husbands and held higher positions and it surprises me because this is the first time reading a section where this was a big deal. They believed in after life as well and based some art off of that as well. Cinerary containers were used back then and it actually is probably used today with when we make the decision to cremate the bodies of the dead. The tomb paintings make me very interested because it tells a story in a way. They tell stories of their beliefs, their morals, and their values and it is something I can highly respect for them as a whole. The way they transition each piece and make it into a story is very cool. This chapter was actually very short in my opinion from the rest of them and it really was cool learning different things from how they were inspired from the Greeks for many different things, and how their beliefs are reflected of their works as well. Very unique. It was also cool to learn about how they had certain techniques for wealthy individuals and how that correlated to their society. It baffles me how they remained a culturally distinct group and how they could retain their own language, religion and customs for a millennium and just how they were independent with their own beliefs because it tells us how civilized they were and the morals they valued. Even back then they were good at making things such as divination, bronze casting, jewelery with gold granulation and dentistry. To be honest, I didn’t even know they had the knowledge back then on how to properly take care of teeth but it is very relevant to today’s world because obviously that carried on for many centuries and this allows us to look back upon how all of this came to be and appreciate the work that was discovered and used for our well-being.

[kelnken-blog]

Ancient Greece

I think what stands out the most to me about the Ancient Greek art world is how much was put into their art.  They loved the arts, it was clear on how celebrated all the different arts were to them.  They not only used pottery, paint, paint, clay, marble…they used science, philosophy, government, literature, theatre, and religion from their time.  I believe that is what makes the Ancient Greece time period the most influential of all the styles of art to not only the Western Art culture, but to the Western world today.   In the podcast they discuss what is beauty?  Is it how we appear to others, how we feel about ourselves, or does beauty live on the inside?  We owe a lot of our healthy and unhealthy views on what we think beauty is today to the Ancient Greeks.  There is a Greek word that means good and that is kalos.  However, there is a word that corresponds to this word kallos, which means physical attractiveness as opposed to good.  To Greeks, beauty was only skin deep, it simply made you desire someone.  Because their art was based on beauty, symmetry and was very proportionate and they were very precise with their art.  We hold their Greek beauty true in today’s world, but not necessarily other arts.   The Greeks originated so much of what is used in today’s world.  For example, alphabet is derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet Alpha and Beta.  Government and philosophy also influenced the Western world.  Even though they had some very archaic ways, having slaves and not allowing women to participate in its government, they still had very inspiring ways to the US.  When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of the Independence and framed the American Constitution he was inspired by the Greek government polis.  The term that we use “democracy” is derived from two Greek words demos(people) and kratos(power).  The Greek philosophers discussed much of the nature of the government.  Plato developed The Republic and The Laws which describe an ideal state.  They studied men and how they were in their most human character with nature, which goes hand in hand with Greek artists and the way they tried to capture man in his most naturel state and anatomy.   They created the Olympic Games.  They were held every four years, as they are today and the athletes were held to the highest esteem.  They stopped all wars during the Olympics so that the Olympians would be safe to travel the Olympic games. Some of the Greek Gods and Goddesses were Olympians.   The most influenced saying in the Greek culture is that Man is the measure of all things.  The gods had human personalities, they had different death rituals than other cultures and their art was definitely more proportionate to human and organic scale.  They also held higher regard for who developed the art than other cultures, the Greeks were the first believed artists to have signed their art. There were many influences of the arts, but Greek art stands out mainly because of the way that they expressed what is human.  

[samjochum7-blog]

I really like the way they used art back in Ancient Greece because of certain things such as pottery, paintings, and the architecture that was put to work. I think it gives us great insight about what beauty meant to them between these signs and it brings me to the next thing I wanted to bring up was the podcast that mainly talked about beauty, because they really went into depth about what the true meaning of the word meant and it related to the humans and their culture and it meant a lot to them. The two guys that talked about it put both viewpoints together and gave us a great look about both perspectives and I really enjoyed giving this a listen!

[samjochum7-blog]

Ancient Greece

Chapter 7 gives us great insight into what Ancient Greece was and their value system. It talks about how the Greek language was very important back then and how they thought of themselves as the most civilized civilization in the entire world, based on their cultural identity because they were not really categorized by anything but this. They were also big into their government and literature and drama, mainly because everyone was involved and is what they take interest in. I find it very interesting the painting and pottery that is shown on some of these paintings and pottery that were created and how unique they are. The different styles between geometric style, orientalizing, and archaic are the most interesting to me only because of the different designs and the certain details that were put into it. Their sculptures also interest me because they symbolize their culture and what they believe in as a whole. It says that they were life-size humans or Egyptians and it amazes me how they put those together and the detail they put into it. The early classic style had certain sculptures pose and it is different from the rest of them and it is quite interesting to me. It looks aged because there are different spots on the body that are discolored and it speaks various volumes about the content of art that was created. The architecture also sparked an interest to me as well because it almost looks like something our president would live in because it looks very luxurious. The balance they had with building these buildings baffles me because it almost looks too good to be true. The Parthenon has to be the coolest looking because of all of the features that it involves. The Temple of Athena was also very cool to me because I think that the gold pops with color, and thus makes it special. It represents her well because she was a goddess of victory.

The podcast that I listened to had a lot to do with the word “beauty”. They used this word to describe certain values that the Greeks have valued as a culture. They talked about how men and women were valued by this be certain aspects of their characters and how beautiful some things really are. It kind of surprised me how into depth they went in with just word and how they cherished it because that takes a lot of knowledge and background. It was sort of different listening to this because it was very calming and you got a sense of both perspectives on the two men who were talking and I really enjoyed it. It almost made me think of the things I take for granted and where the true beauty in life comes from! I think that the main message I drew from this is that the Ancient Greeks valued simplistic things and were very appealed to the true beauty of life. Between the art and different styles of architecture, they really did have one of the best-civilized nations in the world.

[brycelorinmed15-blog]

Week 6 Ancient Egypt

This week’s reading about ancient Egypt really heald alot of information as well as so much insight to the lives of the people during this time. One of the first things I noticed is that you mostly learned about the pharaohs or Kings during this time and how much of the art created then was to use in some sort of ritual. Weather it was for protection, to appease the gods, or to show power, ritual through art seems to be a strong theme in this chapter. I thought it was really interesting how it was believed that the Pharaohs were the communication between earthly people and the gods, secondly I was thinking a little that the pharaohs were kinda vain, depicting themselves in so many different pieces of art such as The Palette of Narmer, or the Great Sphinx. The Palette of Narmer shows Narmer as the largest character on the front with a white crown, and with his legs, upper limbs and his head being situated so that they would have a sort of profile view while his eye and torso were situated towards the front or viewer of the palette. In the palette it shows several enemies of the pharaoh who are both deceased and one who is soon to be, at the hands of Narmer, with a god above holding a severed head on a rope. To me this I feel like this represents the approval of the gods and their acknowledgment of Narmer’s power as he has defeated the enemy. I also feel as though this piece really speaks true to the fact that the art during this time held significant value to the people of this culture and to their pharaohs so that they may show their power and their ability to please the gods. I also found the pyramids interesting for the fact that they held value to the culture in their beliefs of what they afterlife holds, burying their rulers with earthly possessions as well as reminders of their daily lives as they did believe in material existence after death as well as a continuation of their current existence in the after life. I found three particular pyramids to be especially intriguing those being the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Khufu, who was the father of Khafre, and Khafre, who was the father of Menkaure. Each of their pyramids lied on the banks of the Nile river in their own respective valley and all facing west to symbolize death as these were the burial places for the rulers during this time, some even containing mazes and dead ends in their passages so to foil grave robbers. The process of mummification also proved to be longer than I had expected it would be at 72 days. Starting with the embalming of the body where all organs were removed except for the heard as it held significant value, believed to be the seat of understanding. Once the body was finished being embalmed, it was treated with other oils, and ointments and then was bandaged up into as many as twenty layers of linen.

[samjochum7-blog]

This week did have a lot of insight on what life was like back then. How you talked about Ancient Egypt was very accurate. I thought it was very interesting how the mummification process worked and how that was a 72 day process. The Pharaohs were also big back then because they were the kings or the rulers and they would rule over the kingdom. Certain art back then also amazed me because of the attention to detail and how pure the art was and how realistic they made it for the time period they were in. All in all this was a great chapter to read and I learned a lot about ancient civilizations and how they lived back then and I’m glad you got a lot out of it too!

[samjochum7-blog]

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 talks primarily about Ancient Egypt and the content it informs. I honestly think this is the most interesting chapter I have studied by far because it talks about certain things such as pyramids, mummification, Pharaohs and much more. To start things off, Ancient Egypt was controlled by Pharaohs, or kings. I find it very interesting that these kings ruled entire kingdoms and were looked up to by so many. Two words that I was familiarized in this chapter was papyrus plants and hieroglyphs because I remember learning about them in my previous classes regarding the studies of art. The Old Kingdom is also something that was appeasing to me because it consisted of pyramids and the structure of them and how they were built and the largest of them all “the pyramid of Khufu”. This is so interesting to me because it takes us way back and just how some of these are still structured today is just very cool to me because it was such a long time ago, and you see all of these movies and shows that talk about them or have them on there that is appealing to you and it is amazing to see it now. Mummification is also very cool and interesting because of the process that it takes to do so. The way they have to constantly wrap the body and soak the material in a special blend of chemicals and let it dry in a 72 day process is crazy to me.

The sculptures that they talked about were also very cool to me because they reflected on their beliefs and represented their culture as a whole. The sculpture of the Pharaoh is such a great masterpiece and reflects the obedience that the people paid towards people like them because as a ruler, they relied on them and respected them so much.

The Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom offer a lot as well as they focus on the architecture part of Egypt and things such as temples and the magic behind that. Monumental architecture disrupted the confidence in the Pharaoh’s divine power though because the different works of art resembled a different mood to them and exemplified a new approach to the Middle Kingdom. This really tells us the the King had to have everything perfect to feed on their ego about who they are and what they are about. The New Kingdom actually tells and gives us more insight on how temples were made and the different materials that were used to do so and it is very unique to me.

The paintings back then were even exquisit and vivid and so beautiful. They used many different colors to tell a story or modify a part of their culture and I love that. The one thing that caught my eye was the Tutankhamon’s Tomb, because I know I have seen it before and it is pretty famous and it is the one thing that if I could see it and touch it in real life, one of my life goals would be made for sure! Once again, I really enjoyed this chapter and many parts baffled me about the works of art and the perfection they put into every single thing they constructed.

[lucasosty-blog]

Week 4 near east

In this chapter, we begin to talk about the beginnings of art in the near east and the first documents of literature. “Within the near east, it produced the first known poetry, documented and written history, religious texts, and economic records.”(p.33). But these weren’t the only things that were produced out of the near east, these people slowly grew apart from the traditional nomadic hunting to a more settled part of life. Like farming off the land and herding animals to rely on food. With this development of a city also came ritual beliefs. That the citizens would pray to gods like Inanna the goddess of fertility, love, and war. Even poems have been recovered showing them honoring her power. As an example from the book

“In the pure places of the steppe,

On the high roofs of the dwellings,

On the platforms of the city,

They make offerings to her:

Piles of incense like sweet-smelling cedar,

Fine sheep, fat sheep, long-haired sheep,

Butter, cheese, dates, fruits of all kinds.”(p.35)

This poem represents how the people of the near east would create poetry and writings to honor their gods and goddess’s in hope of a good growing season.

Another focus of this chapter is Mesopotamia also known as the center of the near east civilization. Within this area, they would build things called ‘ziggurats’ which was an elevated temple to honor gods. Because these people believed each city was under some form of protection from a god and they were tasked with honoring this god in return for protection.

Fast forwarding down the timeline between c.1900-539 b.c. the creation of Babylon begins which was the first dynasty during this time period. But with the creation of civilization came laws and these laws that were created are a tad absurd not all but some. Some laws that we can relate back to our daily lives would be, the Tallion law which is basically eye for an eye. But an absurd law that was used during this time period would be the idea that an accused adulterer would be thrown into the water and if they sank they were guilty.

In the end, the near east is such an interesting and unique civilization that we have so much more to learn from and see its impacts around the rest of the ancient world.

[samjochum7-blog]

When you talk about how they were the first known to come up with literature, you are very correct and the fact that they struggled with the agriculture with farming and such, they really had to master their irrigation techniques and systems in order to survive. I also found it very interesting you included ziggurats because I included that in my blog as well. It baffles me the certain things they built and how that carried on in ancient history because it was a major piece and evidently is something we still study today because it is a part of our human history. The laws back then that they created were crazy as well, and I can agree with you that they were a little absurd but we’re based off what would complete their societal needs. I found that Mesopotamia was the most interesting to me because I studied this previously in my history class so I have a bit of a background but not much, so hearing about this familiarized me a bit more with this!

[samjochum7-blog]

Week 4

Chapter 4 talks about the ancient Near East and how they were the ones who invented writing. It talks about how this enabled people to keep documents and to create a body of literature, and how they came up with the first known epic poetry, written history, religious texts, and economic records. These were based on certain traditions they shared and shed a light on the artists that came up with this work.

The Neolithic Era was a time period way before the Near East period and focused more on agriculture and animal herding. We learn that with the droughts and floods, it made it hard to grow crops so society came in effect and they learned how to manage water supplies and irrigation systems. Jericho and Catal Huyuk were two major settlements that were discussed and are known to be the world’s oldest sites.

Mesopotamia is another major thing that was discussed which is known as the “land between the rivers”. The climate was pretty bad and so they had to know how to work the irrigation systems because of it. This era ended and started the new period with the first known monumental temples. The Uruk Period was known to be the Protoliterate which was the the first writing was developed. It talks about how certain conventions had generally recognized features of representation which was evident that the characteristics of Near Eastern art. Ziggurats were very important back then because they built many things for the architecture part and that word is which means raised, and I think this is pretty cool because they were the ones who made the altars back then or the tall stairs. It is also very crazy to think about how these ancient settlements were the ones who converted pictures to words because that carries on in human history and is something we use today, not only for our own knowledge but to use it to look back on our ancestors and how certain things are the way they are and it is very important to know in life. The architecture was also something that was carried on because it is the lifestyle we live today and we have learned how to do all of this from the settlements back then because it is when it all started. The figures and different people they have represented in the pages represent their culture and to resemble what they believe in and the meaning behind it. It baffles me how they come up with some of these castle looking projects with the symbols on them and how it is so perfect and symmetrical and I think it is very neat. Looking at the artwork, it had to take so long to put that to perfection because creating the soldiers to be perfect would be tough especially since they do not have the designated tools to make it easier for them to make sure it is a masterpiece. It makes me wonder the things they put together, how it looked perfect for so long, meaning wouldn’t they fade over time or are the things they used to put it together meant to last over time?

[lucasosty-blog]

week 3 prehistoric Europe

This weeks chapter was over prehistoric Europe discussing famous artworks ranging from c. 75,000 all the way to 1800 b.c. But I’ve decided to put my focus on one of the most unique and bizarre pieces of artwork, Stonehenge. This artwork has stunned millions of people across the world and has had people asking for generations on how in the hell did they make this? There are many theories as to how this was constructed but let’s start from the beginning. The first obstacle to constructing this would be the fact that there are two different types Stonehenge is made out of sarsen and bluestone which is the more controversial piece due to the fact that getting these rocks to Stonehenge meant that they had to travel over 250 kilometers. So this leaves the first question, how? The three main theories are that people constructed a type of boat to help take it down the river, but the only problem with this is that these bluestones located at Stonehenge all weigh between 2 to 4 tons. So the odds of this are unlikely but still possible. But a natural look on this situation would be that these bluestones were moved by glaciers, but this theory is usually denied due to the fact that people want to believe the determination of imagination and creativity is what drove this project for the ancient people. The argument for this thought is that there is little to no evidence showing quarrying of these rocks that show a direct link to Stonehenge. I don’t doubt that these quarries were used before but were they used for Stonehenge? But the counter-argument to this is that evidence has been found at these quarries of mining and the rocks from both sites do share similarities. The last piece of evidence found at these quarries is the fact that large wooden platforms and tools which are believed to help move the rocks to Stonehenge.

But on to the last is that the ancient people transported them over land using different tools and techniques. The only problem with this is how do you transport a few tons across a few hundred kilometers? You would have to deal with the terrain, bodies of water, weather, and animals. This theory may have the most evidence to back it but, it would most definitely be a dangerous path. But Stonehenge is to believe to be a religious ritual site. So seeing people go to these lengths for their religious beliefs doesn’t surprise me at all.

In the end, the only way we can figure out the true meaning of Stonehenge is if we travel back in time. Till that day comes, if it comes, we’re left interpreting what these mysterious people left behind.

[samjochum7-blog]

I find it very interesting in how you took interest in Stonehenge, and how they made it and the theories behind it. You also brought up a great point about how they would transport a couple tons for a certain period of land they had to cover. You covered how they could encounter certain things like bodies of water, and dangers of nature, and I think this is a great point to your theory because it would be a lot to encounter a lot of the obstacles they probably did. I throughly enjoyed reading this because it gave me something new to interpret so great job!!

[samjochum7-blog]

Week 3

From chapter 3, we learn about prehistoric Western Europe and the culture behind it with the art that they provide. It talks about certain art that marks an important mark on their history and why it is so critical to them, and they go way into depth with it. It talks about why it was made and how it was made and what it symbolized to them. This whole chapter takes you way back and gives you a visual of what it looks like, and comparing that to art nowadays, it is really something quite special. It talked about the composition of the artwork and how it lasts for so long because it says they come from as far back as b.c times. They used different materials and tools to make it last. The one thing that stood out to me the most was the the fat looking troll and what that meant to them because it proved so much importance and sustainability throughout history. I say I like it so much because I see those pieces in everyday living when driving by houses I notice they have these sitting outside, and I never knew the meaning of them until now. All in all, I learned a lot about this chapter, and I found a lot of these things to be pretty interesting.

Something I found was a new theory about the origins of art and talked about Homo sapiens. It talks about how archeologists still can not find a reason behind why these cave paintings have stuck around for so long for around 37,000 years from small sculpted objects. It says that since Paleolithic art, theories have abounded what it has meant to ice-age hunter-gatherer creators. Although they ponder this theory, they focus more on the fact of modern preconceptions regarding the function of art and that is how can we tell the remote and alien societies of how it created the first images? The first clue to this came from handprints that were estimated to be from 67,000 years ago, which depicted the earliest features of animals from a considerable period. They argue that the handprints supplied the idea to archaic humans that a graphic mark could act as a representation for us humans. From my understanding, it is hard to see how these marks were created so long ago, and how they are still visible to us today, with how many new things that have been created and the visitors that have come to explore and discover new things so it completely baffles me how these art pieces are still alive today, and my theory is the fact that maybe they used a special mix to make it last forever, or they made sure they did it in an atmosphere that no would even think of exploring. As I said, it blows my mind that scientists come up with these kinds of theories because I would never think of a suggestion like the foundings that I came upon. Another thing I kind of ponder is the fact that maybe the different gods they praised back then helped them out with their sustainability to make it last forever or if it is just a miracle.

[lucasosty-blog]

Week 2 Art History

1.

Personally, I love art I think its an amazing thing. Humans create it and it gives us this natural strive for beauty. And everything in our world has some form of artistic value, everything we experience from rain on a cold day to being at your favorite band’s concert, it all has some form of artistic value to it. But when we experience these things they can change our emotions and go as far to influence who you are as a person. So to me, that’s the value of art it defines human emotions.

2.

Art has played a huge role in my life, mostly movies, music, and books. But when I was younger I always liked watching crime shows like NCIS, criminal minds, and just any documentaries about anything down that ally. With those shows so much in my younger life, it influenced me to start reading a lot of mystery books. Besides from nonfiction books, mystery was the only genre I enjoyed. But thankfully when I was younger I was always able to go to the Mississippi river museum. Which helped spark an interest in history and science for myself. So with all these, it really helped motivate me to find other interest, from doing computer repairs to joining the robotics team those few artistical things really influenced me down the road. Even as I grew older I started playing baseball and I remember I had a picture of the iconic Norman Rockwell picture “The Dugout” hung up in my room and when I would play I would always think of that picture. But also around this time is when I started to watch horror movies and the great thing about the horror genre is that it’s just completely different from all other genres and it feels like a breeze of fresh air. Because it goes against the idea of you need to feel comfortable when enjoying something. Plus it brings emotions other genres cant touch on as much as horrors like anxiety, fear, fright, and suspense. But in the end, Art has had a lot of direct and indirect impacts on my life and everyone’s life.

3.

Mrs. Dissanayake starts off her book with a great point “There is an inherent pleasure in making”

And this couldn’t be truer the whole point of art is for entertainment, to gain feedback and make something even more amazing. We as humans strive for accomplishment Mrs. Dissanayake talks about how seeing her daughter grow up from creating things from paper and glue to screenwriting plays just go to shows how it is our human instinct to create. But she makes another point that’s interesting. That art is a behavior and she backs this claim by talking about how seventy thousand years ago people were elongating their skulls and this definitely isn’t the only case of something like this. Things like scarification, elongating of the neck, piercings, and even tattoos. These things give us a reason as Mrs. Dissanayake said to “artify” to be different from each other and have uniqueness. In reality, these things have no medical purposes or no real gain except the gain to be unique. What she ultimately tries to get at in this book is that humans are naturally artistic animals and its just part of who we are.

[samjochum7-blog]

Lucas, 

You make a great point by saying art has been a major part of your life with movies, art, and a lot of others.  I can relate to this on so many levels as well because it has played a major role in my life because it has helped me through so many situations, like music, because the message it gives off is so strong that it makes me happy.  When you talk about Dissanyake, she does make a great point with starting out with that quote because it sums up the moral of what she tries to convey with her story.  She sees the true beauty in art, and she has great detail to support her claims. 

[samjochum7-blog]

Week 2

As seen in chapter 2, we look at the language of art and how to all connects together.  It talks about how things such as composition, balance, lines, color use, to express different shades, perspectives, textures, light and color, and more. These are all things that in my opinion are the value in art.  They send off different messages which expresses why the masterpiece was put together. Art has been a major part of my life. I do not mean paintings or cave drawings or any of that nature.  Rather, I believe music has made a major impact on my life because it has so much meaning behind it.  It can give you mixed emotions and put you in a certain mood whether it be happy or sad.  It usually puts me in a relaxed or satisfied mood so that I feel better about myself and I am sure most can agree.  I listen to a lot of different varieties of music that like I said put me in a certain mood, and it has been a major part of my life. Music can set the mood for anything as well.  For example, if you are with a group of people whether it is for fun or serious, it can set the mood for that event or gathering.  I know with my friends we listen to a lot of rap music to get us hyped up or feel a certain way about something that happened, or something that is going on in our lives. Different companies use it for advertisement as well whether it’s enthusiastic or depressing.  For example, the animal abuse commercial induces depression and sadness due to the music they produce to sell you on donating.  Without the music, people might ignore it or just not think much of it.  

Dissanyake talks about a lot of different things that I believe are very important to let us, as humans question ourselves about the way life goes and how we should focus more on human nature and where we come from and rather technology and science and it is something that I think is very important for us.  She talks about how joie de faire stresses certain things socio culture and function, and that all of their works are admired for the natural beauty it persuades. This comes from touch, mold, and form that it gives off that is what it is known for.  I believe this is awesome because everything comes from it’s natural domain, which is something Dissanyake talks about when she first wrote this.  I know where she is coming from when she talks about all of this I challenge her to try to change people on their philosophy about depending on technology and science, because as I have said before, I firmly believe that we come from our own culture and that is what defines us instead of things such as social media and others, and reading this was very reassuring for myself because it is nice to see someone shares the same beliefs as myself.

[lucasosty-blog]

Trevi Fountain Art |history week 1

My favorite piece of art would have to be the Trevi fountain. I enjoy the simplicity of it and how clean and amazing it looks.

[brycelorinmed15-blog]

I also really enjoy this piece, Lucas! I’ve never heard of it but wow, all of those sculptures are amazing and must have taken some serious work to complete. I also like how this features water with all the stone and sculptures. 

[samjochum7-blog]

Bryce this art work is truly amazing. I enjoy the simplicity of it as well and it looks very nice. I would love to see this in person sometime if I had the opportunity!!