Art History 290 Exam 2
James-Chakraborty also calls the Baroque an architecture of persuasion. What does she mean by this, what is she getting at here?
"The baroque was an architecture of persuasion that sought to convey the completeness of secular political power as well as transcendent religious experience. Its air of unreality was particularly suited for propaganda." Basically, to impress and to intimidate with power and dynamic.
What's the diff betw the "bourgeoisie" & aristocracy in 19th c. Europe? Between the bourgeoisie & working class?
"bourgeoisie": The middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes. (in Marxist contexts) the capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and means of production. The Bourgeoisie is the middle class in a class system while the aristocracy is composed of the upper class, usually made up of a hereditary nobility. The working class: including farmers and low-skilled factory workers. They do not own any means of production. The bourgeoisie are the capitalist class, the wealthy, who own most of the means of production. Means of production include factories and businesses. In other uses, bourgeoisie means "middle class" and refers to what we now call 'small business owners." They own moderate means of production, or they are paid higher salaries for greater skill within the economy.
What are at least three things the 19th c. exhibition hall and the department store had in common?
1. Both used glass for see through, lighting purposes. 2. Both were massive in size and contained a large area for people to maneuver from shop/exhibit to shop/exhibit. 3. Both were based on the consumer/observer idea of presenting products or inventions/technologies.
What is a stupa?
A stupa is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
"The Enlightenment:" what is, or what was it? What was its impact on architecture?
A trend of intellectual questioning which began in France and other countries including the newly established US Reason, the idea to think for yourself instead of divine rule, ruled by the social political thinking, thinkers distance themselves from the church and the state, humanistic reasoning, new attitude toward history Architecture becoming more experimental and not worrying about what went on in the past
What is meant by 'enclosure"? why was it so devastating for the working class?
An area that is sealed off with an artificial or natural barrier. This is devastating for the working class because it isolated them to certain areas of the city, and was usually the main essence of slums. The process of enclosure created a landless working class that provided the labour required in the new industries
Why was Bernini called to Paris? What happened to him there?
Benini was booted out after brought in to design facade of Louvre, was not French enough, style of design was too Italian or baroque in style.
What are several of the main differences between Labrouste's Bibliothèque de Ste Geneviève (Library of Ste Geneviève) and his Bibliotheque Nationale de France several decades later?
Bibliothèque de Ste Geneviève: Rectangular, lighting coming out the side walls, 2 floors of books Consisted of the core texts essential to monastic life, including bibles, exegetical commentaries and glosses, patristics, ecclesiastical history, customaries and service books. Bibliotheque Nationale de France: Circular, lighting coming out the top and roof, 3-4 floors of books It is the national repository of all that is published in France and also holds extensive historical collections.
How did the 19th c. French department store come about? How does it look, and why does it look that way? What were some of the steps or stages in marketing that led to its development? (think of small shops, market places, arcades both street and glazed).
Bon Marché translates as "good buy"—meaning relatively inexpensive. It was in department stores that the plethora of consumer goods made available by France's rapidly increasing number of factories and by enhanced networks of global trade were displayed and sold. New sales practices spread from there to smaller businesses. Anyone could enter these stores, not just those who intended to make purchases, and survey the staggering array of goods for sale within, learning in the process about what could be bought in the modern city. In the 1840s, with the arrival of the railroads in Paris and the increased number of shoppers they brought, they grew in size, and began to have large plate glass display windows, fixed prices and price tags, and advertising in newspapers. Marketing innovations; a reading room for husbands while their wives shopped; extensive newspaper advertising; entertainment for children; and six million catalogs sent out to customers. By 1880 half the employees were women; unmarried women employees lived in dormitories on the upper floors. Department Store - natural illumination on the inside, a huge block filling building, one building that sold all kinds of goods and merchandise Don Marché - Designed by men for women, iron Central markets - had to be accessible Small shops - essential for the large marketplaces Street arcades - on the streets Glazed arcades - catering to the new, see through top roof
What do Machu Picchu in Peru and the Potala Palace in Tibet have in common?
Both highly visited landmarks. Both high in elevation and in the mountains. Both mend themselves to fit into the environment, specifically the mountains.
How does the Potala Palace in Lhasa compare to the Palace of Versailles outside Paris? What are the salient features they have in common, and what are the important differences?
Both were used for political power and also had ties with religion. Both are massive structures that were continuously added too. Both contain large fountains. Potala Palace: Tibetan architecture, high in elevation, looks over land Palace of Versailles: Is French Baroque, contains massive gardens, is not as high in elevation, more ornamented
What were the barrières of Paris, and why were they so hated?
By the time the French Revolution actually broke out in, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, the country's most talented architect, was widely detested. He was extraordinarily lucky not to lose his life in the terror that followed. Ledoux was unpopular above all because the brilliantly imaginative architect had exercised his talents in by designing a series of gateways to the city of Paris, located at every roadway and waterway leading in and out of the city, at which all those entering the city had to pay taxes on the goods they were bringing in with them. The efficiency of the new system was particularly unpopular because there was little public accounting of how the monarchy was spending the funds raised; anger over taxation to support a regime widely perceived as a drain on the French economy was a principal cause of the French Revolution. Built from to, the Barrières, as they were called, were completed on the eve of the storming of the Bastille. The most imposing of the surviving gates is the Barrière de la Villette. It marked a major entrance to the city and housed a customs house in addition to the usual guard post.
Who was the Abbé Laugier, and why is he important? What was his contribution to or role in architectural history? What was the gist of his theory?
Can perhaps be called the first modern architectural philosopher. He was a Jesuit Priest and Architectural theorist, not an architect. Neoclassical architecture was seen as more correct because it was more literally historical; it followed what were understood to be the rules of ancient classicism. The new emphasis placed on the origins of architecture also encouraged two innovative phenomena: the increased importance of abstract, ideal geometry to the making of form and the increased importance of the expression of structure to the construction of that form. The Abbot Marc-Antoine Laugier developed these ideas in more detail in Paris. In his Essay on Architecture, published in, Laugier described the primitive hut as the origin of the Greek temple. He preferred Greek architecture to Roman because of its greater antiquity, although he and his western European contemporaries as yet knew little about its actual appearance. Through the primitive hut Laugier attempted to reduce architecture to its hypothetical origins in columns, entablature, and pediment. Buildings, he believed, should be stripped of the overlay of nonstructural ornament that had decorated classical architecture since Roman times. Echoing the language of Enlightenment philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, he defended this reductionism as natural. The French attempted to recast classicism as a rational system in which the orders served entirely structural roles. Belief that one could construct Gothic structures using classical forms tested the engineering of the day. The result was an engineering tour de force on the level of Brunelleschi's dome.
What are some of the most important identifying characteristics of the Baroque?
Characteristics: -Images are direct, obvious, and dramatic. -Tries to draw the viewer in to participate in the scene. -Depictions feel physically and psychologically real. Emotionally intense. -Extravagant settings and ornamentation. -Dramatic use of color. -Dramatic contrasts between light and dark, light and shadow. -As opposed to Renaissance art with its clearly defined planes, with each figure placed in isolation from each other, Baroque art has continuous overlapping of figures and elements. -Common themes: grandiose visions, ecstasies and conversions, martyrdom and death, intense light, intense psychological moments. The classical language of architecture; was versatile in use like for important buildings, but also used for libraries; was used for a sense of sophistication Extra Background: The Baroque is a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, theatre, and music. The style began around 1600 in Rome and Italy, and spread to most of Europe. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent, in response to the Protestant Reformation, that the arts should communicate religious themes with direct and emotional involvement. The aristocracy viewed the dramatic style of Baroque art and architecture as a means of impressing visitors by projecting triumph, power, and control. Baroque palaces are built around an entrance of courts, grand staircases, and reception rooms of sequentially increasing opulence.
What are some of the major characteristics of Neoclassicism as it emerged in France?
Characterized by the introduction and widespread use of Greek orders and decorative motifs, the subordination of detail to simple, strongly geometric overall compositions, the presence of light colors or shades, frequent shallowness of relief in ornamental treatment of façades, and the absence of textural effects. Abstraction, radical architectural solutions, emblem of political reform, rational
How does the Neoclassicism of the Church of St. Geneviève (later, the Panthéon) in Paris differ from the classicism of Versailles?
Church of St. Geneviève: is domed, made of stone, more simple structured Versailles: Incredibly ornamented, statues everywhere, with gold, gardens surrounding
Why was the Crystal Palace so contentious? why did architects not think much of it? What were its identifying features (how did it look, and why did it look that way)? Why did some not see it as architecture?
Crystal Palace - Was the first international exhibition, was designed to further international trade and exchange ideas for new machinery - all glass and masonry, interest in maximizing light - was drawing people from all over the world, so successful that NY decided they needed a crystal palace for themselves Not seen as architecture because of its structure and how and who it was built by.
Native American architecture is said to be 'environmentally responsive." What is meant by this, and can you cite a couple of examples of Native American structures that bear this out?
Environmentally responsive: Architecture that adapts to the actual environmental conditions Structures: Teepees, used for nomadic endevears Longhouses, used for settling endevears
How did the way new settlers in the 17th c. (colonists from Europe) and native Americans (the indigenous population) differ in their attitudes towards private property?
Europeans used the concepts of private property/ownership Native American used the concept of communal ownership
What are the three basic components of the railroad station?
Even after arrivals and departures began to take place from the same tracks, 1. the double-arched arrangement established here remained standard for train stations throughout Europe. 2. Railroad stations required enormous spans, because great height was required to diffuse the smoke of the steam engines. 3. They also needed to provide shelter for passengers. Extra: Railroad stations - one result of the industrial revolution, result of steam engine and iron tracks 1830 - important date, when whole railroad system basically began Company town - rail stations becoming a momentous location
Il Gésu in Rome is an oft-cited example of the Baroque, while the Church of St. Geneviève in Paris is seen as Neoclassical. Both are unequivocally classical buildings. What are some of the primary differences?
Il Gésu: Much more elegant and elaborate paintings and ornamentation; covered in gold, exterior more roofed, flat presentation Church of St. Geneviève: Stone, contains sculptures, less elegant paintings, exterior contains pillar complex then dome
What does the Baroque in Paris have in common with the Baroque in Rome? Why are they both called "Baroque?" What are some of the principal differences between them?
In common: Parisian Baroque aligned with the Roman Baroque ideal of inducing order through monumental design. Different: One variation from the Roman palaces, however, is the minimal ornamentation, especially seen through the uniformity in window overhangs. This uniformity was representative of the power and authority the monarch of France wished to convey. Artistic expression prevalent especially in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension
What were some the major characteristics of the academic training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. What mainly did it consist of, what were students taught or expected to learn? Why was the Ecole so impt?
In the mid-eighteenth century, however, a new way to learn architecture appeared in France: the architecture school. Following the French Revolution, the school sponsored by the Royal Academy was transformed into the École des Beaux-Arts, or School of Fine Arts. Here architecture, painting, and sculpture were taught according to a curriculum that quickly became a model for other institutions throughout Europe and, by the end of the nineteenth century, the world. Although the school was funded by the French state,many students were foreigners who took the system they had mastered in Paris back to their home countries. The École was the most important architecture school in the world, not only because it was the oldest but also because the education it offered was so systematic. The École's educators conceived of architecture as a rational system. Plans and section drawings were as important as facades, and all three were expected to relate integrally to one another. Classicism was the preferred style, but it could take different forms. More important than style, or for that matter construction, was the rational organization of space, above all on cross-axial circulation systems. Charles Percier's prizewinning design for a building for the French Academies dates to. Each of the three academies was to be given identical space, with the fourth side occupied by an appropriately monumental entrance. Percier established a clear hierarchical relationship between the vaulted corridors, major spaces for the individual academies, and the shared domed central space.
What do Vauxhall Gardens outside London and Disneyland have in common?
Industrial Revolution products. Featured new environments in which to spend money. People paid to enter this precursor of the amusement park in order to eat, drink, listen to music, hear the latest gossip, and show off the newest fashions. Disneyland, the purpose is the same.
How did international or world expositions contribute to the history of architr, what effect did they have on cities and the developmt of archtr?
Is a large international exhibition designed to showcase achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world. Paris Exposition in 1889 is the main world's fair that people think of Towers associated with cities were mostly masonry, built of stone- Eiffel Tower was steel Cities would renovate, reconstruct, and build new structures in the assembly of hosting the event. Countries influenced each other, also competition arise, causing city landscapes to change with the latest innovations.
Why was the name of St. Geneviève changed to the Panthéon?
It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens.
"The sublime" - what was or is that? Tougher question: how does it relate to or fit with Vitruvius's three basic components or principles of architecture?
It's significance is an aesthetic subject of art and architecture that lies in its conceptual reach, religiously, in its spiritual dimension. Refers to immense ideas like space, time, death, and the divine. Kant's and Burke's treatises will form the basis of Enlightenment aesthetics. Their categories of the beautiful and the sublime were applied to the study of nature, to the character of men, and to their artistic output, in particular, poetry, painting, and architecture. Vitruvius's three basic components: Firmitas (structure), Utilitas (use or function), Venustas (beauty or aesthetics) Compare: Both aesthetics and concepts of architecture that implement a basis or meaning towards architectural works.
Why is Soufflot's church so important, what is its significance?
Jacques-Germain Soufflot was a French architect in the international circle that introduced neoclassicism. Introduces reason, man's reason
Boullée and Ledoux are both seen as late 18th c. 'visionary architects.' What is the primary differences between them? How does their work differ?
Ledoux built many buildings, Boullée built very little. Boullée was a visionary French neoclassical architect whose work greatly influenced contemporary architects. (Note: Cenotaph for Sir Isaac Newton) Ledoux was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only domestic architecture but also town planning; as a consequence of his visionary plan for the Ideal City of Chaux, he became known as a utopian. (Note: The French Revolution hampered his career; much of his work was destroyed in the nineteenth century... In his book he took the opportunity of revising his earlier designs, making them more rigorously neoclassical and up to date. This revision has distorted an accurate assessment of his role in the evolution of Neoclassical architecture.)
What do the Native American long houses of the Pacific Northwest have in common with the Native American teepees in the MidWest?
Long house: is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building. Many were built from timber and often represent the earliest form of permanent structure in many cultures. Longhouses are good homes for people who intend to stay in the same place for a long time. A longhouse is large and takes a lot of time to build and decorate. Teepee: is a cone-shaped tent, traditionally made of animal skins upon wooden poles. It is distinguished from other conical tents by the smoke flaps at the top of the structure. Tepees are good houses for people who are always on the move. *Both were homes *Both were of the most common structures
What is meant by "Neoclassicism," and how does it differ from the classicism of the Italian Renaissance - or that of ancient Greece and Rome, for that matter?
Meaning: The revival of the classical style Neoclassical architecture was seen as more correct because it was more literally historical; it followed what were understood to be the rules of ancient classicism. The new emphasis placed on the origins of architecture also encouraged two innovative phenomena: the increased importance of abstract, ideal geometry to the making of form and the increased importance of the expression of structure to the construction of that form. Differences: The biggest difference between classicism and neoclassicism is timing. Both are art movements that have roots in Greek and Roman antiquity, but by and large classicism happened during the height of these eras and during a brief revival during the European Renaissance, whereas neoclassicism happened later, but was inspired directly by and in many ways sought to imitate the more traditional classic style. There are also a few differences when it comes to theoretical bases; much of classicism, for instance, is based on theory and the search for perfection, while neoclassicism is often more focused on an appreciation for the ancient and a fascination with antiquity rather than embracing it as an actual way of modern life.
How does the mercantile city? How does it differ from an industrial city?
Mercantile city: a city where trade is central to its design. These were stimulated by trade routes. Industrial cities: appeared after the full development of industrial capitalism in the core nation-states of the late 18th-century world system. Capitalism depended on the production of commodities through wage labour in the interests of capital accumulation.
Why was Labrouste's library, the Bibliothèque Ste Geneviève, remarkable? What's its significance?
More recent research has demonstrated the degree to which new materials and new functions prompted dynamic revisions of classical forms as well as plans. One of the buildings that most dramatically illustrates the possibility for change inherent in this system. The substitution of these arches for the neoclassical pier-and-lintel system of the ground story of the neighboring Panthéon provides the first hint of the new. Labrouste believed in clearly articulating the function of his building. Instead of housing every civic structure behind the re-created facade of an ancient Greek or Roman temple, as was then the fashion, he wanted to make it clear that this was a library. First, he placed the reading room along the front of the upper story of the building, where it would get the most natural light. Labrouste believed that architecture should communicate as directly as possible. Ornament that fulfilled that aim was more important to him than classical detailing. In the same spirit, Labrouste placed low-relief sculptures of torches on each side of the entrance doors to celebrate the fact that this was the first major library to be open in the evenings, when it was illuminated with lamps using new gas technology. The reading room was the first public space in Paris to benefit from the lightness and openness made possible by iron construction. This was the first time that exposed iron was displayed in a major civic building, although a leading architect rather than an engineer designed this cultural institution. In consequence, the room radiates with light. The arched windows on four sides bring clerestory light into the space that is then reflected off the double-barrel vault more efficiently than it would be if the ceiling were flat. Using iron allowed Labrouste to minimize the columns supporting this structure, furthering his goal of diffusing light throughout the building.
Cf architecture of Native Americans and Tibetian. Think of things such as respect for the natural environment; skilled craftsmanship, role of women.
NA: Women were builders, warriors, farmers, and craftswomen. Their strength was essential to the survival of the tribes. In most cases, the women were actually in charge of gathering materials and then building the homes for everyone. They maintained their homes' roof, and created new houses for tribes to live in. T: Role of women is standard of holding down the house, cooking, etc. *Both use natural environment and surrounding to distinguish how they construct their structures. *Craftsmanship can be visible all over, in carvings of posts, etc.
What are the main distinguishing characteristics of the 19th c. department store?
Natural illumination on the inside, a huge block filling building, one building that sold all kinds of goods and merchandise Don Marché - Designed by men for women, socialize area as well, built of iron
The train station, why was it impt? What are its important identifying features?
One result of the industrial revolution, result of steam engine and iron tracks 1830 - important date, when whole railroad system basically began Company town - rail stations becoming a momentous location Paris Railroad station - were major civic monuments It generally consists of at least one track-side platform and a station building (depot) providing such ancillary services as ticket sales and waiting rooms. If a station is on a single-track line, it often has a passing loop to facilitate traffic movements.
What are some of the major differences between the Potala Palace and Macchu Picchu in Peru?
Potala Palace, regarded as landmark and the symbol of Tibet, is a great giant palace consisting of many houses, towers, chapels, etc. The main buildings of Potala Palace are situated on the Red Hill by the side of Lhasa River. By climbing the steps up to the top, you can see the great views of Lhasa city as well as beautiful plateau landscape far away. Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, above the Urubamba River valley. Built in the 15th century and later abandoned, it's renowned for its sophisticated dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar, intriguing buildings that play on astronomical alignments and panoramic views. Its exact former use remains a mystery. *MP very isolated, PP not *PP was governmental/religious building, use of MP unknown
What was the "Red Fort," and how does it compare to the Potala Palace in Tibet?
Red Fort: is a historical fort in the city of Delhi in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years, until 1857. It is located in the center of Delhi and houses a number of museums. In addition to accommodating the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and political centre of the Mughal state and the setting for events critically impacting the region. Potala Palace: immense religious and administrative complex in Lhasa, southern Tibet Autonomous Region, southwestern China. It is situated atop Mar-po-ri (Red Mountain), 425 feet above the Lhasa River valley, and rises up dramatically from its rocky base. Potrang Karpo (completed 1648; White Palace) once served as the seat of the Tibetan government and the main residence of the Dalai Lama; from the mid-18th century it was used as a winter palace. Potrang Marpo (1694; Red Palace) houses several chapels, sacred statues, and the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas; it remains a major pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists.
How does the Rococo differ from the Baroque?
Rococo architecture was a lighter, more graceful, yet also more elaborate version of Baroque architecture, which was ornate and austere. Whilst the styles were similar, there are some notable differences between both Rococo and Baroque architecture, one of them being symmetry, since Rococo emphasized the asymmetry of forms, whilst Baroque was the opposite. The styles, despite both being richly decorated, also had different themes; the Baroque, for instance, was more serious, placing an emphasis on religion, and was often characterized by Christian themes (as a matter of fact, the Baroque began in Rome as a response to the Protestant Reformation); Rococo architecture was an 18th-century, more secular, adaptation of the Baroque which was characterized by more light-hearted and jocular themes. Other elements belonging to the architectural style of Rococo include numerous curves and decorations, as well as the usage of pale colors.
In talking of south Asia, especially India, James-Chakraborty spoke of "Early Modern." What did she mean by this, or what was she referring to?
She is referring to the new dynasties that transformed the cities of South Asia and India, whose imperial courts from the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th century numbered among the world's most impressive. Took inspiration from the range of culture and techniques of which they were aware Richness of architecture There were no national traditions in architecture before the invention of nation-states Dynasties ruled over by empires and kingdoms united by the political and military reach of individual monarchs, not over ethnically homogenous populations
What is the principal difference between the Vatican and St Peter's?
The Vatican is a museum and St. Peter's is a working church.
What is "colonization," or another way of putting it, what does "to colonize" mean?
The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. Is a process by which a central system of power dominates the surrounding land and its components. to colonize - send a group of settlers to (a place) and establish political control over it.
What does James-Charkaborty mean by "spatial and architectural decisions"?
The decisions made about the atmosphere of a landscape as opposed to the construction of the building.
China's neighbors in the south and southeast picked up a number of architectural characteristics from their giant to the north or west. What were some of those characteristics most frequently borrowed or copied? Compare for example, Chinese forms and how they were handled in Korea, with the royal palace of Changdeokgung in Seoul.
The hip-and-gable roof technique Exams of placement. The pagoda. Compared: Behind the main palace lies an enormous garden which was not the most private part of the palace, however, as in Beijing and Istanbul. Thus at Changdeokgung we and Chinese architectural forms, such as halls and gates, being arranged in ways that diverge considerably from the overwhelming hierarchy communicated so effectively by the architecture of the Forbidden City. Moreover, there was plenty of room within the Korean as well as the Chinese architectural system for new forms when they corresponded to new uses.
What were some of Napoléon III's major changes to the city of Paris? Cite at least three.
Under his leadership, 1. The Parisian population doubled in twenty years, 2. the country's industrial output finally began to come close to competing with that of Britain, 3. and the capital was transformed from a dowdy metropolis to the most splendid city in the world. Even after Napoleon III was forced into exile in England, his urban policies survived, as did the glamour they created.
Cf obelisk and totem pole: what in common, how diff?
obelisk: a stone pillar, typically having a square or rectangular cross section and a pyramidal top, set up as a monument or landmark. totem pole: a pole or pillar carved and painted with a series of totemic symbols representing family lineage and often mythical or historical incidents
Cf pagoda and gopura: what in common, how diff?
pagoda: a temple or sacred building, usually a pyramid like tower and typically having upward-curving roofs over the individual stories. gopura: generally constructed with a stone base and a superstructure of brick and pilaster. It is rectangular in plan and topped by a barrel-vault roof. The exterior walls are covered with sculpture.