Grace's Thoughts

[catelizfields-blog]

Gothic Art Chapter 13

Out of all the chapter, i was most excited about this topic. The word gothic has many different meanings but you can ask a group of people what type of picture the word “gothic” paints in their mind and I’m sure there will be similarities like darkness, black, and an eve presence. I never went through the “emo” phase or gothic phase in the teenage years as most people say you go through, but gothic influences have always caught my attention in art, film, and structures. I have always been a vampire fan even when I Was younger,watching the movie “the Little Vampire” the home that the characters stayed in were there’s great big stone homes that looked like castles. They had strep and pointy roofs with dark colored stained glass. Their clothing were these immaculate threaded gowns that had tiny details that made the gowns look like they have hemming of gold. The buttress piers i think are the location of the gargoyles you see on the movies when they play the intense piano music and have the wolf howling in the background. The cathedrals that were built with Gothic style are very neat with their vaulted ceilings. I love hearing acoustic versions of music in cathedrals because of the sound and would love to hear it in one of these cathedrals. When you think of gothic, it almost seems like that and a church shouldn’t be in the same object, but then I think that the evil perception that follows goth was all an interpretation from us as the viewers. Just like how people each have their different interpretation of a portrait of statue and have their own meaning for it, that is where the evil and scary views of “gothic” style may have come from.

I like this chapter because it shows the origin of gothic style and whole other view/meaning of it. The structures are beautiful and made up of so many different details such as the door jamb statues on page 210. When you look from afar oat the Chartres Cathedral, it would look like a great building, and you look closer and notice the portals above the doors that represent a the Second coming of Christ. It reminds me of that portrait that of that lady with and umbrella standing on the greenery with the small child next to her and people in the distance and when you look closer, you see that it is made up of these tiny different colored dots. Looking at these cathedrals, I want to travel so bad and see these structures in real life. I bet you can stand next to them and feel minuscule compared to the size. I like to know how things are made and build and the time that it took for them to create the massive steeples. I wonder what structures we have here in America that reflects the gothic style like Rome has apart from some church structures.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

I also asked a few people what they saw when I said the words “Gothic Art” and like you mentioned, they were similar! Dark colors and dark, scary makeup were two popular answers. Also like you, I went through a vampire phase. I actually recently watched all seasons of the show vampire diaries and plan on re-watching them! One thing I really liked about this chapter was what lays beneath the surface. People didn’t mention the sophisticated architecture or the stained glass windows when asked about Gothic art but both of those are a huge part to this chapter in our book. Great blog post! It really got me to think. 

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

Gothic Art

Like I have mentioned previously in my blog posts, I am infatuated with large and sophisticated architecture. There is just something about it that takes my breath away. Maybe it’s the thought of all the time and effort people put into building whatever they were building or maybe it is the fact that even after hundreds of years, some of those buildings are still standing! Regardless of the reason, I was quite happy when I opened the textbook to chapter thirteen and read the first sentence about how “gothic cathedrals are among the greatest and most elaborate monuments in stone” (A History of Western Art, page 198). Following this page, there was a header with the title Saint-Denis. After further research I found that Saint-Denis was an architectural landmark being the first major structure with significant Gothic style and built during the Gothic period. This church is very large and took significant planning. There are large columns inside, which support arches, and the whole building seemed lighter! The way it was built was very different from the dark Romanesque architecture. The thinness of the walls and lightness all around gathered great attention. It was noted that this particular style was popular in northern and central France. In the following years, more than eighty Gothic cathedrals were built.

Significant differences were rib vaults, piers, flying buttresses, pointed arches, and the skeleton. Rib vaults are said to replace the earlier “barrel vaults that were seen in Romanesque architecture.” Adding these were said to distribute weight more evenly and thus making everything lighter. Piers were the supports used to hold up the nave. This is where the colonnettes attach to. Similarly, to Romanesque style, compound piers became a standard Gothic feature. Buttresses are basically a way of reinforcing a structure. In Romanesque times, walls were very thick but during Gothic times, walls were thinner. This adds to my earlier statement about how overall, structures during this time were lighter and thinner. One interesting thing I learned was cathedrals belong in cities unlike rural churches. Overall, I think I like Gothic style more than I like Romanesque because Romanesque style is very bulky looking, thick, and normally is composed of smaller windows. On the other hand, Gothic buildings typically have pointed arches (one way to tell the two apart), larger windows, and ribbed vaulting.

I find stained glass windows beautiful! I have watched someone once make a stained-glass window and it takes a lot of precision and patience, two qualities I occasionally lack. Well, during the Gothic period, Suger was inspired by the light and decided to make stained glass windows and put them in the cathedral windows. Two primary colors used in these windows were red and blue which contrasted with the golds. Because I have such an affinity for stained glass, I looked up pictures of Gothic inspired windows. Pictured above is one I found really interesting. Could you imagine how much light could flow through these colored windows? Stained glass windows were made most often in the Romanesque period but once the Gothic period came, they were made for religious purposed buildings. This was a great chapter! 

[nathanbildstein-blog]

Ch. 12

Romanesque art was very interesting to learn about. “The term Romanesque refers to a broad range of styles, embracing the regional variants that flourished in Western Europe in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.” I liked all the economic and political developments throughout this time period. Thru feudalism and the manorial system military and political equilibrium was achieved. I never really thought about economic growth throughout this class, but I find it fascinating to learn about it in different cultures. I also really loved seeing the cool architecture in this chapter. Romanesque architects constructed big, beautiful churches. They made such big churches because of the influx of pilgrims. The picture of the church on page 186 was gorgeous. I feel as if the older style churches look incredibly unique. Inside of the church looks gorgeous as well. The statues, the pillars, everything, it all looks so amazing. It’s truly amazing how well built these churches are. The fact that they are still standing today shows how well the architects really knew what they were doing. Not only are they built so structural sound, but they also look very unique. The inside and outside look gorgeous. The new developments in decorating the cathedrals was cool to see. Its sculptural decoration was carved by Gislebertus. These decorations representing how religious and holy their culture was. The sculptures were carved to perfection and described their culture perfectly. I think the artwork that I thought was very neat was the manuscripts. The illuminated manuscripts produced in the monasteries were the greatest achievements of Romanesque art. The patterns and design on them look incredible. The contrast within the manuscript makes certain parts pop out, and others fade perfectly. Similar to the manuscripts, the mural paintings looked gorgeous. The contrast within the paintings were done perfectly. The artists who created these were amazing artists. They painted these paintings on churches and chapels walls. Just like all the artwork in this culture, they are decorative and provide a teaching aspect about life. I really like how artist expressed their cultures thru sculptures, paintings, and manuscripts. The architecture of the churches within this culture was also very valuable. The decorations within them showed how they loved religion and looked up the rulers. This was a very interesting chapter. I thought it was cool to see the different artwork in the culture because it served as multiple purposes. The art was beautiful, which is why it was used for decorating churches and chapels, and also served as a teaching from artist. Romanesque art was awesome I thought, the different pieces of artwork showed how diverse their culture was. 

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

I agree that I haven’t put much thought into economic growth during this class but like you mentioned, this chapter did point out some interesting information about this growth in other cultures. Also like you mentioned, the architecture in this chapter is my favorite! It is truly amazing how huge and beautiful these buildings were and still are. The paintings done on the walls (murals) were also very pretty. This was probably all around my favorite chapter this semester! Great blog post!

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

Romanesque Art 

Romanesque art flourished in Western Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries. This art can be most easily described as medieval art that shares qualities with Roman style. Some basic examples of this would be round arches, stone vaults, thick walls, and exterior relief sculpture (A History of Western Art, pg. 184). During this time, you can also see a huge jump in the number of buildings built. The book lists off a few specifics such as cathedrals and churches. In my own opinion, the churches and cathedrals built during this time are truly amazing! They are very tall and look quite extravagant. They almost look like a castle to me. After looking into this style of art further, I do see a repeating pattern of large arch ways and a stone-looking exterior.

Like we read about last week, the Muslim culture was expanding more and more and continued to into the south and from the East. On the other hand, by the first half of the 11th century, Christianity was in the ascendant in Western Europe (A History of Western Art, pg. 184).

Architecture, like I mentioned earlier was quite extravagant. One reason the book mentioned that churches were built so large was because the needed to accommodate huge groups of pilgrims. The two most sacred pilgrimages sites were Jerusalem and Rome (A History of Western Art, pg. 185). My favorite part about this section and part of the last one is the extravagant buildings they built. One of the new developments that took place during this time was wooden roofs with stone barrel vaults. The reason being was it lessened the risk of fire and actually improved acoustics. Depending on what room these changes were made in, I think it was a really good idea! Sound could be better amplified, and fire damage could be prevented.

The most important part of the church for the pilgrims was the Saint’s relics. After reading this information, I wanted to better understand what a relic was and why they were so important. By definition, a relic is a part of a deceased person that is kept in reembrace of them. The Saint’s relics were said to have been made a pure gold and were actually formed around the shape of the Saints skull. I think this is very cool! The book shows a picture of the statue of Sainte-Foy. Standing about 33 inches high, this relic is embellished with colorful stones. There are crosses cut into the base of the chair, and the statue is holding its arms out like they are reaching for someone. The chair they are is sitting in looks like a throne and alone with the wrap they are wearing on her head, any person could guess that they are from some form of royalty.

Huge wall murals were painted on church walls and inside of chapels. One painter would often travel from place to place completing multiple murals at the same time. Wall murals were didactic, included teaching styles, and were functional. After looking at more painting, I now realize how huge they are! They are very colorful and often had people in them. One mural that I saw over and over was a mural of a man in a blue coat that appeared to have a halo on his head. I couldn’t imagine how long it would take to paint these and especially at this high of a height! It would also be hard to paint on the dome shaped ceilings.

[marissareichardposts-blog]

Week 14 Blog

Chapter 11 was about the Early Middle Ages. Islam was talked about in the beginning of the chapter. Islam is a religion. It has been a very talked about religion as of late. People have very strong feelings about this religion. I am not one to judge how others live their lives so I do not pay attention to the things that are said. I found the Islamic art to be very interesting. The paintings were of abstract geometric and floral patterns. In islam they believed that sculpture were the work of satan and because of that sculptures are nonexistent in Islamic art. Their architecture was a big deal though. The architectural expression came through the creations of mosques. This is where Muslims went to pray. I just learned this year from a classmate that converted to Islam that you have to kneel and face Mecca when you are praying. They pray many times throughout the day. As Islam spread throughout the West they needed more mosques which helped to expand the architecture and art of the Middle Ages. The art that was put in these mosques was absolutely beautiful. They were so detailed and their was so much thought put into them.  

Anglo-Saxon metalwork was amazing. One example the book gave was the cover of a purse that was found in a pagan ship burial. A belief from back in that time was that boats carried the souls of the dead after they died to the afterlife. This purse cover was made of gold. It would be so amazing to have someone care about you so much that they make something out of gold for you. It is so interesting to me that the people thought that their souls were being sailed to the afterlife. I can see where they would get that from. I wish we had more things like that now-a-days. Everything is more black and white now. People do not like to think outside of the box.

Hiberno-Saxon art is from Ireland. I love everything about Ireland. It has so much rich history and I just think it is such a beautiful country. From 563 to 597 the expansion of art occurred. They created manuscript illuminations. I’ve never heard of them until I read this chapter. They are hand-decorated pages of text. They were important because of the bible and for the expansion of christianity. They put geometric designs on these manuscripts.

During the Ottonian Period was named after the three rulers Otto. They ruled an empire that only included Germany and parts of Italy. Metalwork and architecture were the two main points of this time. I love how much thought was put into the creation of the different churches and mosques that were talked about in this chapter. When people care about something it can turn out beautifully. All it takes is a little effort. I wish that happened more these days. This chapter showed me how were are laking effort these days.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

You did a good job organizing your blog post. Mine was done pretty similarly! I like how you added your own personal experience with someone who practiced the Islamic religion in your school. Personally, I really liked learning about another religion in this chapter. Where I go to school, there are not very many students in each grade and everyone is relatively similar with their beliefs and practices. So, it made it all the more cool learning about Islam. Keep up the great work!

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

The Early Middle Ages

Islamic Art

Normally, Early Middle Ages generally covers the time after the decline of the Roman Empire and the time from the seventh to the end of the tenth century. “As the Roman Empire declined, Germanic tribes overran Western Europe, affecting artistic development and producing radical changes in social and political organizations” (A history of Western Art, 2011), but there was another large influence on the Middle East. It was Islam.

Islamic paintings were full of geometric shapes and floral patterns. One cool fact I read was the people of Islam considered sculpture a work of Satan and consequently sculptures aren’t easily found in their art history. On the other hand, architectural decorations flourish and took their own spin on things. One primary form of architecture was the mosque. This is where Muslims came to pray and worship Muhamad. One of the most important things that they had to do while worshiping was face Mecca. After further research, I found that Mecca is a town that Muhamad was born in. In early times, faithful followers were able to pray in any building they were in as long as they faced Mecca. They were able to know which way to face based up where the mihrab was located. The mihrab is a small niche that indicates the direction of Mecca. All mosques have a sahn, or an enclosed court yard and a qibla. Qiblas are basically prayer walls. As Islamic beliefs spread to the West, more and more mosques were needed to be built.

Northern European Art

               The medieval Islamic influence primary stayed in the South. This was because the ruler Charles Martel hated the Muslim invasion. The North was influenced more by Germanic tribes. During this time, there were invasions which in return made for no new architecture, sculptures, or paintings to be produced. This wasn’t all bad though, because of the invasions, the metalwork designs were copied from the invaders. One example of this medal work is the seventh century cover of a purse. It was gold and was embellished with dark red garments. My first impressions on this after looking at a picture was that this object looks heavy. It also must have been only made for the wealthiest of people because it was made from gold and garnets. Archeologists say that if you want to get a good feel of this time, look at the burial sites. Many were full of warfare objects and armor. The Northern European category encompasses Hiberno-Saxon Art, the Carolingian period, and many other things. Education was important at this time and therefor manuscripts plated a significant role in the education and culture of the area. Because of their portable nature, they could be taken just about anywhere. One famous manuscript was The Four Evangelists. This manuscript shows what appears to be four men in the corners of the paper writing on white pieces of paper. There is a rolling hills background with lots of color behind the men and also an eagle in the top right corner.

[blognicholeaclemen-blog]

Week 16: Chapter 13

At first glance of the images in this chapter I feel that a lot of current church styles where inspired by this period with the pointed tops and grand scale design. During this time period (Gothic), mostly takes place in France which houses one of the most famous churches Notre Dame.

During this time, one of the largest parts of throughout this chapter is based off churches and their design and the differences between them. One of the earlier designs was based Saint-Denis which featured large stained windows and large elaborate pillars to expand the grand design and room for people to be there for worship. Rib vaults were very common and a new way form to vault a ceiling by connecting the vaults together in sets of two or three so make a rib appearance (hence the name). Another very common aspect of Gothic times are the pointed arches and steeples. It adds to height and dimension dynamically, it also draws the attention for the churches to be the standout feature of the town, this is still very popular in modern day churches and cathedrals to have pointed top steeples to draw attention over the rest of the city.

One of my favorite movies as a kid was the Hunchback of Notre Dame which has the church as the main setting for the movie, one of the opening scenes is the church standing out over all the houses and buildings for its height being so grand and within the movie it provides sanctuary to people who are in destress with situations in their lives, it was deemed a safe place.

Within the church, the light comes through the windows. One of the new forms of art was the stain glass windows that are still popular today. These colors designed glass portray stories or themes form the bible or religion based or even church based. The colors at this time were mostly blues and reds with gold contrast colors. The use of stained windows was first introduced in the early Christian and Byzantine churches with addition to the Romanesque time but during the Gothic times became very prevalent to churches thanks to Abbot Suger who was educated in Saint-Denis and spread the idea that the colored glass was easier and more represented by God seeping through the window.

Throughout the Gothic era churches started to strive and advances to the style of the churches. Cathedrals were designed with a royal aspect basically deriving from the word throne. Cathedrals were supposed to be a more elaborate church and be presented on a more grander scale. Detail to the outside of the building increased with statues and figures to influence guidance to the faith. Churches are their own art form, throughout these last few chapters the ties to Christianity hold a large purpose and power. Most of the art are tied to Christianity and Islam, expanding the religion greatly by reaching more people due to the large churches and monasteries and the stories told throughout the buildings art.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

Like you mentioned, the architecture of churches took up a large portion in this week’s chapter reading. You also mentioned the large stained windows and I had to see more images for myself! I love stained glass and find it very fascinating. I had different pieces of stained glass in my house growing up and since have appreciated this type of art. I have never seen the movie “Hunchback of Notre Dame” but looked it up after you mentioned it and was in awe with the stain glass windows! They are so large and made up of so many different colors. Keep up the good work! 

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

This week when asked to choose a nonwestern region and look at their art history dating back from 1 A.D.-500A.D., China stood out to me. My boyfriend’s sister and her significant other both have been studying Chinese in college. The two of them have been to China multiple times and have brought back lots of trinkets and pictures of this unique country that seems so far away, but really, is seen quite frequently in out everyday lives. One of the first things mentioned when reading an overview of China’s Art History is the Han Dynasty. This long chain of hereditary rulers believed in the development of Confucianism and the acceptance of Mahayana Buddhism, one of the two main traditions of Buddhism practiced. This time period is now referred to as the “golden age of ancient China” and was a large factor in much of Chinese culture. This era was full of peace and prosperity and lasted over 400 years. In fact, Luoyang, the second Han capital, is still on of the largest cities in the ancient world! During this time, calligraphy and painting also expanded in the south, but one of the most influential happenings of this time was the development of paper. The first documented use of paper is dated back to 109 A.D.

It just seems fitting to talk about Buddhism and the art that comes along with it when learning about ancient China. Buddhism is actually China’s oldest foreign religion. Ancient Buddhism involves the teaching of meditation to reach a state of enlightenment. During the Han dynasty, Buddhism was full of magical practices which made it compatible with Taoism (folk beliefs/practices). The Buddha was the God many people believed in and worshiped at this time. Art during this time was more than just basic art, it was the way people presented the philosophical approach to life. The art they produced was often minimal and without artifice (cartwright, 2017). Popular materials during this time were wood, bamboo, and whatever they needed to create calligraphy. Popular themes of the Chinese paintings were portraits of important people such as monks (or court officials) and landscape images.

Chapter Ten

“Christianity began as one of the many Eastern cults in the Mediterranean world and in Rome itself during the first century after Christ”. Like many other cults or religions of this time, Christianity promised eternal salvation for the people who were faithful followers, but it was also different than most other cults of this time because of two very important things; rituals and refusing to worship the emperor as the embodiment of the state. Christian rituals didn’t involve animal sacrifices and because Christianity rejected the Roman and Greek pantheons, Christianity appealed to the lower classes of society.

Early Christianity’s structure included round, polygon shaped buildings. Everything radiated from a central point and was encompassed by a dome. Some of these large buildings were used during baptisms and others were mausolea’s (tomb like places). In my own life, I have seen many pictures of these extravagant buildings many of which are in Italy. The Santa Constanza in Rome is a great example. This church was built in the 4th century in Rome. It was built during the reign of Constantine for his daughter with colored stone veneers and a dome roof.

A Common theme during this time evident in the art was death and resurrection. These ideas were pulled from stories in the old testament of the bible. One example would be the story of Jonah being swallowed by the wale and spending three days in the belly. This story is seen as a preview to Christ’s own death and resurrection. Salvation also echoes through many of the stories in the bible. Being a Christian myself, I found this chapter to be one of my favorites. I love learning new things and this chapter definitely taught me a lot about Christian art history.

[arthistoryjillian]

Ancient Rome

In reading about Ancient Roman art at the beginning of chapter nine, it sounded as if the people began to create art right from the beginning.  It was almost as if they were establishing their own culture and aesthetic before anything else.  Of course, certain aspects of the art style had changed with each king, but the overall look of it remained the same.  Architecture was a focal point of Rome’s art.  Glorifying the empire as a whole as well as accommodating a growing population was something of a challenge; however, the Romans had architectural techniques that killed two birds with one stone.  Arched roofs doubled as passageways in some cases and the domes atop of some buildings allowed more space inside.  By the end of the first century B.C., there was a common housing format that was used among most (wealthy) Roman citizens.  There were multiple bedrooms, slave accommodations, wine cellars, and storage space surrounding a foyer or entrance hall of sorts.  In the middle class, the housing was held above shops and other facilities.  Multiple families lived above the facilities in separate areas, but they shared some accommodations like kitchens.  Other public buildings, like the Basilica Ulipa were treated as public art in a sense.  The Basilica was a huge roofed building used for law.  The building has different areas for different purposes and it was also adorned with marble and bronze, which brought beauty to the building.   The Coliseum is one of the most recognized architectural pieces within Rome.  It may appear as a giant arena for games and other competitions.  But what most people don’t see are the passageways within the arena and the maze-like structures underneath the center playing field (referencing to figure 9.13 on p. 135 of textbook).  The unseen intricacy in Roman architecture is an art in itself and the Coliseum is a great example of that

Painting and sculpting are the two other forms of art most associated with Ancient Rome.  Most sculptures are derived from myths, religion, and other commemorative purposes.  The Ara Pacis is one of the most symbolic marble monuments found in Rome during Augustus’s reign.  This piece celebrates the Peace of Augustus after the emperor had made peace with the Gauls and returned back to Rome.  So, it is appropriate to say that this art piece celebrates and commemorates a political change in Rome.  Although it is common to say that Greek and Roman art at the time were very similar, this Roman works depicts Greek motifs, but the subjects are Roman.  Subjects of Roman art were usually using humanism.  Busts, sculptures, and paintings were created to depict a realistic picture of human kind.  The humanistic work done in Ancient Rome and Greece were accurate and very detailed.  If a person were to look close enough at a sculpture of a man, they would be able to see the curls in his hair, the wrinkles on his face and the veins in his arms and hands.  The part that catches my eye, though, is the clothing worn by the people within the art pieces.  The robes and togas drape over the bodies with each wrinkle and each fold in the material hanging just as it would in real life.  Depth played a large role in humanism, I believe and Rome did a fantastic job at capturing detail and realism.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

You mentioned how architecture was a huge part in Roman art and I completely agree! The majority of this chapter was about how Romans built things, the structure of them, and famous buildings. I looked into architecture more on my own and found that there are similarities between what the Romans built then, and what we know as architecture today! The white house was one example I found fascinating. The arches and pillars are like the ones the Romans used. One thing I didn’t think about, that your post brought to my attention, was the clothing worn in the pictures! It’s so realistic just like it would be worn in real life.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

Ancient Rome

“The political supremacy of Athens lasted only about fifty years” but on the other hand, Rome survived for nearly five hundred years. After the death of Alexander the Great, Rome began to expand and grow larger in power into the Mediterranean Sea. There were many important differences between Rome and Ancient Greece. While Greek art often leaned more towards idealization and a classical ideal, Roman art was commemorative, narrative, and based on actual history vs. myths like the Greeks. Roman art was often copied by Greek art.

According to legend, Rome was founded from the twins, Romulus and Remus, who were taken care of by a wolf who raised them as her own, but there are two sides to every story. The Greeks say that Rome was created by the Trojan hero of Athens. Eventually these two stories came together into one. After some extra readings about the legends of Rome, I found some information that I found really interesting! Remember the two twin brothers previously mentioned? Legend has it that Romulus killed Remus and named the city after himself! Talk about a sibling rivalry! After further reading, I found out how similar Greek and Roman myths were. Romans believed in Greek Gods from Mount Olympus. Some of the names were changed from what the Greeks called these Gods such as a man named Zeus. Zeus became Jupiter in these legends. Aside from the name change, many of these myths are very similar. This is because Romans based a lot of their myths off the Greeks.

Roman architectural types were similar to the ones of the Greeks but also different in a number of ways. The Roman Domus or” home” was the atrium. This was a large hall that entered from the street. The roof usually sloped inward and had a rectangular opening. As time went on, more rooms surrounded this large room such as bedrooms, slave rooms, wine cellars, or random storage spaces. You may not think of Roman architecture when looking at buildings now a day but in reality, many official buildings in the U.S are very strongly influenced by it. One that you probably haven’t thought of is the White House. The arches and columns on the exterior were initially developed by the Greeks but often incorporated into Roman architecture. One of Rome’s most prolific contributions was the development of the modern-day arch. This allowed heavy weight to be stably held and taller structures. Look around, see how many buildings display this type of Roman architecture.

Roman paintings were often hung in homes of wealth people. Some of these paintings were frescos painted directly on the walls! Frescos were paintings done with watercolor on wet plaster. A lot of these paintings have since been destroyed. Sculptures of people also became quite popular during this time because they were created without their heads! Once a specific order would come in, the heads would then be added to the sculpture.

Overall, Roman art is a very broad topic. It spans over 1,000 years and can be dated back as far as 509 B.C.E. The famous Roman poet Horace once said “Greece, the captive, took her savage victor captive”. In similar words, this explains how much Greek art had an influence over Roman.

[blognicholeaclemen-blog]

Chapter 8 Blog

Etruscan civilization is located in today Italy. With its closeness of surrounding areas, there were a lot of ties to other civilizations art connections but operating as its own City-State possessed a lot of individuality as well. With the old tale of Romulus and Remus sparked the Capitoline Wolf statue. This statue depicts a wolf feeding milk to two men which is one of the leading symbols of Rome today.

Etruscan used resourceful materials to create a grid pattern for living to build houses from wood, mud, and tufa found local to that area which was volcanic rock. This allowed for a sturdy foundation and held structure from storms or wind. Another branching of architecture was their wattle-and-daub construction to reinforce branches with clay and mud. They used stones for the podium base while the roofs are tiled for a more regal look and a lasting structure.

One of the biggest differences between Etruscan and Greece is their judgement towards women. In Greece, women had no ability to do anything independently and were defiantly not talked about amongst in public. In Etruscan, woman had more power, stylish and were able to be more social in political affairs as well. With the Mater Matuta statue, the woman holding the child possesses a higher status based off the hair, this statue is also a symbol for mothers that died in childbirth.

Similar to Egypt, the Etruscan honored their dead with memorial tombs painted in yellows, blues, and black garments worn on the people. The art on the walls usually depicting some rituals, dances, and other fun activities that inspired fun times.

This chapter was very short compared to other chapter but showed a lot of similarities and independence as a civilization. Through the Etruscan civilization, their ties to Egypt, and Greece show minor similarities, and differences through expressions of art like the statue of Romulus and Remus to depict conflict, protection, and power. The influences of woman through statues, their ties with religion, childbirth, and their power was a strong influence for furthering the advances of woman’s power.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

I think that the way that the Etruscan’s build their temples was quite unique! I thought it was different how they used branches and mud to reinforce what they were building. Like you mentioned, they did still use stone for their podium bases. I like how you organized your blog post and I also thought your writing flowed together. One of the things I found most interesting in learning about Etruscan culture was the way that they honored their dead. You also mentioned that and wrote about their tombs. Great post!

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

The Art of the Etruscans

The Etruscan civilization flourish between the years of 1000 and 100 B.C. and took place during the same years the Greek culture did. This civilization was known for their fancy burials, it’s relationship with Greece and Rome, and never actually formed a single nation and instead formed many smaller states with their own rulers. The language many of the Etruscan people used was written much different than what we know now as “normal”. The Etruscan language is a lot like the Greek alphabet. It was changed from what the Greeks used and was written from right to left. Unfortunately, this language has disappeared! Like this disappearing language, the buildings are also no longer able to be found. Many have eroded away because of the materials used to build them.

Greek architecture was a great inspiration for the buildings built in Etruria. Many of the early buildings and temples built have similar open-air sanctuaries and sacred precincts. On the other hand, later temples were much more distinct because they used a “wattle and dab” technique on their temples by using branches, clay, and mud to reinforce them. Stone was used on the podium. The Greek’s wooden roof was used on many building types. One key difference is the arrangement the Etruscan used in the temples. It highlighted the entrance wall whereas the Greeks minimized all the distinction between the walls.

Pottery and sculpture was also quite similar to the Greek’s. Etruscan practiced the positioning of banqueting in a reclining position and had similar social customs.  Thousands of Greek vases were imported for different functions which further brought in Greek style in Italy. There are only a few remaining examples of their sculpture but from what we can see, much of it was cast in bronze. One famous piece is the wolf mother protecting her babies. In the sculpture, you can see a mother in a defensive mood protecting her young. The wolfs “babies” are not wolf cubs. They are human. The different patterns on the neck of the mother are very similar to the ones found in Greek sculpture. This makes since because these two distinct time periods overlap in time creating for ideas to be spread between the two.

Quite different from the Greeks ways was how women appeared in art and their attitude towards women. Etruscan women got to participate more in society and public life. These women also held higher positions than women during the ancient Greek times. Etruscan women also wore fancy jewelry and were unusually fashion-conscious.

Since these two worlds intertwined and took place during some of the same years it only makes since that they share similarities. Their semi-close location also makes for many things to be shared between the two. The Tiber river, shared between the two, runs through Rome. This culture is largely forgotten. Not a whole lot is known about the Etruscan civilization because of how much has been lost over the years. One thing I personally found unique is the way that this culture remembered the dead. They didn’t mummify the bodies but instead cremated their ashes. I didn’t find this culture as cool as ancient Greece but there are definitely some amazing things I learned about this period that didn’t last very long.

[blognicholeaclemen-blog]

The start of the podcast says beauty derives from Athens, and they even refer to religion as God defined the world as good. Beauty can be a standard in which everything is compared to. As humans, our eyes are attracted to things that are beautiful and that is what we compare things to. The podcast refers to celebrities as being compared to Greek standards of beauty. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of beauty and love. She was sculpted to be the standard of beauty. The podcast also compares how our current ideals of beauty do not differ much from what the Greeks thought.

The book talks a lot about statues and monuments pertaining to advances in objective beauty. The sculptures were mathematically calculated to insure the human body was as close to accurate and the ideal of beauty this is similar to the Egyptians drawing human using the hand to calculate the other dimensions of the body.

With the Parthenon and the Acropolis and other famous landmarks are famous because of the detail the Greeks established to create the buildings. Beauty is the ability to catch the human eye and stand out. The pillars have three styles, showing the progressing of the Greek era and the more detail they created as well. I travel to Athens in 2015 and it was beautiful. Everything seemed to be stone, marble, or of ivory which made the area seem rich in a way. The feel of being there and seeing the Parthenon, the old style building that also inspired newer buildings like the library replicating the pillars from Athena’s temples. The statues and painted vases in the museums were so detailed and eye catching.

Another form of art was plays of all male casts in the Greek theater. Acting and costumes, and makeup were all forms of unconventional art that sparked to new forms of art like story telling and plays and the dramatic arts.

My favorite statue was of Winged Nike (Victory) which is a headless female statue with spread wings to appear flying and was a symbol of victory to the people of Greece.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as the old saying goes, but our current standards and ideals of beauty are sparked from the same beliefs as the ancient Greeks. Reading through the Chapter made me feel like I was back on the trip with the tour guides talking about the statues and the historic pieces in the museums. So much is though to come from Greece like Democracy, astronomy, and the famous mythology, but it never dawned on me that we also still see their belief of beauty. As human’s we all take some extent to our beauty. Woman with long hair and makeup and curves is standard of beauty but all people are created to be beautiful in many different ways. It is not all about looks anymore or so they say. A person’s character is also taken into consideration when determining true beauty.  

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is an amazing quote. I find this so true in my everyday life. One thing that makes this world so unique is that we are not all cookie cutter images of each other. We all have different things that make us unique. You did a good job summarizing the chapter and mentioning the detail that was put into much of this artwork. I would love to go and see all of these buildings and creations made so long ago.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

A beautiful melody written by Eric Satie begins as the podcast starts. It fills our ears with a harmonious sound. We are then prompted to think about what beauty means to us. Many people mentioned family or how it makes them feel, but what first comes to my mind is a feeling of peacefulness. Weather you are looking at something that is beautiful, or you hear it, there is a feeling of relaxation that overtakes your body. You stare with amazement, wondering at the thing that is now taking up the thoughts in your mind. David Costin says that “We owe our healthy and unhealthy notations of beauty in many cases to the artist and geniuses of Athens.”

The podcaster prompts us to think about two separate questions: what kinds of things do people think are beautiful? And what does beauty do? After hearing these questions, I paused the podcast to sit and think. Personally, I think everyone has their own idea about beauty. What I find beautiful such as the sound of water falling from the sky or watching the sun appear over the horizon might not be what someone else finds beautiful. This is just another thing that makes us all unique from each other. Beauty is reflected from one’s soul. It’s like that old cliché, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” The way that the Greeks had interpreted it was more about attractiveness and desire. The podcaster then gave examples from Greek writing such as how women and young boys were referred to as beautiful. This makes sense, because to this day, at least in American culture, men are not usually referred to as beautiful. The term is almost too delicate to be used on someone who is to be seen as strong and the head of the house. The podcast then goes on to talk about how symmetry and detail is looked as beautiful. Proportional ratios please our eyes in a way that is relaxing and pleasing to our mind.

In chapter seven, The Art of Ancient Greece, we learn about different styles of art: architecture that was popular in ancient Greece, and the civilization of the Athenians. Athenians hated the rule of kings and queens like many other cultures of these times. Instead, Greece was ruled by city states with each requiring men to be in the government. Many different art styles such as Geometric, Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic were shown throughout these years. Geometric style was classified as meandering patterns wrapped around the body of the art. For example, clay vases had row after row of designs around the base going all the way to the top. Orientalizing styles had more geometric figures than Geometric and Archaic style had lots of paintings on the art and even more human figures made from blocks of stone. After this, white-ground painting became popular. My favorite style was the archaic. I love the paintings and how they tell a story. The center of the art was usually drawn darker to represent importance. Many of the human figures that appeared during this time had great detail. It would have taken an abundance of time to carve life size human figures from stone. One piece of architecture that I recognized when I saw it was the Parthenon. This temple was created for Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. This architecture has such balance and detail including large pillars and geometric shapes.

[arthistoryjillian]

Week 7 - Aegan

“How do these essays make you think about the discipline of art history?”

I believe that art around the world is inspired by different pieces.  Each place in the world may have different styles of art and different cultural adaptations; however, inspiration is a massive aspect of art.  Each art style is inspired.  For example, Buddha was a piece of Chinese culture before India adapted to the ideas of Buddhism.  Western and Eastern art differ, but there are similarities between the two styles no matter how different that may appear to be.  The essays also made me realize that the discipline of art history is slowly dying.  There are fewer schools, instructors, and students studying this topic.  If there is less appreciation for art history, then there are fewer questions being asked/answered.  Art and expression bring different countries and people together from the beginning of mankind.  Humans have always found ways to express themselves and art is the outlet to be used.  The study of the “why” and “how” is more important than people realize.  The study needs to continue to be studied and appreciated.

“What issues does Cotter raise that you were previously unaware of?”

According to his article, I gathered that museums may not have as much diversity as individuals may think.  Less funding equals less diversity in artwork origins.  In the article, Cotter used Africa as an example and the scarcity of African work in western art museums.  I had also once thought that art-based museums were “rolling in the dough” in the sense that they had an excess of funding in all areas.  Apparently, there is much less funding than I had anticipated.

“How will this impact how you view art or museums in the future?”

I had always been selfish in the sense that I do not usually donate to different organizations and corporations.  Cotter’s article opened my eyes to the reality of funding and finances for large corporations/people such as museums and artists.  Also, if I attend an art museum in the future, I will make an effort to observe the origins of different pieces (if given), as well as research the artist and read into his or her social standings, as well as their progression into the art industry.

“What do you think your role of responsibility is, as it relates to the study of art history?”

As an individual who loves looking at art as well as making it, I will attempt to be more kind and have more empathy toward artists and art museums.  It is not easy to obtain art, nor is it to create.  I choose not to ignore the study of art history, but rather delve into the study and ask more questions, do more research, and become satisfied with my knowledge on the topic.  With asking questions comes answering them and I plan to do that as well.  Instead of judging different art styles, I will have an appreciation for all art; modern and historic.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

Going off your first paragraph, I find it so fascinating that if two people look at the exact same thing for inspiration for their art, they could each take it two complexly different ways. This is one thing that makes art so unique. I think you did a great job of organizing your questions, but I didn’t see very much about the assigned chapter for this week. I really related to your third paragraph in a since that I too should put more effort into looking into the art I’m looking at and its origin. I really hope the wonderful art history we read about this week in the two essays isn’t lost for future generations.

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

Week Seven

Like many things in life, art is subjective; purely up to one’s own opinion. Some people may see the simplest painting and think “this is extravagant” and others may think “who would pay that much for a plain canvas”. This is one of the many things that makes art so unique. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This saying holds true today just like it did many years ago when Indian art was brought to the West. One culture may see something completely different than another does even though they are looking at the same thing. This is true for more than just art. In article one, “Eastern Art Through Western Eyes”, Holland Cotter writes about how art is all based off the artists influence. It also touches on how some kinds of art were excepted in the West right away while others faced a more difficult time. Cotter also mentions some similarities and differences between the two art styles such as religious incompatibilities and a perceived lack of glamor. Cotter mentions the scares interest in Indian art. This year at the art world academia, there was only one booth devoted to displaying Indian Art. I was unaware of this and find it saddening. He mentions the possibility that no universities will offer this as a graduate course in the future. This doesn’t only impact the people living now, but also people to come. This is a significant portion of art history that might not be carried on because it’s be shaded out by the “superior” Western art period. This has a great impact over universities, museums, and just people in general because nobody will be there to tell the stories of this style of art or to show the art. As an art lover, history buff, and most importantly human, I find it important to not let this art history dissolve and disappear. I think that it is important to look deeper into what we see in museums and not only one of the many kinds of art.  Personally, I do not think I am able to change the course history appears to be taking, but I truly hope this art is preserved. I plan on doing what I can to not only change how I see art, but how others do as well.

Chapter six discusses three different cultures that flourished over the time 3000-1100 B.C.; Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean but mainly focusses on the Aegean Culture. This chapter also covers Cycladic and Minoan Civilizations. During this time of Cycladic Civilization, many female figures were made. These are assumed to be carried around based upon their size and their inability to stand alone. These figures were composed of geometric shapes and different portions.

Minoan civilization, meaning ruler or king, took place over the time 3000-1100 B.C. The island of Crete is said to be the home of the Bronze Age culture. Unfortunately, the book mentions the destruction of many sites from an earth quake and an invasion “from the Greek mainland.” Page 71 mentions information about a structure called the Palace at Knossos. Also referred to as a labyrinth, this place was like a maze with many different types of rooms, corridors, and staircases. Many people might not see it at first glimpse, but this was in fact a type of art. The chapter goes on to tell about how there isn’t a whole lot of information about religion from this time, but there were different kinds of shrines in palaces and on mountain tops. Because scholars have been unable to decipher the Minoan language, religion and many other things remain a mystery.

[elizarosephotography-blog]

Week 4 Art History

I’m amazed at how much people have been able to find out about past civilizations based on their art. It kind of goes back to what Ellen Dissasanake said about art being a crucial part, and a need of humanity. 

I’m also intrigued at how civilization always tried to grasp some sort of religion, and it’s interesting to read about Inanna, the goddess of love, fertility and war, and the supreme male god Anu. They considered him a sky god, with a roar like that of thunder. They were always providing some sort of sacrifice, and even dedicating artwork to the gods. Later when they invented cuneiform, they would even write about these gods to keep track and probably pass it down generations. 

Something else that amazed me was The Niggurat of Ur. I can’t imagine the time and process for making such a huge building. Obviously there was no type of technology back then, or cranes and whatnot. Wow…I’m sure people must have died building such a thing, with the heat on their backs, and constant exhaustion. I remember learning about the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas back in middle school, and I recall their being similar buildings in their civilizations. If I can remember correctly, they would cut the throat of a human sacrifice, and throw them down the tall flight of stairs, where blood would pour down them. Pretty gruesome, that’s probably the only reason why I remember it! That picture 4.14 on page 42 of the book is  magnificent, of the Nanna ziggurat, Ur, c. 2100-2050 B.C.

The Law Code of Hammurabi: Wow. What an intense time. I love that they were able to inscribe his law and way, and how nowadays we can look back at it. I can’t imagine living in a town with such rules, as I don’t think any of us can. The three types of punishment that stood out on page 43 of the text were crazy! The Biblical, “Eye for an eye” became a huge part of Hammurabi’s law, and I’m sure that it could have made people even scared to leave their homes. But then again, I can assume they were born and raised to live in that environment, and the people of that time didn’t know any different. 

In conclusion to chapter 4, it’s left me to think about today’s society. I feel like as a society we have lost our patience for such art, and we have the technology to produce things so quickly. Even just less than one hundred years ago, in order to have nice furniture for our houses, we would have had to hire a wood craftsman to make beautiful designs in our tables and chairs, Nowadays everything is just manufactured and produced without any effort. I think that’s the beauty of these works of art in chapter 4, is that each artist and individual took their time to create these works of art. These works of art were always backed by something, a reason for creating them. It was for their community, or it was for their gods, it was to uphold a standard. The picture on page 49, 4.27 (Royal Guards, Audience Hall of Darius, Persepolis, c. 500) that’s amazing. The detail is what makes the significance of the artwork, and the precision. 

[thingsbygracesmith-blog]

I also think it is so cool how we are able to tell so much about the history of the world. The textbook explains how and why the Hammurabi code was made. I researched more on my own about it and I am amazed by how many laws were on it! Two hundred and eighty-two! I have heard the saying “an eye for an eye” before but I never knew that this was where it originated. Good job on your conclusion!