APAH — 250 List

'Ahu 'ula (feather cape)

'Ahu 'ula (feather cape) Artist: unknown Patron: Hawaiian royalty Date: late 18th century, Oceanic art Material: feathers and fiber Function: act as ceremonial garb by Hawaiian royalty From: Hawaii These capes would only be worn by the royalty in Hawaii. When worn, the wearer and the artists are supposed to be chanting towards the spirits. In Polynesia, the color red was associated with gods and also the chiefs of the villages. Typical of Oceanic art, bright colors such as these were typical for male clothing because males are more brightly colored in nature, in contrast to female individuals. DT: colored, feathers, ceremonial

Apollo 11 Stones

Apollo 11 Stones Artist: Unknown P: Paleolithic c. 25500-25300 B.C.E. M: Charcoal on stone U: Unknown F: Nambia, Africa The earliest history of rock painting and engraving arts in Africa. The oldest known of any kind from the African continent.

Borobudur Temple (Cosmic Mountain)

Borobudur Temple (Cosmic Mountain) A: Gunadharma P: 800 C.E. M: Stone F: Borobudur, Java, Indonesia U: monument to the Buddha Located on the island of Java in Indonesia, the rulers of the Śailendra Dynasty built the Temple of Borobudur set high upon a hill vertically enhanced by its builders to achieve a greater elevation. It is the largest Buddhist temple at 500 feet high. It represents the three different realms of the world with the lowest being where humans live (desire) and the highest reaching enlightenment; going up represents reaching higher states of building. There are narratives depicting Buddhist teachings; one is a low relief from Buddha's birth to the end of his journey to reach enlightenment.

Bundu mask

Bundu mask Artist: Mende peoples Date: 19th and 20th century African art Materials: Wood, cloth, and fiber Function: act as a ceremonial mask honoring women From: West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia This would be worn, on the top of the head, in addition to a complete costume. When adorned, the wearer no longer exists; instead, the spirit of the mask completely takes over the individual. The downcast eyes conceal identity, and the small mouth and ears prevent gossip. The rolls in the neck can represent a caterpillar changing into a moth or fertility. DT: fertility, female, ceremonial

Forum of Trajan

Forum of Trajan A: Apollodorus of Damascus P: Forum and markets: 106-112 C.E.; column completed 113 C.E. M: Brick and concrete (architecture); marble (column) U:Place to conduct business and hold public gatherings F: Rome, Italy It is an amazing work of art for each detail of each scene to the very top of the Column is carefully carved. It is astounded by the artistic skill it displays. Commemorates Trajan's victory over Dacians Descriptive terms: Forum, public, square

Fountain

Fountain (second version) Artist: Marcel Duchamp Date: 1950 (original 1917), Dada Material: readymade glazed sanitary china with black paint Function: depicts a urinal From: France Typical of dadaism, Duchamp took a readymade object that he deemed a work of art; it shows how artists believe that the artistic concept trumps the execution. DT: readymade, modern, toilet

Head of a Roman patrician

Head of a Roman patrician P: Republican Roma. c. 75-50 B.C.E. M: Marble U:Depict a Roman patrician F: Rome, Italy A: Unknown The physical traits of this portrait image are meant to convey the seriousness of mind (gravitas) and the virtue (virtus) of a public career by demonstrating the way in which the subject literally wears the marks of his endeavors. Example of a veristic portrait- extremely realistic face with signs of age. Face is no longer so stoic, shows wisdom and gives inside into mind. Hellenistic and Etruscan influence. Descriptive terms: veristic portrait, bust, aged

Henri IV receives the portrait of Marie de Medici

Henri IV receives the portrait of Marie de Medici Artist: Peter Paul Rubens Patron: Marie de Medici Date: 1621-1625, Northern Baroque Material: Oil on canvas Function: Show King Henri IV of France receiving a portrait of Marie de Medici From: France This piece is a part of a series of portraits showing Marie de Medici's life, commissioned after the death of her husband. This piece is typical of the Northern Baroque because of the many small details throughout the piece. The figure behind Henri symbolizes France as state due to her dark blue drapery and fleur-de-lys detailing. She wears the helmet of the French military. DT: peaceful, marriage, story

Hiapo (tapa)

Hiapo (tapa) Artist: women of Niue Date: c. 1850-1900, oceanic art Material: Tapa or bark cloth, freehand painting Function: show the events that recently occurred on the island From: Niue This was handmade by the women of Niue, thus showing the gender roles of the time. The designs are specific to the island but has Samoan influence. The tapa is made with freehand painting after beating the cloth to strengthen bonds and flatten. DT: patterned, barkcloth, gender roles

Jade Cong

Jade Cong F: Liangzhu, China P: Neolithic, 3300-2200 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Unknown M: Carved jade Like one of many, this was a jade piece with decorative carvings, unique shape, and symbolic purpose. It was carefully carved with sand. The stone might have held spiritual or symbolic meanings to the early cultures of China.

Las Meninas

Las Meninas Artist: Diego Velazquez Patron: King Date: c. 1656, Spanish Baroque Material: Oil on canvas Function: Show the painting of a portrait of the royal couple; the princess in the foreground with attendants From: Spain Velazquez has painted himself into this piece, shown at the easel. The royal couple appears in a mirror in the background; however, it is not clear if Velazquez is painting the couple or the young princess in the foreground. This piece is typical of Baroque art because of the one-directional lighting and how it appears to be coming from a window on the left. The light falls directly on the princess, while the rest of the figures are darkened. Also, this piece makes the viewer feel as if we are looking in on ordinary life of the royal family, therefore making it slightly a genre scene, though it does not depict regular people. DT: couple, princess, portrait, glimpse

Maize cobs

Maize cobs Artist: Inka people Date: c. 1440-1553 Material: sheet metal/repousse, gold and silver alloys Function: show a corn crop From: Peru Corn, or maize, was one of the staple crops for the Incan people. It was used in an Inca shrine during planting and harvest festivals, as well as investiture ceremonies. This was made using the eppousse method, which involves hammered the sheet metal from behind. DT: corn, repousse, crop,

Reliquary figure (byeri)

Name: Reliquary figure (byeri) Artist: Fang peoples Date: c. 19th to 20th century African art Materials: wood Function: to be placed on barkboxes containing bones of the deceased From: southern Cameroon This is an association devoted to the ritual honoring of ancestors in order to obtain their goodwill and ensure the continuity between the living and the dead. The umbilical cord is emphasized in order to represent the portal of life. DT: reliquary, afterlife, life

Slave Ship

Slave Ship Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner Date: 1840-1870, Romantic Material: Oil on canvas Function: show the event of a slave ship when the captain order the disposing of slaves From: England Typical of Romanticism, this piece evokes a strong sense of emotion in the viewer. The brushwork is quick and undefined, yet the figures are extremely recognizable in the chaos of the foreground. the sunset is painted a blood red color, therefore symbolizing the unnecessary blood being spilled during the event. DT: slaves, landscape, blood

Stonehenge

Stonehenge F: Wiltshire, U.K. P: Neolithic Europe. c. 2500-1600 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Astrological observatory M: Sandstone Stonehenge is a famous site know for its large circles of massive stones in a seemingly random location as well as the mystery surrounding how and why it was built. The stones are believed to be from local quarries and farther off mountains. There is also evidence of mud, wood, and ropes assisting in the construction of the site.

The Court of Gayumars, folio from Shah Takmasp's Shahnama

The Court of Gayumars, folio from Shah Takmasp's Shahnama F: 13th-14th century A: Mongols, poem by Firdawsi, patron was high-ranking official D: 1400 CE M: silver and gold accents over ink and opaque watercolor U: Record stories The Shahnama incorporates many older stories once told orally, chronicling the history of Persia before the arrival of Islam and celebrating the glories of the Persian past and its ancient heroes.

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan Artist: Mayan people Patron: Bird Jaguar the 44th Date: 725 CE Mayan architecture Material: limestone Function: act as spiritual center for ceremonies From: Chiapas, Maya This is located at a horseshoe in the river and can only be reached by boats. This building is an example of Classic Mayan architecture; it is considered classic because it is the height of Mayan society. Eventually, the Mayan society collapsed. There are relief carvings of the ruler's wife letting out blood in support of birth of the ruler's child with another woman. Blood sacrifices were common to honor gods in ceremonies. There are hieroglyphs and carvings with scenes of his life. DT: classic, ceremonial, river

Tlatilco female figurine

Tlatilco female figurine F: Central Mexico, site of Tlatico P: 1200-900 A: Uknown U: Possibly express an idea of duality M: Ceramic with traces of pigment This figurine not only shows an elaborate hairstyle, but shows it for two connected heads (on the single body). We have other two-headed femaile figures from Tlatilco, but they are rare when compared with the figures that show a single head. It may be that the people of Tlatilco were interested in expressing an idea of duality, as many scholars have argued.

A Book from the Sky

A Book from the Sky Artist: Xu Bing Date: 1987 to 1991 Material: Mixed Media Installation Function: Show a book From: Beijing, China The book's characters were carved into individual pieces of movable type made from pear wood, in a style slightly squatter than that of Song typefaces. The book is written in the style of fine editions from the Song and Ming dynasties, but filled entirely with meaningless glyphs designed to resemble traditional Chinese characters. Bing deliberately combined powerful cultural icons with emotionally laden issues, and left the interpretation open to the audience and Xu Bing himself wasn't certain what the work's ultimate meaning will be, and he seems to accept that defining meaning can be the prerogative of both artist and audience.

A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery

A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery Artist: Joseph Wright of Derby Date: c. 1763-1765, English taste for the natural (Enlightenment) Materials: Oil on canvas Function: show a scientist lecturing to a group of people about astronomy. From: English Inspired by Caravaggio's use of tenebrism, the contrast of light and dark conveys the Enlightenment bringing people out of the darkness of ignorance and into the light of intellectualism. People of all ages are shown listening to the philosopher, showing how the Enlightenment aimed to bring the common people out of ignorance. DT: enlightment, intellectualism

Acropolis

Acropolis F: Athens, Greece P: c. 447-410 B.C.E. A: Iktinos and Kallikrates. U: Used as temple for the gods. M: Marble The most recognizable building on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, one of the most iconic buildings in the world, it has influenced architecture in practically every western country. Parthenon was dedicated to Athena. Used for religious ceremonies. Descriptive terms: Athena, Doric, Ionic, columns, temple, acropolis

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve Artist: Albrecht Durer Patron: unknown Date: 1504, Northern Renaissance Material: Engraving Function: Show Adam and Eve before the fall of man From: Germany The figures are shown in the contrapposto pose and with defined structure because this piece is highly influenced by classical sculpture of Greece and Rome. Common in the Northern Renaissance, every object depicted represents another thing. First off, the animals each symbolize one of the four humans. The cat is choleric, the rabbit sanguine, the elk melancholic, and the ox phlegmatic. By showing these four humors, the artist is trying to say that humans had a balance of the humors before the fall of Adam and Eve. More symbols include, obviously, the snake as Satan; however, the mouse can also represent Satan. Additionally, the tree behind Adam is known for repelling snakes, showing that he does not want to eat the apple that is offered by Eve. DT: classical, symbolic, fall of man

Aka elephant mask

Aka elephant mask Artist: people of Bamileke Date: c. 19th to 20th century African art Materials: wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads Function: act as a ceremonial mask From: Cameroon, western grass fields region Typical of African culture, the elephant is thought to be the most commanding land animal and is thus a symbol of leaders and deputies. It would be worn by respected members of Bamileke to signify kingship and wealth. There are geometric motifs and are sometimes worn with leopard pelts by wealthy and powerful royals. DT: commanding, power, wealth, elephant

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters F: P: New Kingdom (Amarna) 18th Dynasty. c. 1353-1335 B.C.E. M: Limestone A: This small stele, probably used as a home altar, gives an seldom opportunity to view a scene from the private live of the king and queen.

Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun, Pompeii

Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun, Pompeii P: Republican Roman. c. 100 B.C.E. Mosaic A: Unknown U: Floor mosaic in a home. F: Pompeii, Italy The artistic importance of this work of art comes at the subtle and unique artistic style that the artist employed in the making of the mosaic. The first major attribute of this great piece of artwork is the use of motion and intensity in the battle and the use of drama unfolding before the viewer's eyes to further the effect of glory in the mosaic. Shows battle between Alexander the Great and the Persians. Thought to have been copied off of a Greek painting. Descriptive terms: mosaic, copy, battle, Greek, Persians

Alhambra Palace

Alhambra Palace Artist: Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar Patron: Nasrid sultans of Southern Spain Date: Islamic, c. 1354-1391 CE Materials: Whitewashed adobe, stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding Function: Palace of Nasrid sultans of Southern Spain From: Granada, Spain

All-Toqupa tunic

All-Toqupa tunic Artist: Inka Date: 1450-1540 Material: camelid fiber and cotton Function: broadcasts the message that the ruler controls more diversity, more ethnicity, almost the totality of possible patterns in his clothing From: Peru The Inca test from abstraction rather than naturalism in order to express individual and group identity. The checkerboard coloration and regular motifs exemplify order and standardization essential to spreading a message of unity. Each of the individual blocks of fine textile may represent in miniature mantels worn by different classes of ethnic Inka DT: ethnic, diversity, abstract

Allegory of law and grace

Allegory of law and grace Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder Date: c. 1530, Northern Renaissance Material: Woodcut and letterpress Function: Show the Last Judgement on the left, and the blood of Christ on the right. This piece overall stresses the need for a personal relationship with God by acting as an allegory. Location: Germany This piece was created because of the rise of Protestantism; Luther stressed that salvation can only be achieved alone, which is shown in this piece through the figure that is being sprayed by the blood of Jesus on the right. On the left, Catholicism is being looked down upon because Moses holds the Ten Commandments, which represents the beliefs of the Church, but a figure is still sent to Hell. Thus, the word of the Church is not enough to reach salvation. DT: personal, faith, Protestantism, Luther

Anavysos Kouros

Anavysos Kouros F: Athens, Greece P: Archaic Greek. c. 530 B.C.E. M: Marble with remnants of paint U: Act as a grave marker for a warrior. A: Unknown Geometric almost abstract forms predominate, and complex anatomical details, such as the chest muscles and pelvic arch, are rendered in beautiful analogous patterns. It exemplifies two important aspects of Archaic Greek art—an interest in lifelike vitality and a concern with design. An ideal body was portrayed, very idealized. Figure has an archaic smile, which stops viewer from gaining insight on what the figure is thinking. It is similar to Egyptian art- one foot is forward and it is extremely frontal.

Androgyne III

Androgyne III Artist: Magdalena Abakanowi Date: 1985, Post-Modernism Material: Burlap, resin, wood, nails, and string Function: Show a back From: Poland The artist excluded the headed, arms, and legs in the figure, because she wanted to convey the message that any human being is identical with one another when considered from a universal perspective. Through this provocative image, the artist expresses the physical and spiritual composition of mankind. As she says, "they are about existence in general." The figure is hollow and stands like an empty shell, a natural metaphor for the hollowness, both physical and spiritual, that racked postwar Europe.

Angels with Arquebus, Asiel Timor Dei

Angels with Arquebus, Asiel Timor Dei Artist: Master of Calamarca (La Paz school) Patron: Unknown Date: c. 17th century, Southern Baroque Material: Oil on canvas Function: depict an archangel with a gun (arquebus) Location: Peru These angels wear the typical clothing of the Spanish aristocracy as this time. This painting was produced in Peru, therefore showing the increase of exploration of the Americas in the 17th century. Since this angel is shown wearing Spanish dress, it conveys how the Spaniards influenced culture in South America. The Catholic Counter Reformation held a militaristic ideology that portrayed the Church as an army and angels as its soldiers. The armed angel in Asiel Timor Dei represented this philosophy: its gun and mere existence protects faithful Christians. DT: angel, spanish, Peru

Angkor, the Temple of Angkor Wat and the city of Agnkor Thom, Cambodia

Angkor, the Temple of Angkor Wat and the city of Agnkor Thom, Cambodia A: Patron was King Suryavarman II U: Temple was dedicated to Vishnu and served as the king's mausoleum P: 1116 - 1150 BCE (>30 years go build) M: Stone masonry, sandstone F: Angkor, Cambodia Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world. Angkor Wat is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the protector. The building of Angkor Wat is likely to have necessitated some 300,000 workers. There are 1,200 square meters of carved bas reliefs at Angkor Wat, representing eight different Hindu stories. One of them, The Churning of the Ocean, depicts the story of churning the cosmic ocean to obtain Amrita (nectar of immortal life) at the suggestion of Vishnu. The temple mountain has five stone towers that are intended to mimic the five mountain ranges of Mt. Meru—the mythical home of the gods, for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece)

Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece) Artist: Workshop of Robert Campin Date: 1427-1432 C.E. Materials: Oil on wood Function: Show the moment when Mary finds out that she is pregnant with Jesus From: Netherlands It consists of three hinged panels (triptych format). The left panel depicts the donor and his wife; the central and most important panel shows the Annunciation itself. Mary is shown in a typical Flemish household as she reads her prayerbook, and Joseph works as a carpenter in his workshop. The triptych is unsigned and undated, but Robert Campin been identified as its creator. The small details depicted are extremely typical of the Northern Renaissance because they focused on making the painting very symbolic. For example, the pail of water with towels in the background represents Mary's purity, and the candle symbolizes the holy pregnancy. The odd perspective of the table allows for everything on it to be seen. In the upper left hand corner, the Holy Spirit comes in through the window with a crucifix. Within the workshop, there are mousetraps being made, which represents Christ as bait to catch the devil.

Anthropomorphic stele

Anthropomorphic stele F: Arabian Peninsula P: Neolithic c. 4000 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Depict a warrior M: Sandstone Very stylized representation of a human figure, carved from stone. Has a make image and carries knives in sheaths across the chest and a knife tucked into a belt. Suspected to be burial or ritualistic purposes.

Arena (Scrovegni) chapel

Arena (Scrovegni) chapel Artist: Unknown architect, Giotto di Bondone Patron: Scrovegni family Date: Gothic, c. 1303 CE Materials: Brick architecture, fresco Function:Act as private chapel for citizen of Padua; fresco shows the lamentation of Christ. From: Padua, Italy This was given the name "Arena" because it is built on an old Roman arena; however, the patron is named Scrovegni, hence the name Scrovegni chapel. On the fresco of the lamentation, Jesus' followers mourn his death, specifically Mary and Mary Magdalene. This piece is typical of the international gothic style because of the developing emotion on the figures' faces. Each face is different from the other, showing that the artist did not use one figure for each individual. Also, it shows a transition to realism because Giotto di Bondone shows the figures in a variety of poses and positions; he also incorporates a blue, instead of gold, background in the piece.

Arnolfini Portrait

Arnolfini Portrait Artist: Jan van Eyck Patron: Arnolfini Date: 1434 Northern Renaissance Materials: Oil on wood painting Function: Show the marriage of Arnolfini and his wife From: Netherlands This painting acts as a marriage certificate, as seen by the signature in the back of Van Eyck, supporting him as a witness of the marriage. Arnolfini worked for the Medici family, and their family is represented by the oranges in the back. Common of the Renaissance in northern Europe, many small, representative details are shown. The dog at the feet of the couple represents loyalty and the lit candle stands for the consummation of the marriage. In addition, they two figures are both barefoot, showing that they are standing on holy ground. The convex mirror in the back represents the eye of God, therefore implying that he is present for the marriage and making it holy ground. Also, this piece is typical of the era because it humanizes the figures; this can be seen by the clogs in the foreground, which would be worn around the house, showing domesticity. DT: detailed, marriage, Medici, symbolic

Summer Trees

Artist: Song Su-Nam Date: 1979 Material: Ink on Paper Function: Depict trees From: Kore In Song Su-nam's Summer Trees, broad, vertical parallel brush strokes of ink blend and bleed from one to the other in a stark palette of velvety blacks and diluted greys. The feathery edges of some reveal them to be pale washes applied to very wet paper, while the darkest appear as streaks that show both ink and paper were nearly dry. The forms overlap and stop just short of the bottom edge of the paper, suggesting a sense of shallow space. Song felt very strongly that the materials and styles of Western art did not express his identity as a Korean, especially after the tenions between Korean and America after the Korean war in 1950. Summer Trees, with its allusions to friendship and a balmy season, could be Song's statement of optimism in the rediscovery of traditional values recast for modern times.

Athenian agora

Athenian agora F:Athens P: Archiac through Hellenistic Greek. 600 B.C.E.-150 C.E. Plan M: Plan U: Commercial, religious, social, civic buildings. Some events used to honor Athena. A: Unknown It is the most richly adorned and quality of its sculptural decoration it is surpassed only by the Parthenon. the sculptural decoration and certain sections of the roof were made up of Parian marble. An agora would be used for many different types of events. Markets were held here as well as religious and civic gatherings.

Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes

Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes F: Persepolis, Iran. P: c. 520-465 B.C.E. A: Persian M: Limestone The Apādana palace is a large ceremonial building, likely an audience hall with an associated portico. It was the largest building of the complex, supported by numerous columns and lined on three sides with open porches. The palace had a grand hall in the shape of a square, each side 60m long with seventy-two columns, thirteen of which still stand on the enormous platform, destroyed by Alexander the Great. Relief artwork, originally painted and sometimes gilded, covered the walls of the Apadana depicting warriors defending the palace complex.

Augustus of Prima Porta

Augustus of Prima Porta P: Imperial Roman Early first century C.E. M: Marble U: Show divine power of Augustus F: Rome, Italy A: Unknown P: Augustus This statue is not simply a portrait of the emperor, it expresses Augustus' connection to the past, his role as a military victor, his connection to the gods, and his role as the bringer of the Roman Peace. Shows the contrapposto pose- one hip out, relaxed and natural stance. Armor shows him as a warrior and robes show him as civic leader. Giving off a god-like feel. Descriptive terms: Idealized, divine, contrapposto, emperor

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, folio

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, folio F: A: D: M: U: Bahram Gur Fights the Karg is a book illumination depicting one of the many stories from the Shahnama, the Persian Book of Kings. The illustration depicts one such story of the brave deeds of a Persian king, Bahram Gur, who singlehandedly defeated the monstrous Karg (horned wolf). The page surrounding Bahram Gur Fights the Karg is covered with calligraphy, but we do not know what originally appeared on the page adjoining the painting because the book pages are dispersed today. Calligraphy is the most highly regarded form of Islamic art, and it can be highly stylized, showing off an artist's personal flare and skill.

Bandolier bag

Bandolier bag Artist: Lenape people Date: c. 1850 Material: beadwork on leather Function: to be worn by men as traditional wear From: Delaware tribe, Eastern woodlands These people were among the very first to come into contact with the Europeans upon their arrival in the 1600s. Thus, this bag was made using European materials and is not considered pre-Columbian. The beadwork is not native to the Americas, and was instead Fbrought by the Europeans. The Lenape people were native american inhabitants of the land surrounding what is now the Delaware river. There are different variations and are typically decorated with colorful beads and ribbons with fringe at the bottom. They have abstract and symmetrical motifs, possibly representing the celestial sky/cosmos. DT: traditional, beadwork

Basin (Baptistere de St. Louis)

Basin (Baptistere de St. Louis) F: Areas Egypt and Syria A: Mamluk artisan Ibn Al-Zain D: 1320-1340 CE M: Brass, silver, gold, and black paste U: Baptize children of France The basin is filled with figures, animals, and decorative paintings The floor of basin is covered with abstract sea animals. There is a continuous band of animals and frieze of animals on horseback. On interior, rulers both on either side marked by roundels. On the outside, there are four figures marked by roundels. Some figures are in celebration while some in battle. There may have been alterations while in France. There is Arabic inscription of the artist's signature.

Bayeaux Tapestry

Bayeaux Tapestry Artist: multiple Anglo-Saxon artists Patron: Odo, Bishop of Bayeux Date: c. 1070 CE Materials: embroidered wool on linen Function: embroidery depicts struggle for the throne From: Canterbury Measuring twenty inches high and almost 230 feet in length, the Bayeux Tapestry commemorates a struggle for the throne of England between William, the Duke of Normandy, and Harold, the Earl of Wessex (Normandy is a region in northern France). The year was 1066—William invaded and successfully conquered England, becoming the first Norman King of England (he was also known as William the Conqueror). The Bayeux Tapestry consists of seventy-five scenes with Latin inscriptions (tituli) depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest and culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The textile's end is now missing, but it most probably showed the coronation of William as King of England. In one scene of the Normans' first meal after reaching the shores of England, we see dining practices. We also see examples of armor used in the period and battle preparations. To the left of the dining scene, servants prepare food over a fire and bake bread in an outdoor oven. William's tactical use of cavalry is displayed in the "Cavalry" scene. The cavalry could advance quickly and easily retreat, which would scatter an opponent's defenses allowing the infantry to invade. It was a strong tactic that was flexible and intimidating. Although foot soldiers are included in the tapestry, the cavalry commands the scene, thus presenting the impression that the Normans were a cavalry-dominant army. The Bayeux Tapestry provides an excellent example of Anglo-Norman art. It serves as a medieval artifact that operates as art, chronicle, political propaganda, and visual evidence of eleventh-century mundane objects, all at a monumental scale.

Beaker/Bushel with ibex motifs

Beaker/Bushel with ibex motifs F: Susan, Iran P: Neolithic c. 4200-3500 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Beaker M: Painted terra cotta One of the first ceramic pieces, made from clay and intricately designed with mineral and plant paint in painstaking detail. There are many geometric patterns on the fragment. The brushel is divided into different bands (called registers or friezes). The vessel portrays a Ibex, a type of goat native to the area, and also canine figures along the rim. At the time, dogs were used to hunt animals like Ibexes. The painting might have been done with small brushes made from plant material or human or animal hair.

Birth of Venus

Birth of Venus Artist: Sandro Botticelli Patron: Medici family Date: Italian Renaissance c. 1484-1498 Material: Tempera on canvas Function: Depict the mythical birth of Venus From: Florence, Italy This was created for the Medici family; since it is not a Christian story, it was acceptable for the female body to be shown nude. After this painting, it became more common for the female to be shown nude, and these paintings came to be called "Venus". Venus is shown after just being created out of the sea foam, and she is being blown to shore by zephyrs. This pagan image is specifically shown because humanism has made it acceptable to study and depict these stories. This piece shows an attempt at realism, as seen with the anatomy and landscape, but the perspective is unrealistic. The artist balances the sea and land, but the land unrealistically continues on in the background. Descriptive terms: pagan, nudity, Venus, ocean, land

Black on black ceramic vessel

Black on black ceramic vessel Artist: Maria Martinez and Julian Martinez Date: mid 20th century, Tewa, puebloan Material: blackware ceramic Function: act as a ceramic vessel for different materials From: San Ildefonso Pieblo, New Mexico Martinez was inspired by art from pueblo sites. It was made with local clay, volcanic ash, and broken pot shards without the use of a potters wheel. It was polished with a smooth stone and put into a fire to obtain its black color. It was based on natural phenomena, like rivers and birds. DT: black, pottery, geometric, abstract

Great Stupa at Sanchi

Borobudur Temple (Cosmic Mountain) A: Commissioned by emperor Ashoka P: 3rd century to 1st century CE M: Stone F: Sanchi, India U: acts as a Buddha shrine It represents the Buddha, the path to Enlightenment, a mountain and the universe. The domed shape of the stupa came to represent a person seated in meditation much as the Buddha was when he achieved Enlightenment and knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. Small stupas can function as votive offerings in to improve one's karma. The ashes of Buddha are buried here. The unmoving center represents enlightenment, the base rep. the lotus position, the middle rep. Buddha's body, and the top rep. the Buddha's head.

Buddha Bamiyan

Buddha F: Bamiyan, Afghanista A: Gandaran D: c 400 to 800 CE M: cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint U: show figures of the Buddha This piece was destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. These were carved in situ into the rock. Typical of Buddhist art, the image of Buddha changes depending on location. Due to its location, this Buddha is thinner and solemn, compared to the laughing big-bellied Buddha of China and Japan. DT: Buddhist, situ, carved

Buk (mask)

Buk (mask) Artist: Torres Strait Islander people Date: mid to late 19th century, Oceanic art Material: turtle shell, wood, fiber, feathers, and shell Function: Worn during funerary ceremonies and harvest rites From: Torres Strait This kind of mask is almost always linked to an animal motif. This work displays the composite human and animal imagery typical of western Torres Strait masks, and provides insight on the beliefs/religion of the islanders at the time. The ceremonies often involved performances in which senior men, wearing the masks together with rustling costumes of grass, reenacted events from the lives of culture-heroes, drawn from local oral tradition. DT: mask, funerary, harvest, ritual

Calling of Saint Matthew

Calling of Saint Matthew Artist: Caravaggio Date: c. 1597-1601, Southern Baroque Material: Oil on canvas Function: Show the moment when Jesus persuades Matthew to follow him Location: Italy This piece is extremely typical of the Baroque period because of the staged, one-directional lighting. The light appears to be coming from an open window, and it directly shines on who is thought to be Saint Matthew. Saint Matthew was a tax collector, and he, as well as the other men at the table, are shown in contemporary dress. Jesus, however, and his companion are shown in appropriate attire of their time. DT: stage lighting, biblical, dramatic

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine F: Tequixquiac, central Mexico P: Paleolithic 14000-7000 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Unknown M: Bone The shape was created by using subtractive techniques and utilizing already apparent features in the bone, like the holes for eyes. It was a first look at how people began manipulating their environment to create what they wanted.

Catacomb of Priscilla

Catacomb of Priscilla Artist: n/a Date: Late Antique Europe. c. 200-400 C.E Materials: Excavated tufa and fresco Function: Burial site for Christians From: Rome, Italy The wall paintings (Roman first style) are considered the first Christian artwork. The catacombs are 10 km made of tufa, the stone of Rome. Over 40,000 tombs are located here within shelves called loculi while wealthier people excavated a place for a sarcophagus. It originally belonged to Priscilla who donated land for her family to be burried. It was a common grave robbing site due to martyrs being buried there.

Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan

Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan A: Artist unknown; based on oil painting by Lui Chunhua. P: c. 1969 C.E. M: Color lithograph U: To reveal that Mao is almost divine being-like with his posture. F: China Chunhua Liu used the ideals of the Cultural Revolution and Socialist Realism to create his masterpiece. This poster is a lithographic reproduction of a painting in the style of Socialist Realism. The dark blue and purple hues to show Mao's courage through bravery when he is about to address the people of his country that are suffering. Mao was a Chinese communist revolutionary; this piece shows him in his youth campaigning for the common people. This piece is typical of the Cultural Revolution because of the socialist realism style; Mao is shown is youthful, determined, and powerful. DT: propaganda, communist, revolutionary

Chavin de Huantar

Chavin de Huantar Artist: Chavin people Date: 900-200 BCE, Chavin architecture Material: Stone (architectural complex), granite (lanzon and sculpture), hammered gold alloy (jewelry) Function: Act as ceremonial center for communal worship From: Northern Highlands, Peru Typical of this time, the architecture is made up of ashlar masonry. No mortar is used, so the stones are tightly fitted together. Similar to structures of the same time period, the post and lintel structure is frequently used. It was 10,000 feet in elevation with a ritual site. The Lanzon Stela was a supernatural being standing with the large mouth, fangs, and claws of a jaguar, making it zoomorphic with swirl and serpent designs. A nose ornament (serpent motif and passed through or pinched the nose) and Ralmondi Stele (two faces from different views) were also found DT: post and lintel, ashlar masonry

Church of Sainte-Foy

Church of Sainte-Foy Artist: Unknown and various Patron: French royal family Date: Romanesque, c. 1145-1155 CE Materials: Limestone architecture, stained glass windows Function: royal church for France From: Chartres, France Common of the Gothic period, the two bell towers differ in appearance because the church was built over a span of several years. The original architect may have died or given up the job, and passed on the construction to a different architect. As a result, the two bell towers are of different styles and appearances. On the exterior of the church, there are Old Testament kings and queens to show Jesus's lineage; through their patronage, the royal family is suggesting that they descend from this holy familial line and are therefore relating to Jesus and his ancestors. In addition, three portals on the front of the church are common of the Gothic period, compared to the two portals of the Romanesque period.

Church of Sainte-Foy (reliquary)

Church of Sainte-Foy (reliquary) Artist: N/A Date: Romanesque, late 10th to early 11th century Materials: silver, gemstones, enamel over wood Function: reliquary of a young girl martyred in the early fourth century From: France Over time, travelers paid homage to Saint Foy by donating gemstones for the reliquary so that her dress is covered with agates, amethysts, crystals, carnelians, emeralds, garnets, hematite, jade, onyx, opals, pearls, rubies, sapphires, topazes, antique cameos and intaglios. Her face, which stares boldly at the viewer, is thought to have originally been the head of a Roman statue of a child. The reuse of older materials in new forms of art is known as spolia. Using spolia was not only practical but it made the object more important by associating it with the past riches of the Roman Empire.

Church of Sainte-Foy (tymphanum)

Church of Sainte-Foy (tymphanum) Artist: N/A Date: Romanesque, c. 1050-1130 CE Materials: stone Function: Depict the last judgment From: France In the center sits Christ as Judge, and he means business! He sits enthroned with his right hand pointing upwards to the saved while his left hand gestures down to the damned. This scene would have served as a reminder to those entering the Church of Saint-Foy about the joys of heaven and torments of hell. Immediately on Christ's right are Mary, Peter and possibly the founder of the monastery as well as an entourage of other saints. Below these saints, a small arcade is covered by a pediment, meant to represent the House of Paradise. These are the blessed, those have been saved by Christ and who will remain in Paradise with him for eternity. At the center, we find Abraham and above him notice the outstretched hand of God, who beckons a kneeling Saint Faith. Inside Hell, things aren't looking very good. It is a chaotic, disorderly scene—notice how different it looks from the right-hand side of the tympanum. There is also a small pediment in the lower register of Hell, where the Devil, just opposite to Abraham, reigns over his terrifying kingdom.

City of Cusco, including Qorikancha (Inka main temple), Santo Domingo (Spanish colonial convent), and walls at Saqsa Waman (Sacsayhuaman)

City of Cusco, including Qorikancha (Inka main temple), Santo Domingo (Spanish colonial convent), and walls at Saqsa Waman (Sacsayhuaman) Artist: Inka people Date: 1550-1650 Material: andesite, sandstone Function: serve as a Catholic church and religious center of Inka From: Central highlands, Peru Typical of conquered lands, new structures are built on the rubble of the old civilization. This Catholic church was built with the remains of an Inca temple. Some of the stones used were 70 tons, and fit together. The city is 11,000 feet in elevation and contains a monastery and church built around a shrine. It is believed to be in the shape of a puma and lifesize gold figures were found inside the city, which represents the sun. DT: conquered, western, European, christian

City of Machu Picchu

City of Machu Picchu Artist: Inka people Date: c. 1450-1540 Material: granite (architectural complex) Function: act as an Incan city and astronomical center From: Central highlands, Peru Located on the top of the mountains, this city was built entirely of stone, not wood. The stone was put together using ashlar masonry (the absence of mortar). The complex was built for the Emperor in the mountains since it the high altitude was closer to the heavens. There is an observatory believed to be for the winter/summer solstice and can be used to see the milky way. The Inhithuata stone can be used to track the passage of the sun and decide when religious events took place. Ceremonies were held at the stone. DT: mountains, city, Incan

Colosseum (Flavin Amphitheater)

Colosseum (Flavin Amphitheater) F: Rome, Italy P: Imperial Roman 70-80 C.E. M: Stone and concrete U: Competitions- gladiators, animal hunts, naval battles F: Rome, Italy A: Unknown The Colosseum is famous for it's human characteristics. It was built by the Romans in about the first century. It is made of tens of thousands of tons of a kind of marble called travertine. Could welcome 50,000 people at once. First freestanding amphitheater. Descriptive terms: circular, amphitheater, deadly competitions

Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow

Composition with red, blue, and yellow Artist: Piet Mondrian Date: 1930, Destijl/suprematism Material: oil on canvas Function: show only three primary colors and black and white From: France As a part of suprematism, artists of this period wanted pure art free of any individual objects. The pieces were made to look almost plastic-like and lacking in any human touch. The composition is design-oriented instead of subject matter. There are no horizontals and there is a balance of color and form. Mondrian wanted to embrace pure abstraction and express intellectual freedom. He limited himself to primary colors and also varied the lines in thickness. DT: pure, basic, primary

Conical tower and Circular Wall of Great Zimbabwe

Conical tower and Circular Wall of Great Zimbabwe Artist: Shona people Date: c. 1000-1400 African architecture Materials: coursed granite blocks Function: act as a palace From: Southeastern Zimbabwe Typical of most architecture, this building is extremely large in order to promote the power and authority of the establishment, as well as trade and defense. In addition, the blocks are constructed in the dry stack style; in other words, they are not mortared together. The style is different than most architecture in this area of Africa, because of the brickwork opposed to adobe or other plant-materials. Eight figures were found on top. DT: dry stack, power, defense, trade, palace

Dancing at the Louvre

Dancing at the Louvre Artist: Faith Ringgold Date: 1991 C.E., Post-modernism Material: Acrylic on canvas, tie-dyed, pieced fabric border Function: Depict a fictional scene of a black girl at the Louvre From: France To tell a fictional story of a young black women who moves to Paris in the early 20th century. Her adventures lead her through history and meet a multitude of celebrities such as Pablo Picasso and Sojourner Truth. Drawing on her own struggle for recognition in an art world dominated by European traditions and male artists, Ringgold uses this narrative format to literally rewrite the past by weaving together histories of modern art, African-American culture, and personal biography. She challenges us to consider expectations of gender and race, as well as traditional expectations and values of what art might be. Through image and text, Ringgold rewrites history to make a place for women like herself in its historical development.

Darkytown Rebellion

Darkytown Rebellion Artist: Kara Walker Date: 2001, Contemporary/Postmodernism Material: cut paper and projection on wall Function: reflect on the historical representation of African Americans in American visual culture From: Luxemborg The characters that have few distinguishing features, so it becomes hard to tell race, gender, and age; this leads to removal of bias and discrimination so that the viewer see's the scene for what it truly is. It mainly serves to challenge accepted racial stereotypes and broadcast the flaws in popular culture's feelings toward race. : The actual subject of the work is meant to reflect the antebellum South during the time of slavery. Many southern African-American stereotypes are still present today and Walker hoped to make viewers realize how subconsciously they had these premeditated ideas about the figures and the assumptions about race they automatically made because of popular culture. Walker also shows her support for coexisting with our any discrimination, especially racial, by using a unique blend of multiple colors in the projection that appear to be contrasting colors with jagged and rough lines. This conveys the meaning that by recognizing and addressing the difference in races humans are creating a "jagged" and fragmented

David

David Artist: Donatello Patron: Medeci Date: c. 1440-1460 Material: Bronze casting Function: Decorative sculpture in the Medici palace From: Florence, Italy This transitional piece was the first nude sculpture-in-the round since Antiquity; this shift back to accepting nudity was a direct effect of the growing influence of humanism in Europe. David specifically was chosen as the subject of this sculpture because he became the mascot of Florence. Like David, Florence was militarily weaker than other city states but more intellectual. Because of these two qualities of Florence, David is shown as more feminine to show his physical weakness, but he stands on the head of Goliath, holding the stone in his hand. Finally, David wears the warrior's helm of Florence, representing his status as the mascot of the city. This piece was meant to sit in the Medici palazzo so that all passerby could view it. As a result, this would help the ideals of humanism spread. Descriptive terms: feminine, mascot, intellectual

Dedication page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France, scenes from the Apocalypse from Bibles Moralisées

Dedication page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France, scenes from the Apocalypse from Bibles Moralisées Artist: N/A Date: Gothic, c. 1145-1155 CE Materials: Illuminated manuscript, using ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum Function: royal church for France From: Part of a book art from bible moralisée At this time, King Lous IX was a boy king, and his mother, Blanche of Castile, was his regent. IN theology, the prominence of Mary was at an all-time high, so the power of the queen was also heightened as a result. Mary was most often shown as a queen with a crown, just like Blanche is depicted here. Thus, the stance and appearance of Blanche parallels that of Mary.

Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock F: Jerusalem, Palestine D: 691-692 CE M: Stone masonry with glazed ceramic tile and bronze dome U: IDK not a mosque tho A: Islamic The Dome of the Rock was one of the first Islamic buildings ever constructed. At the center of the Dome of the Rock sits a large rock, which is believed to be the location where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Ismail (Isaac). Today, Muslims believe that the Rock commemorates the night journey of Muhammad. The Rock is enclosed by two ambulatories and an octagonal exterior wall. The colonnades (row of columns) are clad in marble on their lower registers, and their upper registers are adorned with exceptional mosaics. The mosaics in the Dome of the Rock contain no human figures or animals. The Dome of the Rock also contains an inscription, 240 meters long, that includes some of the earliest surviving examples of verses from the Qur'an.

Doryphoros

Doryphoros P: Original 450-440 B.C.E. Roman copy (marble) of Greek original (bronze) M: Original- bronze casting, copy- marble carving F: Naples, Italy A: Polykleitos Doryphoros was one of the most famous statues in the ancient world and many known Roman copies exist. The original was created in around 450 BC in bronze and was presumably even more tremendous than the known copies that have been unearthed. Doryphoros is also an early example of contrapposto position, a postion which Polykleitos constructed masterfully (Moon). Polykleitos was one of the most famous Greek artists of the time. His hand once held a spear. This shows the contrapposto pose. Relaxed hips. Stoic face. This became canon for human anatomy. Descriptive terms: Stoic, relaxed, idealized, athlete, canon

Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Park

Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Park Artist: Diego Rivera Date: 1947-1948, modern Material: Fresco Function: show the culture of Mexico From: Mexico This acts as political commentary on the celebration of the indigenous culture of Mexico. Hundreds of characters from 400 years of Mexican history gather for a stroll through Mexico City's largest park. Rivera depicts a confrontation between an indigenous family and a police officer; a man shooting into the face of someone being trampled by a horse in the midst of a skirmish; a sinister skeleton smiling at the viewer. The printmaker depicted La Catrina (an elegant, upper-class woman in European clothing) as a skeleton in order to critique the Mexican elite. The fourth character in this quartet is Kahlo. She stands behind a child-version of her husband, with one hand protectively on his shoulder as her other holds a Yin and Yang object (a metaphor for their complex relationship). DT: commentary, cultural, political

Earth's Creation

Earth's Creation Artist: Emily Kame Kngwarreye Date: 1994, Contemporary Indigenous Australian art Material: Synthetic polymer paint on canvas Function: Depict the day after rain From: Utopia, Australia Emily is Australia's most important Aboriginal artist. She was the first aboriginal to have a work sell for over a million dollars and remains the only Australian - of any background - to have an overseas retrospective held in their name. She was known not have any knowledge or training in art, and painted in a way that has never been seen. Patches of bold yellows, greens, reds and blues seem to bloom like lush vegetation over the large canvas. ill connected to the natural environment, however, these works reference the changing atmospheric character of seasonal cycles. Earth's Creation documents the lushness of the "green time" that follows periods of heavy rain, and makes use of tropical blues, yellows and greens.

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa Artist: Gian Lorenzo Bernini Patron: Pope Innocent X Date: c. 1647-1652, Italian Baroque Material: Marble (sculpture); stucco and gilt bronze (chapel) Function: Show the holy spirit entering Saint Teresa; divine joy From: Cornaro chapel, church of Santa Maria Della Vittoria, Rome, Italy Canonized (made a saint by the Church) largely for the spritual visions she experienced, Teresa of Ávila was a nun who lived in 16th century Spain at the height of the Reformation, as she is impaled painfully by an angel. Extremely typical of Baroque art is the use of stage-lighting in this piece. The light, shown by actual lights as well as the sculptural rays of light, shine perfectly on the face of Saint Teresa. This creates a very dramatic effect, capturing the pinnacle of the biblical story. In addition, the drapery twists around the body, as seen in Saint Teresa, and the body of the angel twists as well. This twisting, complex motion is common of the Baroque period as they made their figures more dramatic and appearing to be in motion. DT: lighting, biblical, holy spirit

Pink Panther

Pink Panther Artist: Jeff Koons Date: 1988, Post Modernism Material: Porcelain on base sculpting Function: Depict the Pink Panther as a sex symbol From: United States This piece is a part of his Banality series. It is a reflection of pop culture, juxtaposing the namesake popular children's' cartoon character with Jayne Mansfield, a sex symbol. Four essentially identical Pink Panther sculptures exist. They are an example of kitsch, meant to appeal to the masses. This piece later grew to be considered high art due to its popularity. DT: Bright colors, sexually suggestive

Electronic Superhighway

Electronic Superhighway Artist: Nam June Paik Date: 1974 Material: neon lighting, steel and wood; color, sound Function: show how technology has affected the United States From: United States Paik placed over 300 TV screens into the overall formation of a map of the United States outlined in colored neon lights. Roughly forty feet long and fifteen feet high, the work is a monumental record of the physical and also cultural contours of America: within each state, the screens display video clips that resonate with that state's unique popular mythology. For example, Iowa plays old news footage of various candidates, while Kansas presents the Wizard of Oz. The states are firmly defined, but also linked, by the network of neon lights, which echoes the network of interstate "superhighways" that economically and culturally unified the continental U.S. in the 1950s. However, whereas the highways facilitated the transportation of people and goods from coast to coast, the neon lights suggest that what unifies us now is not so much transportation, but electronic communication. Thanks to the screens of televisions and of the home computers that became popular in the 1990s, as well as the cables of the internet (which transmit information as light), most of us can access the same information at anytime and from any place. While Paik's work is generally described as celebrating the fact that the "electronic superhighway" allows us to communicate with and understand each other across traditional boundaries, this particular work also can be read as posing some difficult questions about how that technology is impacting culture. For example, the physical scale of the work and number of simultaneous clips makes it difficult to absorb any details, resulting in what we now call "information overload," and the visual tension between the static brightness of the neons and the dynamic brightness of the screens points to a similar tension between national and local frames of reference.

En la Barberia no se Llora (No Crying in the Barbershop)

En la Barberia no se Llora (No Crying in the Barbershop) Artist: Pepón Osorio Date: 1994 Material: mixed media installation with barber's chairs, photographs, objects, and videos Function: Depict a barber shop scene while exploring Latino masculinity From: Connecticut, United States Inspired from his first haircut in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Osorio recreates the space of the barbershop as one that is intensely packed with "masculine" symbols like barber chairs, car seats, sports paraphernalia, depictions of sperm and a boy's circumcision, phallic symbols, and male action figurines. Osorio boldly challenges the idea of masculinity, and particularly of machismo (a strong sense of masculine pride), in Latino communities. As a foil to this construction, the artist also included videos of men crying, with the public reacting both in sympathy and disgust. While En la barberia no se llora (No Crying Allowed in the Babershop) challenges definitions of masculinity, it also brings up—in a more subtle way—the relationship between machismo and homophobia, violence, and infidelity, and the ways in which popular culture, religion, and politics help craft these identities and issues.

Entombment of Christ

Entombment of Christ Artist: Jacopo da Pontormo Date: 1525-1528, Italian mannerist painting Material: Oil on wood Function: Show the carrying of Jesus' dead body to his tomb From: Florence, Italy This piece illustrates the common features of mannerism. For one, the bodies are linear but all seem to twist around each other. This gives a sense of dramatic movement and a complexity of the figures. The figures have elongated bodies with smaller, disproportional heads; they all show unique emotions, most specifically grief and yearning over the death of Christ. Mannerism challenged the ideals of the High Renaissance, as seen in the painting's complexity and unbalanced nature. The bodies are grouped together in an unbalanced way, and there is no definite ground line for the figures in the back. This rejects the complete realism and attempt for perfection of other Renaissance pieces. Descriptive terms: grief, complex, unbalanced

Fallingwater

Fallingwater Artist: Frank Lloyd Wright Patron: private patron Date: 1936-1939, modern architecture Material: reinforced concrete, sandstone, steel, and glass Function: act as a personal home From: Pennsylvania, US Typical of Lloyd's work, this piece is meant to fit into the environment. Modern materials contrast natural cut rock, and the two flow together into eventually meeting the environment. Supported concrete allows ledges, which is a new innovation of this architectural time period. Wright even incorporated a rock outcropping that projected above the living room floor into his massive central hearth, further uniting the house with the earth. Wright further emphasizes the connection with nature by liberal use of glass; the house has no walls facing the falls, only a central stone core for the fireplaces and stone columns. This provides elongated vistas leading the eye out to the horizon and the woods. DT: natural, modern, cut rock

Female (pwo) Mask

Female (pwo) mask Artist: Chokwe peoples Date: late 19th to the early 20th century African art Material: wood, fiber, pigment, and metal Function: used in a ritual where men dress like women From: Democratic Republic of the Congo Men adorned female masks because the Chokwe matriarchy society honored female beauty and women who gave birth. Usually, the mask depicts a female ancestor, showing men what to look for in wives. Typical of African masks, the eye sockets are enlarged, the chin is pushed in, and motifs are inscribed. Like all masks of this time, the wearer loses his identity when wearing it, and instead is completely assumed by the spirit of the mask. Thus, the ritual consists of womanly movements and dances; it honors the female lineage and female ancestors. DT: ritual, matriarchy, ancestor

Female deity

Female deity Artist: Date: c. 18th to 19th century, Oceanic art Material: wood Function: represent an anthropomorphic deity or deified ancestor used in religious ceremonies From: Nukuoro, Micronesia Like other Polynesian sculptures, this piece would be used during celebrations or ceremonies. There are only 20 left in the world. The Female Deity is shown with many protruding areas from the elbows, shoulders, and breasts. DT: female, stylized, anthropomorphic

Folio from a Qur'an

Folio from a Qur'an F: Central Islamic Islands A: Scribes, patron was likely an aristocratic elite D: c. 900 CE M: Brown, red ink, and gold ink on vellum (calf skin) U: To record the word of the prophet Muhammad The Qur'an is the sacred text of Islam, consisting of the divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic. This two-page spread (or bifolium) of a Qur'an manuscript, which contains the beginning of Surat Al-'Ankabut. The main text of the mushaf is read from right to left. Normally excluded short vowels were included to avoid misreadings, marked with red circles around the consonants, depending on the vowel. The text of each sura is further divided into verses by triangles made up of 5 gold circles located at the end of each verse (left). The title of each sura is written in gold ink, and surrounded by a rectangle, filled here with an undulating golden vine, combined with a rounded palmette extending into the margin of the folio.

Forbidden City

Forbidden City A: P: Ming Dynasty. 15th century C.E. and later M: Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile U: This is a religious and political building. It is a ritual center for all of China and the building was home of 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming and Quin dynasties. F: Beijing, China It stands for the culmination of the development of classical Chinese and East Asian architecture and influences the development of Chinese architecture. The largest surviving wooden structure in China is surrounded by 7.9 meters (26 feet) high walls and 3,800 meters (2.4 miles) long moat.

Frontispiece of the codex Mendoza

Frontispiece of the codex Mendoza Artist: Unknown and various Patron: Antonia de Mendoza Date: 1541-1542, Spanish Renaissance Artist: Unknown and various Material/technique: Ink and color on paper, codex Function: Codex meant to record information about Aztec empire From: Viceroyalty of New Spain The artists of this work were all indigenous people of the Aztec empire, but the codex is on European paper and it was commissioned by a Spaniard. The frontispiece shows symbols such as the eagle and cactus, which both represent a portion of the history of the empire's founding. Corn appears around the edges of the piece, symbolizing the agricultural success of the empire. DT: Aztec, codex, Spanish

Fruit and insects

Fruit and insects Artist: Rachel Ruysch Date: 1711, Baroque Material: Oil on wood painting Function: show rotting fruit and insects From: Northern Europe The fruit rots and the insects eat it; like all still-lives, this represents the circle of life. Still-lives are extremely typical of Dutch Baroque art; they are dotted with many small details that are all symbolic of the cycle of life. DT: circle of life, rotting, detailed

Funeral Banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)

Funeral Banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui) A: Patron was Lady Dai P: Han Dynasty, ca 168 BCE M: Painted Silk U: Funeral banner F: Mawangdui, China They may be "name banners" used to identify the dead during the mourning ceremonies, or they may have been burial shrouds intended to aid the soul in its passage to the afterlife. This banner is an early example of pictorial art in China and features the earliest known portrait in Chinese painting. We can divide Lady Dai's banner into four horizontal registers (see diagram). In the lower central register, we see Lady Dai in an embroidered silk robe leaning on a staff. We understand that this is not a portrait of Lady Dai in her former life, but an image of her in the afterlife enjoying the immortal comforts of her tomb as she ascends toward the heavens. In the register below the scene of Lady Dai, we see sacrificial funerary rituals taking place in a mourning hall. The patterns on the silk that match the finest robe Lady Dai wears in the scene above. Above and below the scenes of Lady Dai and the mourning hall, we see images of heaven and the underworld.

George Washington

George Washington Artist: Jean-Antoine Houdon Date: 1788-1792, American neoclassical Material: marble sculpture-in-the-round Function: Show the first president of the United States, George Washington From: United States Typical of the neoclassical era, this piece stresses civic pride through the realistic portrayal of the American leader. For example, Washington is portrayed less as a leader and more of a regular person. His military status is not as evident due to the undefined epaulettes on his shoulders. However, his pose is similar to a contrapposto pose and his body is not idealized. The structure that Washington leans on is made of thirteen rods, which is symbolic of the thirteen American colonies. His leaning pose represents the support of the colonies that he has received in his leadership. DT: leader, natural, colonies

Gold and Jade Crown from Tomb 98

Gold and Jade Crown from Tomb 98 A: P: second half of 5th century M: gold and jade U: Worn by royalty in ceremonial rituals F: Hwangnamdong, Korea Although their fragile gold construction initially led some to believe that these crowns were made specifically for burial, recent research has revealed that they were also used in ceremonial rites of the Silla royalty during the Three Kingdoms Period.

Golden Haggadah (the Plagues of Egypt, Scenes of Liberation, and Preparation for Passover)

Golden Haggadah (the Plagues of Egypt, Scenes of Liberation, and Preparation for Passover) Artist: unknown Date: Late medieval Spanish illuminated manuscript (Jewish), c. 1320 CE Materials: Illuminated manuscript with pigments and gold leaf on vellum Function: Show the story of Exodus from Egypt and is meant to be read during Passover From: Spain This piece is categorized in the Gothic era not only because of the time period, but also a few other other factors. First off, the figures wear contemporary clothing instead of historical wear; for example, some of the figures are dressed as medieval knights. Secondly, Gothic architecture can be seen in the background of the piece. This contemporary take on Old and New Testament stories is extremely common of Gothic art. The Jews mainly ban images in temples, but this is part of a book art that would narrate the story of Exodus during Passover. A haggadah generally means a Jewish manuscript and are extremely decorated and detail-oriented. This piece, although from Spain, greatly parallels book art of France during the Gothic era. For example, the expressions, proportions, and medium of the book are the same as French book art. This hints that book art was available throughout Europe, not just in the country of origin.

Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)

Golden Stool Artist: Ashanti peoples Date: c. 1700 African art Material: gold over wood and cast-gold attachments Function: act as a sacred ceremonial object representing Ashanti nation From: south central Ghana This stool is sacred to the Ashanti peoples and no one, not even the king, is allowed to sit on it. It is thought to contain the spirit of the Ashanti people. The only time it is touched is when the new king comes to power. This piece in particular is cherished because of the gold; gold is highly valued due to its malleability, shininess, and lack of tarnishing. In addition, owning this golden stool would send an image about the owner, such as showing their wealth and power. The stool is not to be sat on or placed on the ground, so it sits on a blanket. Legend has it that it floated out of the heavens and landed on the lap of the king. DT: wealth, power, gold

Goldfish

Goldfish Artist: Henri Matisse Date: 1912, Fauvist Material: oil on canvas Function: show goldfish in a tank as a still life From: France This piece is very similar to works by van Gogh at the time. The white of the canvas shows through due to the thinly applied paint and the quick brushwork. Goldfish were considered exotic and exported from East Asia to Europe. The bright color contrasts against the black background behind to emphasize the subjects on the table. DT: fauve, fish, colorful

Grave stele of Hegeso

Grave stele of Hegeso A: Attributed to Kallimachos P: c. 410 B.C.E. M: Marble and paint U: Act as a grave marker for Hegeso F: Painted marble relief Hegeso was a woman of high rank, therefore she is showed picking out jewelry. Inscription dedicates work to Hegeso and her father. Descriptive terms: Grave marker, wealth, commemorative

Great Alter of Zeus and Athens at Pergamon

Great Alter of Zeus and Athens at Pergamon F: Asia Minor (represents-day Turkey) P: Hellenistic Greek. c. 175 B.C.E. M: Marble A: Pergamon (Asia Minor, present-day Turkey) The alter of Zeus with its richly decorated frieze, a masterpiece of Hellenistic art. It's a masterful display of vigorous action and emotion—triumph, fury, despair—and the effect is achieved by exaggeration of anatomical detail and features and by a shrewd use of the rendering of hair and drapery to heighten the mood. Similar to the frieze on the Parthenon. It depicts recent victories by King Attalos I's victories over Gaul and also the victorious war of Alexander the Great in Persia. Gods shown conquering giants. Descriptive terms: Historical, narrative, high relief, Hellenistic, hyper-realistic

Great Hall of Bulls (Lascaux Caves)

Great Hall of Bulls (Lascaux Caves) F: Lascaux, France P: Paleolithic Europe c. 16000-14000 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Depict a ritualistic hunting scene M: Pigment on rock Represents the earliest surviving examples of the artistic expression of early people. Shows a twisted perspective. It is believed to be part of a ritualistic (hunting magic) or narrative purpose. An interesting drawing is a bird-headed (only) human figure being attacked by a disemboweled bison.

Great Mosque

Great Mosque F: Isfahan, Iran A: Islamic D: 670 CE M: Granite, covered in black cloth manufactured in Saudi Arabia U: Congregational mosque The qibla iwan on the southern side of the courtyard notes the correct direction for prayer. The domed interior was reserved for the use of the ruler and gives access to the main mihrab of the mosque. Positioned at the center of the old city, it shares walls with other buildings abutting its perimeter. Since it had burned down and rebuilt, it went through many remodelling with many architectural styles. Brick piers and columns support the roofing system and allow prayer halls to extend away from this central courtyard on each side and there is a hypostyle interior.

Great Mosque of Cordoba

Great Mosque of Cordoba Artist: Unknown Patron: Abd al-Rahman I Date: Islamic, c. 785-786 CE Materials: White stone and red brick arches, original wood cieling replaced with vaulting, marble columns Function: Mosque for Muhammedites; later became a Catholic church From: Cordoba, Spain The buildings on this site are as complex as the extraordinarily rich history they illustrate. The building itself was expanded over two hundred years. It is comprised of a large hypostyle prayer hall (hypostyle means, filled with columns), a courtyard with a fountain in the middle, an orange grove, a covered walkway circling the courtyard, and a minaret (a tower used to call the faithful to prayer) that is now encased in a squared, tapered bell tower. The expansive prayer hall seems magnified by its repeated geometry. It is built with recycled ancient Roman columns from which sprout a striking combination of two-tiered, symmetrical arches, formed of stone and red brick. The focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab or prayer niche. Above the mihrab, is an equally dazzling dome. It is built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern. This astonishing building technique anticipates later Gothic rib vaulting, though on a more modest scale.

Great Mosque of Djenne

Great Mosque of Djenne Artist: Date: founded c. 1200; rebuilt 1906-1907, Islamic African architecture Materials: adobe Function: act as a place of worship for the citizens of Djenne From: Mali Torons stick out of the sides of the mosque as a decorative and functional element, which is typical of Islamic African art at the time, specifically Sub-Saharan African mosques. Since it is made out of adobe, this mosque is representative of most African architecture at the time. It has minarets and engaged columns. There are symbols of fertility and it sits on flood plain. The Mosque is also a market with a special section for women. It is a political symbol for the first African Muslim king. DT: adobe, sub-Saharan torons

Great Pyramids (Menkaura, Khafre, Khufu) and Great Sphinx

Great Pyramids (Menkaura, Khafre, Khufu) and Great Sphinx F: Giza, Egypt. P: Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2550-2490 B.C.E. M: Cut limestone A: The Great Sphinx is believed to be the most immense stone sculpture ever made by man. The Khufu Pyramid contains an estimated 2,300,000 blocks, some of which are upwards of 50 tons. Like the pyramids built by his predecessor Snefru and those that followed on the Giza plateau, Khufu's pyramid is constructed of inner, rough-hewn, locally quarried core stones, which is all we see today, and angled, outer casing blocks laid in even (stone, tombs, statues, animal symbolism)

Great serpent mound

Great serpent mound Artist: Adena people Date: c. 1070 Mississippian (Adena) Material: earthwork effigy/mound Function: show an uncoiling snake From: Adams county, southern Ohio At the time, this Mississippian culture was the largest civilization in North America. This was created by the Adena people for unknown reasons. The Adena people were extremely militarized and advanced; they had an established class system and state government. Populations ranged around 30,000 and focused around large religious-centers. The curves align with astronomical events, like the solstice and equinox. It is possibly used for marking seasons. There are no burials under, but rather rocks covered in dirt. DT: manmade, earthwork, snake

Guggenheim Museum

Guggenheim Museum Artist: Frank Gehry Date: 1997, Contemporary Material: Titanium, glass, and limestone Function: To showcase great fine art exhibitions and further the redevelopment of the city Bilbao From: Bilbao, France In the late 1980s the Basque authorities started on a redevelopment program for Bilbao. In 1991 at the invitation of the Basque Government the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, met repeatedly with officials and signed a preliminary agreement to bring a new Guggenheim Museum to Bilbao. Was visited by numerous artists, architects, journalists, politicians, filmmakers, and historians during the four years of its construction which anticipated the success of the museum. The museum has lots of allusions to the sea, as Bilbao was an important fishing city. The museum challenges assumptions about art museum collecting and programming with its inventive design.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia Artist: Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Date: 532-537 C.E. Materials: Brick and ceramic elements with stone and mosaic veneer Function: Church From: Constantinople (Istanbul) The Hagia Sophia is the Roman Empire's first Christian Cathedral. The interior was paneled with costly colored marbles and ornamental stone inlays. Decorative marble columns were taken from ancient buildings and reused to support the interior arcades. Initially, the upper part of the building was minimally decorated in gold with a huge cross in a medallion at the summit of the dome.

Horn Players

Horn Players Artist: Jean-Michel Masquiat Date: 1983, Post-Modernist Material: Acrylic and Oil paintstick on three canvas panels Function: show respect to legendary jazz artists Dizzy Gillepsie and Charlie Parker-the two figures depicted in the painting From: New York The late 1900s the African American community was bustling with creativity and rich culture-especially in New York where Basquiat was located. This time period saw to the emergence of hiphop and rap. Michael Jackson was actively promoting. The words "DOH SHOO DE OBEE" that float to the left of the figure's head call to mind the scat (wordless improvisational) singing Gillespie often performed onstage. The literal meaning of "ORNITHOLOGY" is "the study of birds," but this is also the title of a famous composition by Parker, who named the tune (first recorded in 1946) in reference to his own nickname "Bird." The words "PREE" and "CHAN" that we see written above and below the saxophonist's portrait refer to Parker's infant daughter and common-law wife, respectively.

House in New County

House in New County Artist: Robert Venturi, John Rauch, Densie Scott Brown Date: 1978-83, Post modernism Material: Wood frame and stucco Function: A house From: Delaware, United States Robert Venturi's New Castle County House offers a modest but instructive example of the Post-Modern style set in rural north Delaware. The "front" façade of the New Castle County House incorporates a floating arched screen that, like a highway billboard, rises somewhat awkwardly from the lower edge of the gable (above). Though Venturi claimed this curved feature had Austrian Baroque origins, like a garden gate or eyebrow dormers found on some Victorian houses, it functions as a sign, identifying the structure as a residence. The painted arches in the vaulted music room, the quirky chandeliers, and perforated wall patterns exhibit a straight-forward craftsman-like quality, as if cut by hand or jigsaw.

House of Vetti.

House of Vetti. F: Pompeii, Italy P: Imperial Roman. c. second century B.C.E.; rebuilt c. 62-79 C.E. M: Cut stone and fresco U: Used for commercial and personal affairs. Large atrium is center of home. A: Unknown The House of the Vettii offers key insights into the domestic architecture and interior decoration in the last days of the city of Pompeii. The house itself is architecturally significant not only because of its size but also because of the indications it gives of important changes that were underway in the design of Roman houses during the third quarter of the first century C.E. Roman townhouse named after brothers. A viewer can see all the way through the house. Descriptive terms: townhouse, wealthy, atrium

Hunters in the snow

Hunters in the snow Artist: Pieter Bruegel the Elder Date: 1565, Northern Renaissance Material: Oil on wood painting Function: Act as a part of the series, show the season of winter Location: Northern Europe This piece was one of the first genre paintings, which shows ordinary people doing everyday things. This can be seen with the hunters walking back to the town and the people iceskating in the distance. This is typical of the Northern Renaissance period because of the high horizon line and the detailed atmospheric perspective; the eye of the viewer is drawn up towards the distant sky. DT: ordinary, winter, atmospheric perspective, high horizon line

Spaniard and Indian produce a mestizo

Spaniard and Indian produce a mestizo Artist: Juan Rodrigues Juarez Date: c. 1715, Baroque Material: Oil on canvas painting Function: show a native Mexican with a European and their children From: Mexico This is the beginning of people questioning the ruling class; thus, a new group of people, of mixed race, start to promote looking back to indigenous people. DT: new generation, Spanish, native, mixed

Lying with the Wolf

Lying with the Wolf Artist: Kiki Smith Date: 2001 CE Material: Ink and pencil on paper Function: Depict a woman with a wolf From: Centre Pompidou, Paris The depiction of a woman and dangerous animal so easily coexisting is a powerful visual message, one that reminds us of Biblical characters, figures from Greek myth, and even eastern deities. It is a clear statement of female strength throughout mythological and spiritual history. This pairing of characters also provides us with an updated version of ancient images, since the drawing includes no recent iconography, architecture, personal effects or materials. Smith's drawing offers us a contemporary description of an ancient female force.

Ikenga (shrine figure)

Ikenga (shrine figure) Artist: Igbo peoples Date: c. 19th to 20th century Materials: wood Function: to be placed on top of a shrine From: Nigeria This piece reflects the great value the Igbo place on individual achievement. The horns are signs of aggression (as rams fight with their heads) and have abstract incising. Carved out of wood, it would be placed on top of a shrine or reliquary. The figure typically holds symbolic objects shows the status and success of the people. For example, holding a human head reflects a warrior. There is also abstract incising on the body which reflects scarring. DT: deity, shrine

MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts

MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts Artist: Zaha Hadid Date: 2010, Postmodernism, contemporary Material: concrete, limestone, glass Function: contemporary art museum From: Rome, Italy The building is repetitive in that the architecture is supposed to mimic movement to depict the progressive-ness of the future of architecture and building. he building is a composition of bending oblong tubes, overlapping, intersecting and piling over each other, resembling a piece of massive transport infrastructure.

Il Gesù, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco

Il Gesù, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco Artist: Jesult Giovanni Tristanto, Vignola, Della Porta Patron: Date: 1580, Late Renaissance Materials: Some marble Function: Church From: Rome, Italy The plan synthesizes the central planning of the High Renaissance, expressed by the grand scale of the dome and the prominent piers of the crossing, with the extended nave that had been characteristic of the preaching churches, a type of church established by Franciscans and Dominicans since the thirteenth century. The façade of the church is divided into two sections. The lower section is divided by six pairs of pilasters with Corinthian capitals, while the upper section is divided with four pairs of pilasters. The upper section is joined to the lower section by a volute on each side. The main door stands under a curvilinear tympanum, while the two side doors are under a triangular tympanum.

Illustration from the Results of the First Five-Year Plan

Illustration from The Result of the First Five-year plan Artist: Varvara Stepanova Date: 1932, constructivism Material: photomontage Function: show photos from the Soviet Union, including a portrait of Lenin From: Soviet Union At this time, the Soviet Union was rising in power after the Russian Revolution. It acts as political commentary in favor of the Soviets. During the five-year plan, economic goals were set. The photo depicts Vladimir Lenin in a positive light to help establish the great success of the plan and it's mass popularity. DT: soviet, communism, social

Improvisation 28

Improvisation 28 (second version) Artist: Vassily Kandinsky Date: 1912, early abstract, expressionism Material: oil on canvas Function: show complete abstraction From: Germany This is one of the first completely abstract pieces. Unrecognizable forms are combined with stark lines and primary colors. Kandinsky was a member of the Blue Riders, so blue horse-like forms can be seen in the painting. The artist meant the viewer to regard the painting as a complex music composition. The black represents closure and the artist thought of painting as music creating vibration in the soul. The chaos of the painting is like the lack of harmony in musical notes or dissonance. DT: abstract, lines, primary colors

Isenheim altarpiece

Isenheim altarpiece Artist: Matthias Grunewald Patron: Monks/nuns of monastery hospital Date: 1512-1516, Northern Renaissance Material/technique: Oil on wood painting Function: Act as a altarpiece in the chapel of the hospital; show the relatable suffering of Jesus Location: German monastery hospital At this time, ergotism affected many people in Northern Europe, which was caused by a fungus that grew in grains. It caused boils and gangrene; thus, Jesus is shown as if suffering from ergotism. As a result, the patients in the hospital are able to relate to Jesus and they know that he understands their suffering. When the piece opens, Jesus's arm even appears to be amputated, which was a common procedure for sufferers of ergotism. However, the interior of the altarpiece is golden and holy; this infers that the suffering of the patients will not continue in Heaven. DT: ergot, disease, suffering

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Sheikh to Kings

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Sheikh to Kings A: Bichitr P: 1620 CE, Mughal style M: Opaque watercolor and gold ink on paper F: India U: To show the power because the emperor has scholars surrounding him. In this miniature painting, Emperor Jahangir is handing a book to a Sufi Shaikh, a spiritual leader, showing he prefers holy men to political figures like a sultan and King James I, depicted in the painting. The artist is also in the painting depicted honoring the emperor. Jahanfir has a gold disk around his head with a crescent in it symbolizing the sun and moon/ day and night, and therefore his divine truth. A slim crescent moon hugs most of the disc's border, creating a harmonious fusion between the sun and the moon (thus, day and night), and symbolizing the ruler's emperorship and divine truth. Jahangir is shown seated on an elevated, stone-studded platform whose circular form mimics the disc above. The Emperor is the biggest of the five human figures painted, and the disc with his halo—a visual manifestation of his title of honor—is the largest object in this painting. The five bearded figures are in hierarchical order of importance. Almost on par with the Emperor's level stands the Sufi Shaikh, who accepts the gifted book with bear hands which contrasts the king's jewlery.

Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple

Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple F: Lhasa, Tibet A: unknown D: c 641, Tibetan Buddhism Art U: to be housed in the Jokhang temple M: Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings F: Lhasa, Tibet Similar to Indian style Buddhism, this Buddha is extremely colorful and heavily adorned. It is said to have been blessed by the Buddha, and it is located in the holiest temple in Tibetan Buddhism. DT: Tibetan, Buddhist, adorned, colorful, sacred

King Menkaura and Queen

King Menkaura and Queen F: P: Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2490-2472 B.C.E. M: Greywacke A: They were perfectly preserved and nearly life-size. This was the modern world's first glimpse of one of humankind's artistic masterworks, the statue of Menkaura and queen. (Representational, proportional, frontal viewpoint, hierarchical structure.)

Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds)

Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds) Artist: Date: Material: Function: From: Ai Weiwei often uses his art to critique political and economic injustice. Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds) consists of more than 100 million tiny, handmade porcelain sunflower seeds, originally weighing in at 150 tons. Sunflower seeds evokes a warm personal memory for the artist, who recalls that while he was growing up, even the poorest in China would share sunflower seeds as a treat among friends. The use of sunflower seeds as the basis of his installation was also designed to subvert popular imagery rooted in the artist's childhood. Ai Weiwei reasserts the sunflower seed as a symbol of camaraderie during difficult times, as sunflowers typically represented the people of China and Mao Zedong was the sun. Though each of the 100 million carefully crafted individual seeds can draw the viewer's attention, once arranged together in a neat rectangle, or covering the floor of an entire room, the hyper-realistic seeds create a sense of vastness. The individual seed is lost among the millions, a critique of the conformity and censorship inherent in modern China. Mr. Ai's use of porcelain comments on the long history of this prized material while also rejecting the common negative connotations of the modern term "Made in China."

Lakshmana Temple

Lakshmnana Temple A: Unknown P: 930 - 950 AD (20 years to build) M: Sandstone U: Dedicated to Vishnu and other Gods and also emphasizes female beauty F: Khajuraho, India The temple depicts idealized female beauty as roles as symbols of fertility, growth, and prosperity. Sculptures are lively, active postures: swaying hips, bent arms, and tilted heads which create a dramatic "triple-bend" contrapposto pose, all carved in deep relief emphasizing their three-dimensionality. The elephant-headed Ganesha is also depicted. The central deity at the Lakshmana temple is an image of Vishnu in Vaikuntha (three headed form) who sits inside the temple's inner womb chamber (garba griha) which is symbolic and physical core of the temple's shrine. It is dark, windowless, and designed for intimate, quite different from large congregational worshipping spaces. It's Nagara style Hindu temple architecture with a vimana (shrine that's the shell of the womb chamber) and a mandapa (flat-roofed entry porch). The superstructure appears like the many rising peaks of a mountain range.

Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II

Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II F: Dur Sharrukin, Assyria (Modern Iraq) P: c. 720-705 B.C.E. M: Alabaster A: Neo-Assyrian The Assyrian lamassu sculptures are partly in the round, but the sculptor nonetheless conceived them as high reliefs on adjacent sides of a corner. The combine the front view of the animal at rest with the side view of it in motion. Seeking to present a complete picture of the lamas from both the front and the side, the sculptor gave the monster five legs- two seen from the front, four seen from the side.

Last Supper

Last Supper Artist: Leonardo di Vinci Patron: Sforza of Milan Date: Renaissance c. 1494-1498 Material: Oil and tempera painting Function: show the last meal between Jesus and the 12 Apostles From: Milan, Italy This perfectly sums up Renaissance painting solely because of the complete numerical balance in the piece. The Apostles are grouped in four groups of three, two of each on either side of Jesus. There is also an equal ratio triangles and squares. Three and four are common numbers; four rectangular panels on each wall, three windows on the back wall, and one triangular pediment above the center doorway. Jesus is posed in a triangular way; in addition, even the perspective draws you in to a point in the back of the room, in the shape of a triangle. In terms of the Apostles, Judas is shown clutching a bag of coins, and a mysterious hand holding a knife appears behind his back, showing his eventual betrayal of Jesus. Descriptive terms: balanced, triangles, squares, Jesus, apostles

Last judgement of Hu-Nefer, from his tomb

Last judgement of Hu-Nefer, from his tomb F: P: New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty. c. 1,275 B.C.E. M: Painted papyrus scroll A: In Hu-Nefer's scroll, the figures have all the formality of stance,shape, and attitude of traditional egyptian art. Abstract figures and hieroglyphs alike are aligned rigidly. Nothing here was painted in the flexible, curvilinear style suggestive of movement that was evident in the art of Amarna and Tutankhamen. The return to conservatism is unmistakable.

Les Demoiselles

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon Artist: Pablo Picasso Date: 1907, Cubist Material: oil on canvas Function: show 5 prostitutes in a brothel From: Paris, France This piece marks the beginning of abstract art, specifically cubism. Unlike other works of the time period, the nudes look at the viewer directly, bashing the typical idea of the female nude. African masks are seen on the figures on the right side, showing Picasso's experience with African art. DT: abstract, controversial, direct

Liberty Leading the people

Liberty Leading the people Artist: Eugene Delacroix Date: 1830, French Romanticism Material: oil on canvas Function: Show Lady Liberty leading the French people in the fight for independence from the government From: France Romanticism usually calls for a rebellion against the current government, thus shown here through the rebellion of the people against the corrupt French government of the time. The French colors of red, white, and blue are evident throughout the painting, representing the people's France. Finally, the child holds a gun due to the large amount of young people involved in the revolution. DT: rebellion, France, revolution

Lindisfarne Gospels: St. Luke portrait page

Lindisfarne Gospels: St. Luke portrait page Artist: Eadrith, bishop of Lindisfarne Date: Hiberno-Saxon, 698-721 CE Materials: Illuminated manuscript, ink, pigments, and gold on vellum Function: Page from the bible. Very ornate due to the rarity of books of the time and their importance. From: Lindisfarne, Britain Luke's incipit page is in marked contrast to his straightforward portrait page. Here Eadfrith seats the curly-haired, bearded evangelist on a red-cushioned stool against an unornamented background. Luke holds a quill in his right hand, poised to write words on a scroll unfurling from his lap. His feet hover above a tray supported by red legs. He wears a purple robe streaked with red, one that we can easily imagine on a late fourth or fifth century Roman philosopher. The gold halo behind Luke's head indicates his divinity. Above his halo flies a blue-winged calf, its two eyes turned toward the viewer with its body in profile. The bovine clasps a green parallelogram between two forelegs, a reference to the Gospel.

Lindisfarne Gospels: St. cross-carpet page

Lindisfarne Gospels: St. cross-carpet page Artist: Eadrith, bishop of Lindisfarne Date: Hiberno-Saxon, 698-721 CE Materials: Illuminated manuscript, ink, pigments, and gold on vellum Function: Page from the bible. Very ornate due to the rarity of books of the time and their importance. From: Lindisfarne, Britain A dense interplay of stacked birds teem underneath the crosses of the carpet page that opens John's Gospel. One bird, situated in the upper left-hand quadrant, has blue-and-pink stripes in contrast to others that sport registers of feathers. Stripes had a negative association to the medieval mind, appearing chaotic and disordered. Within the cross, there is more order than outside, which may be symbolism.

Lindisfarne Gospels: incipit page

Lindisfarne Gospels: incipit page Artist: Eadrith, bishop of Lindisfarne Date: Hiberno-Saxon, 698-721 CE Materials: Illuminated manuscript, ink, pigments, and gold on vellum Function: Page from the bible. Very ornate due to the rarity of books of the time and their importance. From: Lindisfarne, Britain Likewise, Luke's incipit (iit begins) page teems with animal life, spiraled forms, and swirling vortexes. In many cases Eadfrith's characteristic knots reveal themselves as snakes that move stealthily along the confines of a letter's boundaries. Blue pin-wheeled shapes rotate in repetitive circles, caught in the vortex of a large Q that forms Luke's opening sentence—Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ordinare narrationem. (Translation: As many have taken it in hand to set forth in order.) Birds also abound. One knot enclosed in a tall rectangle on the far right unravels into a blue heron's chest shaped like a large comma. Eadfrith repeats this shape vertically down the column, cleverly twisting the comma into a cat's forepaw at the bottom. The feline, who has just consumed the eight birds that stretch vertically up from its head, presses off this appendage acrobatically to turn its body 90 degrees; it ends up staring at the words RENARRATIONEM (part of the phrase -re narrationem).

Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks

Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks Artist: Claes Oldenberg Date: 1959-74 Material: Cast resin, polyurethane enamal Function: Critique the obsession with consumerism as distraction from the ongoing violence From: America A monumental tube of lipstick sprouting from a military vehicle appeared, uninvited, on the campus of Yale University amidst the 1969 student protests against the Vietnam War. In the Yale sculpture, the artist combined the highly "feminine" product with the "masculine" machinery of war. In doing so, he playfully critiqued both the hawkish, hyper-masculine rhetoric of the military and the blatant consumerism of the United States. In addition to its feminine associations, the large lipstick tube is phallic and bullet-like, making the benign beauty product seem masculine or even violent. The juxtaposition implied that the U.S. obsession with beauty and consumption both fueled and distracted from the ongoing violence in Vietnam. By bringing both domestic and military objects into a public space, Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks blurred the lines between public and private, and between the war in Vietnam and culture of the United States.

Longmen Caves

Longmen Caves A: Patron for Central Binyang Cave was by Emperor Xuan Wu in memory of his father, patron for Fengxian Temple was Emperor Gaozong and his wife, the future Empress Wu P: Tang Dynasty, 493-1127 CE M: Limestone, previously painted U: F: Loyang, China The steep limestone cliffs extend for almost a mile and contain approximately 110,000 Buddhist stone statues, 60 stupas (hemispherical structures containing Buddhist relics) and 2,800 inscriptions carved on steles (vertical stone markers). The central Buddha, seated on a lion throne with a mudra hand gesture, (Shakyamuni?) is with two bodhisattvas and two disciples—Ananda and Kasyapa. Two relief carvings of imperial processions once flanked the doorway of the cave entrance which are Chinese influenced. The Fengxian Temple is a spectacular display of innovative style and iconography. The central Vairocana Buddha (more than 55 feet high including its pedestal) is flanked on either side by a bodhisattva, a heavenly king, and a thunderbolt holder (vajrapani).

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus P: Late Imperial Roman. M: c. 250 C.E. Marble A: Unknown U: Store deceased inside F: Rome, Italy Change the ideas about cremation and burial. Extremely crowded surface with figures piled on top of each other. Figures lack individuality, confusion of battle is echoed by congested composition, and Roman army trounces bearded and defeat Barbarians. Shows the confusion of battle and the victory of the Romans. Figures lack individuality. Descriptive terms: Confused, dense, busy, relief

Lukasa (memory board)

Lukasa (memory board) Artist: Luba peoples Date: 19th century to 20th century African art Materials: Wood, beads, and metal Function: show the history of the tribe From: Democratic Republic of the Congo Similar to other African tribes, the Luba peoples had no written language, so their history was passed down verbally. To be done by court historians, it shows the political history of the Luba peoples. DT: history, memories, verbal language

Madonna and Child with Two Angels

Madonna and Child with Two Angels Artist: Fra Filippo Lippi Date: c. 1465 Italian Renaissance Material: Tempera on wood Function: Show the Virgin Mary in an intimate setting with infant Jesus and two angels From: The artist, Fra Filippo Lippi, was a monk who had an affair with a nun and had children with her. The nun was the model for Mary, and their three children were the inspiration for Jesus and the two angels. This Madonna scene is different from previous depictions of the pair because Mary is shown here as young and she looks at Jesus with tender emotion. She is no longer completely somber and serious like in Gothic and Romanesque Madonna scenes. Her youth and demure appearance conveys her as more of a human mother rather than the Queen of Heaven, as shown in previous Christian pieces. Like most depictions of Mary, she wears blue to represent her purity; in addition, pearls are seen throughout the piece, which represent the Immaculate Conception and her own purity. Descriptive terms: pure, Madonna, cherubs, tender, emotion

Malagan display and mask

Malagan display and mask Artist: unknown Date: c. 20th century, Oceanic art Material: Wood, Pigment, Fiber, and Shell made by Weaving, Figure-making, free-hand painting Function: To serve as visual part of ceremony in which the dead are celebrated and assisted in their transition to the spiritual realm, the ceremonies length can be from months to years so sturdy materials for elaborate structures can withstand long time frame. From: New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea This mask would have been a part of a ceremony that would assist the souls of the dead to pass into the spirit world. Unlike European funerals, these funerary ceremonies did not focus on grief but instead on honoring the dead. Poles were part of the head hunting tradition found in the native parts of Papua New Guinea. The culture behind the Malagan display and mask greatly treasure ancestry and the soul/life force of an individual which is what is often portrayed in these displays. They also believe that their loved ones spirits enter into the Malagan so these pieces are treated with the upmost care until they are no longer needed. Once they are no longer needed they are often burned in fear of confusing other spirits trying to find their way. DT: display, mask

Marilyn Diptch

Marilyn Diptch Artist: Andy Warhol Date: 1960, Pop art Material: Acyrlic on canvas Function: It was made to resemble a religious form of worship. From: United States Warhol depicts a diptych of photos of Monroe in black/white and in color. Various art movements sprung up in the sixties, most of them were forms of individual expression. This highlights the people's almost religious fascination with the media and celebrities. This image is also a carefully crafted critique of both modern art and contemporary life. The painting suggests that "Marilyn Monroe," a manufactured star with a made-up name, is merely a one-dimensional (sex) symbol—perhaps not the most appropriate object of our almost religious devotion. While Warhol's silkscreened repetitions flatten Monroe's identity, they also complicate his own identity as the artist of this work. The silkscreen process allowed Warhol (or his assistants) to reproduce the same image over and over again, using multiple colors.

Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebjnecht

Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebknecht Artist: Kathe Kollwitz Date: 1919-1920, expressionist Material: woodcut Function: act as a memorial for Karl Liebknecht From: Germany This woodcut was made during the beginning of WWI where the economy was unstable. A popular left-wing party member was killed because he was too communist. Typical of Northern European art at this time, this piece acts as political and social commentary on war and its aftermath. The black and white contrast emphasizes the grief of the figures in the woodcut. The woodcut resembles a lamentation as the followers mourn "Christ" and a woman holds a baby. The DT: depressing, memorial, war, grief

Merovingian Looped Fibula

Merovingian Looped Fibula Artist: unknown Date: mid-6th century C.E Materials: Silver gilt worked in filigree, with inlaid garnet and other stones Function: used as a pin or a brooch to fasten garments; Showed the prestige of the wearer. From: Jouy-le-Comte, France This pair of Visigothic fibulae is another great example of barbarian metalwork and cloisonné. These were decorated with garnets, amethyst, and colored glass. Pendants could have been hung from the small loops on the bottom on each fibulae. It is easy to see how these ornate fibulae are different from the Byzantine example discussed earlier. This pair was found at a Visigothic grave site in Spain, and were made over a century later than the Byzantine crossbow fibula. While both examples are fibulae and had the same functional purpose, the way in which they were decorated differed because of the culture producing them.

Mesa Verde cliff dwellings

Mesa Verde Cliff dwellings Artist: Anasazi people Date: 450-1300, Anasazi architecture Material: sandstone Function: act as homes and places of worship for puebloan people From: Montezuma country, Colorado These cliff dwellings were located on the sides of mesas, on top of which the people would farm the land. Kivas were located here and acted as the spiritual center; they were built as a large hole in the ground into which people would descend. Thus, the staircase became a sacred symbol that often showed up in pottery. There are over 200 buildings, a fire pit, roof support, and chimneys. The buildings have handprints and fingerprints. DT: homes, spiritual, sacred, kiva

Moai on platform (ahu)

Moai on platform (ahu) Artist: Rapai nui people Date: c. 1100-1600, Oceanic art Materials: Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base Function: show the living faces of deified ancestors From: Easter Island The native people moved the 4 ton stone using logs (similar technique to that of Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids) and would lower it into a hole in the ground. Typical of oceanic art, the heads and faces are emphasized and massive. The statues sit on a raised platform with their backs to the sea to keep watch over the island. They typically sit next to a burial site and are used to commemorate ancestors. The monoliths have elongated earlobes, large staring eyes, and a straight nose. There are over 800 statues, and some have a pukao on top (a red topnot) to indicate status. DT: heads, sculpture, stylized

Monticello

Monticello Architect: Thomas Jefferson Date: 1768-1809, Neoclassical Material: Brick, glass, stone and wood architecture Function: serve as personal home for the patron From: Virginia, US Typical of the neoclassical era, this building mimics classical architectural techniques. For example, a traditional Greco-Roman dome, columns, and pediment make up the facade. In addition, it is extremely balanced and proportional, similar to the mathematical balance of the Greeks. DT: balanced, classical, dome

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut F: Near Luxor, Egypt. P: New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1473-1458 B.C.E. M: Sandstone, partially carved into a rock cliff, and red granite. A: It sits directly against the rock which forms a natural amphitheater around it so that the temple itself seems to grow from the living rock. Most beautiful of all of the temples of Ancient Egypt.

Mosque of Selim II

Mosque of Selim II Artist: Sinan Patron: Selim II Date: 1568-1575 CE, Turkish mosque Material: Brick and stone architecture Function: Site of prayer for Muslims From: Edirne, Turkey The four minarets on the corners of the Mosque are distinctly Turkish. Built in the middle of a community center with school, hospital, etc. Descriptive terms: minarets, Turkish, holy, dome

Niobides Krater

Niobides Krater A: Anonymous vase painter of Classical Greece known as the Niobid Painter. P: c. 460-450 B.C.E. M: Clay, red-figure technique F: By bringing in elements of wall paintings, the painter has given this vase its exceptional character. Wall painting was a major art form that developed considerably during the late fifth century BC, and is now only known to us through written accounts. Complex compositions were perfected, which involved numerous figures placed at different levels. This is the technique we find here where, for the first time on a vase, the traditional isocephalia of the figures has been abandoned.

Nan Madol

Nan Madol D: 700-1600 C.E. T: man-made; islets were constructed by placing large rocks and fill a top submerged coral reefs to form raised platforms supporting elaborate residential and ceremonial complexes M: complexes were built from columnar basalt, a volcanic rock that breaks away naturally to form massive rodlike blocks that make an ideal building material; prismatic structures F: center of religion; mortuary; ritual; ceremonial for the ruling chiefs of the saudeleur dynasty; break walls for canals; protect the city from the ocean; administrative and ceremonial center C: highly stratified social system; home to thousands; earliest known place for such centralized political power in the western pacific; the larger homes are made for the chiefs showing the social hierarchy; there are shallow lagoons; there are walls to protect from the ocean; 92 artificial islands covering covering 170 acres; sea walls are 17 ft high and 35 ft wide; break walls are for the canals; they are reflective of the king; islands are arranged for the winds; had a cubical tomb

Narcissus Garden

Narcissus Garden Artist: Yayoi Kusama Date: 1966, Post-Modernism Material: mirror balls Function: To force the onlooker to come to terms with their own vanity and ego From: Brazil There are 1,500 massed produced plastic silver balls, tightly arranged to create a reflective field in which images of the artists, the visitors, and the landscape were repeated. She reated a distorted feeling, produced virtual images that appeared closer and smaller than in reality. As the viewer looks into the artist's silver field they see themselves shrunken and distorted staring back. By acting as a street vendor selling the orbs she further encouraged the viewer's narcissism and emphasised the influence that money has on art.

Navigation chart

Navigation chart Artist: Date: 19th to early 20th century, Oceanic art Material: Wood and fiber Function: act as a Rebbelib, a type of navigation chart used to cover a large section of the Marshall Islands. From: Marshall Islands, Micronesia The Marshall Islands are a complex grouping of smaller islands, so a map was needed to navigate through them. The map shows the main pathway between the two main islands, the intersecting lines or areas marked by shells indicate locations of islands while the slopped lines indicate wave swells. The diagonals can indicate wind and currents, while the horizontal and vertical sticks simply support the chart. DT: navigation, waterways, travel

Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang MaMbui

Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang MaMbui Artist: Kuba peoples Date: 1760-1780 African art Material: wood Function: show a Kuba ruler From: Democratic Republic of the Congo Typical of African sculpture, the face and head are extremely emphasized and idealized; in addition, the back and body lacks in detail and is thus less important than the face. The large head shows the intelligence of the ruler. This sculpture would hold a lot of power with the Kuba people, similar to the sculptures of the pharaohs in Egypt. It would serve as a point of contact with his spirit, as well as honor and represent the ruler. The ruler wears shoulder ornaments, belts, arm bands, and bracelents and sits o a raised platform with geometric zig zag patterns. DT: powerful, spirit, honor, idealize, geometric motifs

Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace

Night ATtack on the Sanjo Palace A: Unknown D: Kamakura period, 1250-1300 C.E. M: Handscroll with ink and color on paper, 22 feet long U: record historical events that happened during this time period F: Japan This scroll depicts the specific events that happened in this time of history. It is based on storytelling skills and painting styles. Form: a surface is created first, then continue to paint in this style. after drawing with the ink, one begins to add more color with mineral pigments and restoring the lines by reapplying ink over the surface of the image.

Object (Le Déjeuner en Fourrure)

Object Artist: Meret Oppenheim Date: 1936, dadaism Material: chinese gazelle fur-covered cup, saucer, and spoon Function: show a teacup and spoon set covered in fur From: France Typical of surrealism, a normal item is taken and made out of a different material; this causes the viewer to look at the everyday object in a different way. Inspired by when she was at a restaurant with Picasso and asked a waiter for fur to cool her tea. It is a projection of inner thoughts and emotions and produces uncomfortable feelings in her audience. DT: different, everyday, surrealist

Old Man's Cloth

Old Man's Cloth Artist: El Anatsui Date: 2003, Postmodernism Material: Aluminum and copper wire Function: A statement piece to remember the history and culture of his region through using elements related to the most influential and culture-shaping events. From: Southern Nigeria El Anatsui became an influential artist during a period in which African independence movements were becoming increasingly popular. Also El Anatsui uses his personal background, coming from Ghana, to convey the works greater purpose by using the luminescent gold color to reflect his homes colonial past. This piece specifically is meant to serve as a reminder of the uneasy history of trade between Europe and Africa. By using bottle caps from alcoholic beverages, it is metaphorically reminding the viewer of the slave trade, which was one of the most influential events in the history of the continent, because alcohol was one of the commodities traded. Also the use of the gold color is connecting the works meaning to The Gold Coast (British colony which is now Ghana) which was exploited by European "trade" with the region and stripped of its resources and the fluid movements of the piece are symbolic of the waves and movements of the Atlantic Ocean, the location of Slave trade. Lastly the name of the piece, Old Man's Cloth, references the significance of the trade of textiles to the history and culture of the region.

Painted elk hide

Painted elk hide Artist: Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody) Date: 1890-1900 Material: painted elk hide Function: show animals and hunters From: Wind River Reservation, Eastern Shoshone, Wyoming Since the Shoshone people lacked a written language, this piece was used in tandem with oral traditions to record history. The use of elk hide is similar to the European's use of vellum for Bibles and illuminated manuscripts. There are geometric patterns and the women sit near a fire. The women sit near a camp scene with dance as warriors hunt buffalo on horseback with rifles. DT: hide, history, oral tradition

Palace of Westminister (House of Parliament)

Palace of Westminister (House of Parliament) Architects: Charles Barry and Augustus WN Pugin Patron: Parliament Date: 1840-1870 Period: English Neogothic Material: Limestone masonry and glass architecture Function: Hold the meetings of Parliament From: London, England This palace strongly evokes the Gothic style. The facade is adorned with pinnacles and hundreds of windows, all with many minuscule details. It shares its appearances with many famous gothic churches. DT: neogothic, pinnacles, facade

Palazzo Rucellai

Palazzo Rucellai Artist: Leon Battista Alberti Patron: Rucellai Date: Italian Renaissance c. 1450 Material: stone Function: Home and business of a wealthy merchant From: Florence, Italy This building is very typical of the Italian Renaissance because it is much more calm and balanced than architecture of the Gothic era. The facade is flat and does not have any pinnacles; it has a balanced ratio of circles and squares on the outside, as seen in the arches and windows. Unlike Gothic ogee arches, the arches are rounded and less extravagant. Buildings such as this were meant to house the business as well as the personal lives of the family; the first floor was reserved for business affairs, while the upper floors were for the family and servants. Descriptive terms: balanced, flat, ratio, rounded

Palette of King Narmer

Palette of King Narmer F: Hierakonpolis, Egypt P: Pre-dynastic Egypt c. 3000-2920 B.C.E M: Greywacke/siltstone A: Egyptians Egyptian archeological find containing some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. The beautifully carved palette is decorated on both faces with detailed low relief. These scenes show a king, identified by name as Narmer, next to falcon god Horus and a series of ambiguous scenes that have been difficult to interpret. The high quality of the workmanship, its original function as a ritual object dedicated to a god, and the complexity of the imagery clearly indicate that this was a significant object. The circle in the center created by the crossing of the lion's heads were to hold black eyeliner to prevent reflection of the sun's glare. The king is represented once on each face, unifying upper and lower Egypt. He may also be represented as a powerful bull, destroying a walled city with his massive horns.

Pantheon

Pantheon P: Imperial Roman 118-125 C.E. M: Concrete with stone facing A: Unknown U: Dedication to the gods, used as temple F: Rome, Italy One of the great buildings in western architecture, the Pantheon is remarkable both as a feat of engineering and for its manipulation of interior space, and for a time, it was also home to the largest pearl in the ancient world. There are coffers on the inside to support the heavy weight of the dome. Extremely decorated at the time. Interior is thought of as the "orb of the Earth" Descriptive terms: Divine, columns, stone and concrete

Pazzi Chapel

Pazzi Chapel Artist: Filippo Brunelleschi Date: Italian Renaissance architecture, c. 1429-1461 Materials: masonry architecture Function: act as private chapel in Basilica di Santa From: Florence, Italy (in Basilica di Santa Croce) This chapel sets the basis for Renaissance architecture because of its repeating patterns and balanced, calm feel. It is a comprised of a balanced ratio of circles and squares, which was carefully calculated by the architect. On the exterior, the facade is a combination of a greek temple and a Roman basilica; this combination shows that European society, because of humanism, grew more accepting of Antiquity. Descriptive terms: balanced, circles, squares, private

Peplos Kore from the Acropolis

Peplos Kore from the Acropolis P: Archiac Greek. c. 530 B.C.E. M: Marble, painted details F: The Acropolis, Athens, Greece U: Depict a goddess or act as an offering A: Unknown Greeks painted their sculptures in bright colors and adorned them with metal jewelry. The hair is stylized but clothing begins to show body underneath. The face is rounded and more naturalistic. Descriptive terms: archaic smile, arm reaching out, frontal

Petra, Treasury and Great Temple

Petra, Treasury and Great Temple F: Petra, Jordan A: Nabataean Ptolemaic and Roman D: 400-100 BCE U: Tombs, living quarters or monumental dining rooms with interior benches M: Cut rock Petra was in Hellenistic Style, inspired by Alexander. It's well preserved because protected from elements. Petra had a water conduit and was the capital of Nabateans. It was hidden away in cleft in rock, accessed through crack in mountains. There was hardly and recorded writing. Many of the tombs contain niches or small chambers for burials, cut into the stone walls. No human remains have ever been found in any of the tombs, and the exact funerary practices of the Nabataeans remain unknown. Opposite the so-called Great Temple is the Temple of the Winged Lions, from which a unique god block of a female goddess, was recovered. Column capitals at Petra are truly unique in part for their carvings of winged lions and elephants.

Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000)

Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000) Artist: Michel Tuffry Date: 1994 C.E., Postmodernism Material: Flattened and riveted recycled corn beef tins, steel Function: To comment on how an imported commodity has become an integral part of the Polynesian customs of feasting and gift giving From: New Zealand In the 1960s, former Chief Justice of Samoa C C Marsack wrote that 'when Samoans were first introduced to the wonder of tinned food, this was in the form of pea soup. As no Samoan word can end in a consonant, they tacked an "o" on the end and made the Samoan form of the English term pisupo, pronounced pea-soup-o. As time wore on and other edible matter arrived in tins, the generic term pisupo was used for all of it. Now it is more or less confined to tinned meat.' In the Pacific Islands there are many traditional gifts of exchange such as fine mats and tapa cloth. However, at weddings, funerals, feasts, or other special occasions, tins of pisupo (corned beef) might be eaten and also given as gifts. Tinned Pisupo not only plays an important role in the Pacific Island diet, but in the culture as well. he meaning of this work is to raise questions about the effects colonial economies have had on Pacific peoples and whether foreign intervention actually encourages independence or fosters dependency. The way in which it is presented is very different and shocking.

Portait mask (Mblo)

Portrait mask (Mblo) Artist: Baule people, Moya Yanso Date: early 20th century African art Function: used to honor someone during ritual dances Material: wood and pigment From: Cote d'Ivoire Typical of other African masks, the face is extremely idealized with a broad forehead, long nose, and pronounced eye sockets. Hair is incised and the lips are small. The protrusions are animal horns or a crown, and the mask is typically made to honor the matriarch of the family (most likely a grandmother or mother). It was used on Gbagba dances, concealing the face of the dancers for an audience with drummers, singers, and orators. DT: mask, honorary, ritual

Portrait of Sin Sukju

Portrait of Sin Sukju A: P: c. 15th century C.E. M: Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk U: To show future dynasties how the leader of Korea lived and who he was. F: China This piece shows the leader of Korea in a formal robe attire. The seating position and royalty are all shown in this painting. It shows how powerful he is. The importance of this painting is represented in its location sat the Imperial Bureau of Painting. Silk was one of Asia's main trade goods during the time; the popularity of this soft material was evident in the formation of the Silk Road. The high demand and value of this material indicates thus a high value of this artwork.

Portrait of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Portrait of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz Artist: Miguel Cabrera Date: c. 1750, Enlightenment, neoclassical Material: Oil on canvas Function: Posthumous portrait of a nun (Juana Ines de la Cruz) From: Latin America This piece is typical of the neoclassical period because she is portrayed as a hero; she is shown as a nun as well as an intellectual. Cruz was considered one of the first feminists of the Americas because she joined a religious order and became a nun in order to pursue her intellectual interests, not to get married. She corresponded with scientists instead of religious intellectuals; in addition, she wrote literary pieces but eventually had to renounce and sell them. Thus, Cabrera is showing her as an intellectual instead of a traditional nun, as which she finished her life as after being forced to renounce her writings. DT: nun, intellectual, enlightenment, feminist

Power figure (Nkisi n Kondi)

Power figure (Nkisi n Kondi) Artist: Kongo peoples Date: late 19th century African art Material: wood and metal Function: act as a vessel for spiritual forces; would be used to heal, to protect, to punish From: Democratic Republic of the Congo The piece is thought to have magic powers. The hole in the belly of the figure would be filled with different materials and represented the spirit of the other world. Each piece of metal represents a different person or spirit. The magic of the piece would have to be activated by the shaman by placing materials in the holes of the figure. DT: magic, powerful, shamanism

Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II

Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II Artist: Unknown Patron: Queen Elizabeth II Date: 1953, Oceanic art and Modern art Materials: Multimedia performance (costume; cosmetics, including scent; chant; movement; and pandanus fiber/hibiscus fiber mats), photographic documentation. Function: To show respect and gratitude towards Queen Elizabeth II for visiting Tonga and for commemorating the war memorial. Also I believe this served as a way of the two countries signaling their alliance and partnership. From: Fiji, Polynesia During both world wars the people of Tonga and England have fought for same cause and have even assisted each other at times so in order to so union between two countries English royal family visits Tonga for the first time and honors those who died in the line of duty. The large tapa cloth acts as a commemoration of the queen's visit and portrays the history of the island. The meaning behind the display involves along lasting peace agreement between both queens and Queen Elizabeth's desire to thank those who served, fought, and died in World War II, is what inspirers her arrival. Because it was the first time any English Queen had stepped foot onto the island so it is a celebration of many years of peace and common cause in the war efforts. DT: gift, honorary, modern, visit

Preying Mantra

Preying Mantra Artist: Wangechi Mutu Date: 2006, Post-modernism Material: Mixed media on Mylar, collage Function: The function of this piece is to invite viewers to explore the stereotypes about the female African body as explicitly sexual, dangerous, and aesthetically deformed in relation to those of Western lands. From: Brooklyn Museum This work centers on female subjectivity and the notion of hybridity. In this context, hybridity describes how the mixing of the cultures of colonized and the colonizer - can produce a third space for newer and often disruptive understanding of cultural identity. The artist herself was born in Kenya. As colonialism in Africa waned in the 20th century, other social and political issues emerged, such as the rights of women being impeded. The title Preying Mantra recalls the praying mantis, in that the subject's legs are prominently bent. This relation has a dual meaning in that praying mantises, and African women as portrayed by their stereotypes are known to be sexual cannibals during mating season. But Mutu spelled preying with an "e" to convey that the figure may be a victim who is preyed upon mantras.

Pure Land

Pure Land Artist: Mariko Mori Date: 1998, Abstract Expressionist Material: Function: To create a meditative environment that provides the audience with a sense of tranquility and transcendence based on the 3D installation, Nirvana From: Tokyo, Japan Set within a golden landscape, a female figure serenely floats above a lotus blossom while six alien musicians whirl by on bubbly clouds. Her pink robes mirror the predominantly pale orange, yellow and pink of the water, land and sky—firmly embedding her within the tranquil scene. Every element we see here has significance that may not be apparent at first glance—the serene landscape, with its golden sky, smooth pink land masses, and perfectly still water, is rich with symbolism. Pure Land is set during sunrise in the landscape of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, called "dead" because the high salinity of its water does not support fish or plant life. In Shinto tradition, salt is used as an agent of purification. Floating in the water is a lotus blossom—symbol of purity and rebirth into paradise. On the right hand side of the background of Pure Land is a fantastical object which resembles a playful futuristic spacecraft with arms. This may be a variation of a Tibetan stupa—a sacred Buddhist monument originally used as a burial mound. Like the Amida Buddha, the woman rests above a lotus blossom and holds her right hand in a mudra of blessing and teaching; the circle formed by the index finger and thumb is the sign of the Wheel of Law. In her left hand she holds a hojyu, or magical wishing jewel, in the shape of a lotus bud. This figure is inspired by Kichijoten, originally the Indian goddess, Shri Lakshmi, who was eventually incorporated into Buddhism, and typically represents fertility, fortune, and beauty. In Pure Land, Mori blends traditional symbolism with futuristic elements.

Pyxis of al-Mughira

Pyxis of al-Mughira Artist: Umayyad Date: Islamic, c. 968 CE Materials: Ivory Function: container for expensive aromatics From: Spain A pyxis is a cylindrical box used for cosmetics. Now, imagine a room in a palace where this beautifully carved ivory container is given a central place. The luxurious box sits open. Inside are small silver containers of perfume, also left open so that their sweet-smelling aromas could waft through the room, gently scenting the air. This particular pyxis was a gift to the then-eighteen-year-old al-Mughira, the son of a caliph, perhaps as a coming-of-age present. Since the twilight years of the Roman Empire, carved ivory objects had been important elements of the artistic canon of the Mediterranean. In Al-Andalus, ivory objects, including Pyxides, were bestowed upon members of the royal family, specifically sons, wives and daughters on important or memorable occasions, such as a marriage, birth or coming of age; later they were given as Caliphal gifts to important allies, such as the Berbers, who are the indigenous peoples of North Africa, many of whom converted to Islam and swore their allegiance to the Umayyad Caliphs in Spain. Ivory was durable, smooth, elegant, and easily carved, making it highly desirable for the creation of diptychs, pyxides (the plural of pyxis), and icons that could serve as single panels or could combined into diptychs or triptychs during the Byzantine Empire. This medallion centers around a lute player flanked by two figures, one of whom holds the braided scepter and flask of the Umayyads, while the other holds a fan. Presumably the man with the scepter and flask symbolizes the Umayyad Caliph, and the figure with the fan, the Abassids.

Rebellious Silence

Rebellious Silence Artist: Shirin Neshat Date: 1994, Contemporary Material: Ink on photograph Function: Described the social issues ranging from stereotypes to war in a woman's point of view in their works From: Unknown This photo expresses the abstract thoughts of "female warriors during the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979", the photograph is inscribed with calligraphy of farsi text on the face; the text is poetry of the contemporary Iranian women poets who had written on the subject of martyrdom and the role of women in the revolution.

Rottgen Pieta

Rottgen Pieta Artist: Unknown Date: Late Medival, c. 1300-1325 CE Materials: wood carving Function: Act as an icon and used for private worship, usually acquired on religious pilgrimages From: This piece depicts the horror and darkness of the crucifixion. Pieta literally translates to "pity" because it meant to strike sadness and pity in the hearts of the viewers; this way, worshipers understand the sacrifice of Jesus and the pain that he endured for his cause. Christ is purposely shown as extremely skinny, frail, and degraded in order to show his emaciation after the crucifixion and therefore his ultimate sacrifice. It contrasts to Madonna pieces, when Mary hold an infant Jesus in her arms. Instead, Mary now holds a deceased Jesus who is emaciated and degraded. Christ wears a crown of thorns, which was adorned before his crucifixion.

Ruler's feather headdress (probably of Motecuhzoma II)

Ruler's feather headdress Artist: Aztec people Date: 1428-1520 Material: feathers (quetzal and cotinga) and gold Function: serve as the ruler's ceremonial headdress From: Mexico Motecuhzoma was the last independent Aztec ruler before its collapse. Like all large civilizations, the Aztecs were becoming too large to control and eventually collapsed upon the arrival of Europeans. It was made with over 400 quetzal tail feathers and worn by nobility or successful warriors. It shows status and a connection to the Gods; the disk formed represents the universe and the sky. DT: ceremonial, collapse, feathers

Running horned women

Running horned women F: Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria P: Neolithic c. 6000-4000 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Depict a goddess (?) M: Pigment on rock. The painting shows great contrast between the dark and light mediums used. There is also great detail put into the decorations of the woman. Most interestingly, though, there is a transparency to the larger woman and the figures behind her show through. The woman is wearing a raffia skirt and horned headgear. The purpose is speculated to be ritualistic.

Ryoan-ji Wet and Dry Garden

Ryoan-ji Wet and Dry Garden A: N/A D: Muromachi Period 1480 C.E. M: Rock Garden, rocks, grass, flowers, walls, pebbles, garden, moss U: To show the beauty around you and have one become aware of his surroundings. F: Kyoto, Japan Rock garden that consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles surrounded by a low earth wall. Additionally, it has fifteen rocks laid out in small groups on patches of moss.

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Architect: Francesco Borromini Patron: Catholic Church Date: 1638-1646, Italian Baroque Material: Stone and stucco Function: Act as a Roman Catholic church From: Rome, Italy Unlike Renaissance architecture, Baroque architecture, like this church, is unbalanced, obtrusive, and focused mainly on the oval instead of the circle and square. The use of the oval shape comes from the growing understanding of the universe as a result of new discoveries in science. DT: unbalanced, strong facade, oval

San Vitale

San Vitale Artist: Unknown Patron: Julianus Argentarius Date: Early Byzantine Europe, c. 526-547 C.E Materials: Brick, marble, and stone veneer Function: Church From: Ravenna, Italy The church differs from classic basilica form with its octagonal shape. The Basilica of San Vitale is one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture in Europe. The building combines Roman elements: the dome, shape of doorways, and stepped towers; with Byzantine elements: polygonal apse, capitals, narrow bricks, and an early example of flying buttresses. The church is most famous for its wealth of Byzantine mosaics, the largest and best preserved outside of Constantinople.

Santa Sabina

Santa Sabina Artist: n/a Date: Late Antique Europe c. 422-432 C.E. Materials: Brick and stone, wood Function: Church From: Rome, Italy The emphasis in this architecture is on the spiritual effect and not the physical. It has many of the essential characteristics of the early Christian basilica. Like the Trier basilica, the Church of Santa Sabina has a dominant central axis that leads from the entrance to the apse, the site of the altar. This central space is known as the nave, and is flanked on either side by side aisles. Now plain, the walls apparently originally were decorated with mosaics. As exemplified by the interior of the Pantheon constructed in the second century by the Emperor Hadrian, the wall in the classical building was broken up into different levels by the horizontals of the entablatures.

Sarcophagus of the Spouses

Sarcophagus of the Spouses A: Etruscan P: c. 520 B.C.E. M: Terra cotta F: Cerveteri, Italy U: Urn The sarcophagus depicts a reclining couple on its lid. The pair rests on highly stylized cushions, just as they would have done at an actual banquet. The body of the sarcophagus is styled so as to resemble a kline (dining couch). Both figures have highly stylized hair. They were funerary objects and acted as urns to hold cremated ashes. It was found in a monumental tomb. It was likely the figures were holding something like perfume, a pomegranate, or something from a banquet and had gems inlaid in their eyes.

School of Athens

School of Athens Artist: Raphael Patron: Pope Julius II Date: 1509-1511, Renaissance Material: Fresco Function: Show old philosophers and scientists to be placed in the library of Pope Julius II From: Vatican Humanism directly resulted in this piece, as well as the Pope's own desire to show his humanist ideals. Humanism made is acceptable to return to the old philosophies of the Greeks and study their principles. This was commissioned by Pope Julius II because he viewed himself as an emperor rather than a pope; he wanted to bring Rome back to its former glory, such as during the days of the Romans. Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael all appear, in addition to Plato, Aristotle, and Euclid. Descriptive terms: greek, philosophers, modern painters, intellectual

Screen with the siege of Belgrade and hunting scene

Screen with the siege of Belgrade and hunting scene Artist: Circle of the Gonzales family Date: c. 1697-1701, Baroque Material: Tempera and resin on wood, shell inlay folding screen Function: Show the siege of Belgrade and a hunting From: Mexico The artwork is inspired by Japanese folding screens and is an important example of transcultural artwork. It depicts an important battle within European history. The war side was shown for the Viceroy's guests, who used it as a political demonstration of power. The hunting scene was largely viewed by women. In addition, the atmospheric perspective draws the eyes of the viewer up to the horizon, which is also common in Baroque art.

Seagram Building

Seagram Building Artist: Van der Rohe Date: 1960, Post Modernism Material: steel and glass Function: A building for business From: New York The simplified geometry and the monumental vertical ascent of the Seagram Building characterize modernist architecture. The references to ancient structures reveal a desire to balance classical traditions with industrial materials and modern forms. Mies used expensive materials and the facade's sculptural mullions to create symbolic meaning. Mies situated the Seagram building on the site in a way that respects the surrounding architecture.

Seated Scribe

Seated Scribe F: Saqqara, Egypt P: Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynastic. c. 2620-2500 B.C.E. Painted limestone The sculpture of the seated scribe is one of the most important examples of ancient Egyptian art because it was one of the rare examples of Egyptian naturalism, as most Egyptian art is highly idealized and very rigid.

Seated boxer

Seated boxer P: Hellenistic Greek. c. 100 B.C.E. M: Bronze A: Unknown F: Rome, Italy (or Greece?) The sculpture shows both body and visage to convey personality and emotion. It shows transformation of pain into bronze, a parallel of recent photos of our contemporary Olympic athletes after their strenuous competitions. He is shown very realistically; he is tired, wrapping his hands, and looking up at his opponent. Face is full of emotion. Copper denotes blood and highlights certain areas. Descriptive terms: sculpture-in-the-round, emotion, hyper-realistic, aged, weary

Self-portrait

Self-portrait Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun Date: 1790 Period: Rococo Material: oil on canvas Function: Show the artist painting, acts as a sort of business card Location: France Le Brun was the first woman to be formally accepted into the Academy. This painting is typical of the Rococo style because of the blurred lines and soft colors; in addition, the composition is loose and the lines are not sharp. This portrait mimics those done by the Baroque painter Rubens. DT: self-portrait, royal academy, female, artist

Self-Portrait as a Soldier

Self-portrait as a soldier Artist: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Date: 1915, expressionism Material: oil on canvas Function: show the artist as a soldier From: Germany The first world war started in 1914. The artist was declared unfit for service and thus this was painted when he was recovering. A nude is seen in the back and represents his past painting. The composition of the piece mirrors a nightmare. The artist did not actually lose his hand in the war, but he uses a severed hand as symbolism for mental damage during the war. DT: nightmare, surreal, fear

Self-portrait with Saskia

Self-portrait with Saskia Artist: Rembrandt Van Rijn Date: 1636, Northern Baroque Material: Etching Function: Shown Rembrandt with his wife, act as marriage portrait From: Netherlands Context: This is one of roughly seventy-five self portraits that Rembrandt painted of himself (and this case his wife). However, this piece specifically acts as a marriage portrait for Rembrandt and his wife. It is supposed to act as a look into their daily life. Rembrandt is seen sketching, showing him as a working artist. DT: marriage portrait, couple, daily life

Shibboleth

Shibboleth Artist: Doris Salcedo Date: 2007, contemporary art Material: floor of the Turbine Hall (Columbian rock) Function: depict a crack in the floor From: London Salcedo, instead of filling the hall with conventional sculpture or installation, created a large crack on the floor of the Turbine Hall. The word "shibboleth" is often used to exclude the less worthy from a specific group and she uses this giant crack on the floor of ceremonial hall as a symbol of racism, discrimination, and colonialism that separated one being from each other. Through this art piece she addresses that the modernity is a result of colonial exploitation of the "stronger" from the "weaker." Salcedo's experience as a Colombian artist working abroad has made her especially sympathetic to the plight of marginalized people. This is a remarkable symbol of the possibility of healing through figurative and literal closure; however, the mark is also an obstacle to any attempts to erase the past.

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) A: N/A P: Chola Dynasty 11th century M: Copper alloy F: India, Tamil Nadu U: Dedicated to Shiva, the destroyer Arms were to be long like stalks of bamboo, faces round like the moon, and eyes shaped like almonds or the leaves of a lotus. The Shastras were a primer on the ideals of beauty and physical perfection within ancient Hindu ideology. Shiva embodies those perfect physical qualities as he is frozen in the moment of his dance within the cosmic circle of fire that is the simultaneous and continuous creation and destruction of the universe. The ring of fire that surrounds the figure is the encapsulated cosmos of mass, time, and space, whose endless cycle of annihilation and regeneration moves in tune to the beat of Shiva's damaru (drum), whose beats syncopate the act of creation and the passage of time. His lower right hand with his palm raised and facing the viewer is lifted in the gesture of the abhaya mudra (don't be afraid and do good). In his upper left hand he holds the agni, the flame of destruction that annihilates all that the sound of the damaru has drummed into existence. Shiva's hair, the long hair of the yogi, streams out across the space within the halo of fire that constitutes the universe.

Sistine Chapel ceiling and altar wall frescoes

Sistine Chapel ceiling and altar wall frescoes Artist: Michelangelo Patron: Pope Julius II Date: Renaissance (some Mannerist), Ceiling: c. 1508-1512; altar: 1536-1541 Material: Fresco Function: Sistine Chapel is the place where new popes are elected; the paintings in specific depict Old Testament stories From: Vatican City, Italy Michelangelo was chosen to paint the Sistine Chapel, even though he had no desire to do so (he preferred sculpture over painting). The majority of the males are painted nude, which is a direct result of the more accepting ideals of humanism. The paintings are typical of Renaissance art because of the large variety of expressions on the figures; in addition, they are all involved in complex movement, which makes it feel like the piece is capturing an exact moment in time. Descriptive terms: Papal, chapel, Old Testament, realistic, movement

Spiral Jetty

Spiral Jetty Artist: Robert Smithson Date: 1960, Earth Art Material: mud, salt crystals, and basalt rocks Function: Show interactive art after being fascinated by how the basalt rocks were impacted by the salty waters of the Great Salt Lake and how they eroded them and left amounts of salt crystals behind over time From: Utah, America It's essentially a bunch of dirt and rocks forged into a spiral into the lake, using over six thousand tons of black basalt rocks and earth from the site. The coil winds counterclockwise off the shore into the water. It is considered environmental art or land art. It is part of the environment, but also interacts and changes with the environment around it, giving the idea that a form is constantly changing and molding to the factors surrounding it. The Spiral Jetty pushes us to realize that an artwork can be an interactive process, created by many people rather than a single mastermind. The fact that the jetty interacts with its environment adds to this communal element as well.

Stadia II

Stadia II Artist: Julie Mehretu Date: 2004 C.E, Global Modernism Material: Ink and acrylic on canvas Function: portray a large stadium/sports arena From: New York Mehretu connects her art to the ever expanding world. Her dynamism has references to traffic patterns, popular culture, and disorder. Country flags, confetti, and the eruption of the crowd are prevalent. To convey energy of today's globalized world, she purposely made it impossible to distinguish one figure from the next

Staff god

Staff god Artist: Date: late 18th century to early 19th century, Oceanic art Material: wood, tapa, fiber, and feathers Function: Used in spiritual ceremonies From: Rarotonga, Cook Islands, central Polynesia They were used in worship to their deities, at the beginning of the 19th century Polynesians converted to Christianity suddenly and they were forced to destroy similar wood carvings, very few survived. This piece combines images of gods with their human descendants. The small, stylized eyes are typical of Polynesian carvings. DT: gods, spiritual, staff

Standard of Ur from the royal tombs

Standard of Ur from the royal tombs F: Royal Cemetery at Ur P: c. 2600-2400 B.C.E A: Sumerian M: Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone. Found in one of the largest graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, lying in the corner of a chamber above a soldier who is believed to have carried it on a long pole as a standard, the royal emblem of a king, though it may be a sound box. It is generally referred to have a "war and peace" side but historians believe it may be two parts of the same story, which is read from right to left, bottom to top. The "war" side depicts the earliest representations of the Sumerian army. Chariots are pulled by four donkeys, gaining speed and trampling enemies. At the top, prisoners of war are led to the king. The "peace side" depicts a banquet, accompanied by musicians playing the lyre. The king is larger than everyone else due to hierarchy of scale.

Statue of Votive figures from the Square Temple

Statue of Votive figures from the Square Temple F: Eshnunna, ancient Mesopotamia (Now Tell Asmar) P: c. 2700 B.C.E. A: Sumerian M: Gypsum inland with shell and black limestone The statues were surrogates for donors and offered constant prayer to deities. The wide eyes represent how attentive the people were towards their God. The shapes of the figures were similar to cone and cylinders. It was placed in the Temple facing altar of the state gods.

Still Life in the Studio

Still Life in the Studio Artist: Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre Date: 1837, French 19th century photography Material/technique: daguerreotype Function: show objects in an artist's studio as a photograph From: France Inspired by the still-lives of the northern Baroque, this piece replicates previous works in a completely new medium. This piece was one of the first works of photography, specifically a daguerrotype. A daguerrotype gives the photo extreme detail. DT: photography, daguerreotype

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal A: Masons, marble workers, mosaicists, and decorators working under the supervision of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the emperor Shah Jahan P: 1632 - 1647 CE M: Stone masonry and marble with inlay of precious and semiprecious stones; gardens U: Dedicated to Mahal F: Agra, Uttar, Pradesh, India Shah Jahan was the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty who dedicated the Tahal to his Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal is an excellent example of the golden age of Muslim architecture. The design of the complex incorporates Iranian features such as octagonal shape, Indian features such as the bulbous dome and Asian features such as cylindrical minarets. Muslim decorative arts include calligraphy, geometry and flower forms. Most important was the ideal of symmetry as a major element in the design of the Taj Mahal.

Tamati Waka Nene

Tamati Waka Nene Artist: Gottfriend Lindauer Date: 1890, Oceanic art and Realism Patron: Henry Patridge Material: oil on canvas Function: Depict a native Maori official From: New Zealand Natives of New Zealand, such as this Maori chief, often tattooed their faces specific to their tribe. He holds a staff that he used during an alliance in a war with the British. The chief shown eventually became a Christian and a part of western society Nene wears a kahu kiwi, a fine cloak covered in kiwi feathers, and an earring of greenstone or pounamu. Both of these are prestigious taonga or treasures. He is holding a hand weapon known as a tewhatewha, which has feathers adorning its blade and a finely carved hand grip with an abalone or paua eye. All of these mark him as man of mana or personal efficacy and status. He wears an intricate facial tattoo called moko. The pose makes the piece traditionally European with three-quarter view, the medium, and atmospheric perspective. The artist is trying to show a highly revered person in oceanic society and create a monument to him; as well as honor him for converting to Christianity (propaganda piece). Lindauer based this portrait on a photograph by John Crombie who was commissioned to produce 12 photographic portraits of Māori chiefs for the London Illustrated News. DT: european, native, chief, scarification, tattoos

Temple of Amun-re and Hypostyle Hall

Temple of Amun-re and Hypostyle Hall F: Karnark, near Luxor, Egypt P: New Kingdom, 18th and 19th Dynasties. Temple: c. 1550 B.C.E.; hall: c. 1250 B.C.E. M: Cut sandstone and mud brick The Hypostyle Hall is also the largest and most elaborately decorated of all such buildings in Egypt and the patchwork of artistic styles and different royal names seen in these inscriptions and relief sculptures reflect the different stages at which they were carved over the centuries. As the temple of Amun-re is the largest religious complex in the world.

Temple of Minerva and sculpture of Apollo

Temple of Minerva and sculpture of Apollo A: Master sculptor Vulca P: c. 510-500 B.C.E. M: Original temple of wood, mud brick, or tufa; terra cotta sculpture U: Volca F: Rome, Italy The Temple of Minerva was a colorful and ornate structure, typically had stone foundations but its wood, mud-brick and terracotta superstructure suffered far more from exposure to the elements. Apollo Master sculpture was a completely Etruscan innovation to use sculpture in this way, placed at the peak of the temple roof—creating what must have been an impressive tableau against the backdrop of the sky. Multiple sculptures sat on top of roof. Etruscans have similar religion to Greeks. Descriptive terms: Wooden temple, energetic figure, lively

Templo Mayor (main temple)

Templo Mayor (main temple) Artist: Aztec people Date: 1375-1520 Aztec architecture Material: Stone (temple); volcanic stone (the coyolxauhqui stone); jadeite (Olmec-style mask); basalt (calendar stone) Function: act as center of religious life From: Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) This city had a population of 300,000, and this temple served as the main religious center. The temple was built to honor the Aztec god of war and god of water. The temple is largely destroyed due to Spanish invasion. There are seven iterations/layers to the temple, and the God of War is depicted outside. Priests would make offerings to the shrine on top. The spiral in front is dedicated to the wind God. Structures found inside include the Olmec style jade mask (made 1000 years prior), the calendar stone (sun diety in middle, holding human heart), and the coyolxauhqui stone (dismembered moon goddess with hummingbird feathers). DT: religious, Aztec, large, civilization

The David Vases

The David Vases A: Unknown P: Yuan Dynasty 1351 C.E. M: White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze U: altar vases and presented as an offering F: China These vases are among the most important examples of blue-and-white porcelain in existence, and are probably the best-known porcelain vases in the world. They were made for the altar of a Daoist temple and their importance lies in the dated inscriptions on one side of their necks, above the bands of dragons. The long dedication is the earliest known on Chinese blue-and-white wares. These vases were owned by Sir Percival David (1892-1964), who built the most important private collection of Chinese ceramics in the world.

Terra Cotta Fragment

Terra Cotta Fragment Lapita F: Solomon Islands, Reef Islands P: 1000 B.C.E. Terra cotta (incised) A: Unknown U: Pottery M: Terra Cotta (incised) One of the first examples of the Lapita potter's art, this fragment depicts a human face incorporated into the intricate geometric designs characteristics of the Lapita ceramic tradition. Lapita pottery was shaped by hand, and perhaps using a paddle-and-anvil technique to thin the walls, but without the aid of a potter's wheel. It is low-fire earthenware (no evidence of Lapita kilns have been found). This means that the dry clay pots would likely have been placed in open fires to harden. The makers of the Lapita pottery blended clay with a particular type of sand. The sand was needed as a temper to make the vessels more durable during firing. The decoration of the pottery consists of stamped and incised motifs that adhere to a very regular, structured, and repeated set of specific patterns. The motifs were applied to the surface of the vessel with a small dentate (tooth-like) stamp and/or drawn free-hand with a sharp edge of some sort. The pattern stamps used included both linear and curved shapes of various lengths, as well as round forms.

Terra Cotta Warriors Mausoleum of the First Qin Emporer of China

Terra Cotta Warriors Mausoleum of the First Qin Emporer of China A: Patron was Qin Shihuang P: Qin Dynasty, 221-206 BC M: Terracotta U: Tomb to achieve immortality F: Shaanxi, China In order for Qin Shihuang (259-210 B.C.E.) to achieve immortality, he built himself a tomb—a vast underground city guarded by a life-size terracotta army including warriors, infantrymen, horses, chariots and all their attendant armor and weaponry. A sprawling citadel has been unearthed, complete with gardens and stables, bronze ritual vessels, jade jewelry, and a wealth of gold and silver ornaments. During his reign, he introduced the standardization of currency, writing, measurements and more. He connected cities and states with advanced systems of roads and canals and is also credited with continuing the construction of the Great Wall.

The Ambum Stone

The Ambum Stone F: Ambum Valley, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea P: c. 1500 B.C.E. A: Unknown U: Pestle M: Greywackle This is a sculpture of some sort of anteater-like creature made from a very rounded stone. With intense use of subtractive sculpting, this piece achieves a freestanding neck and head while still maintaining much of the original shape of the stone. It still uses natural materials and depicts a natural animal.

The Ardabil Carpet Maqsud of Kashan

The Ardabil Carpet Maqsud of Kashan F: A: D: M: U:

The Bay

The Bay Artist: Helen Frankenthaler Date: 1963, Abstract Expressionism Material: Acrylic paint Function: provoke a response to color (highlights the simplicity and purity of emotion) From: Detroit The paint was applied using a coffee can with a hole cut in it, which allowed her to create puddles that could be left as is or spread on the surface. There is a blended foreground and background, color and plane. The "Soak-stain" technique was used; thinned acrylic paint and applied it in washes of color that would then soak into the canvas creating a watercolor effect. Acrylics gave her more flexibility with viscosity and movement than oils, and allowed her more control as she poured that thinned paint onto the taut unprimed canvas so that it would get absorbed into the weave of the fabric. This created a sense of space even as it emphasized the flatness with earthly tones and in bold color with strong edges. With this piece of Abstract Expressionism, it is important to focus on the physical aspect of the piece rather than possible social and historical contexts. This work was made primarily to be a physical representation of her idea rather than a deeper insight which we see in many other pieces. The abstraction of forms and removal from any other context besides the basic physical appearance in The Bay forces us to see the piece in a more simplistic way, and this type of abstraction and disconnect from deep meaning often causes audiences to question what really can be called "art," which we see this time and time again as we move into more modern art movements.

The Crossing

The Crossing Artist: Bill Viola Date: 1996 C.E., Performance Art/Postmodernism Material: Video Function: To evoke the viewer's senses and create a feeling of spirituality. From: N/A In this particular video a man slowly enters the frame until he fills the entire screen. This image is portrayed on two different screens simultaneously. On one screen a small fire breaks out at the man's feet while on the other screen water begins to fall on the man's head. Eventually, the man is being drenched in water and consumed in fire. Finally, the image fades into blackness. The purpose of this video in to immerse viewers in a sensory experience and explain the reality of life. Viola focuses much of his artistic talent in making video installations and single-channel works. His work focuses and sensory perception and tries to take viewers on a trip to the spiritual realm. The videos are able to accomplish this through slow motion, contrasts in scale, shifts in focus, mirrored reflections, etc.

The Gates

The Gates Artist: Christo and Jeanne-Claude Date: 1979-2005, Post modernism Material: Two steel foot, supported saffron-colored fabric panels that hung loosely from the top Function: Gates that ran over 23 miles over a pathway From: New York City, New York It shows how to create meaningful public art and how the art impacts our society with the built environment. The saffron color in The Gates was used to create "a golden ceiling creating warm shadows" for the visitor walking along the Central Park path. The Gates reinforce and highlight pre-existing routes within this manmade environment.

The Grande Odalisque

The Grande Odalisque Artist: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Date: 1814, French Romantic Material: Oil on canvas Function: Show a Turkish harem From: France Like many Romantic paintings, this piece features the exotic and therefore makes it excusable to portray a nude woman. The body of the woman is elongated and unrealistic, similar to the disproportional forms of mannerism. The woman is surrounded by exotic elements, such as the fan and headdress, to further portray Europe's view of the east. DT: elongated, exotic, nude

The Jungle

The Jungle Artist: Wifredo Lam Date: 1943, Surrealist Material: gouache on paper Function: show figures in a jungle with sugarcane From: Cuba Lam's style is a combination of European cubism and his own Latin American roots. Thus, this is similar to Mexican murals in regards to the blending of sculptures, such as the Hispano-African style. African masks are seen, showing the influence of African art. The artist was surrounded by war his entire life, which inspired his artwork. He depicts enigmatic faces, limbs, sugarcane, and a crowd on an 8 feet canvas in which he alters perception with fragmented and geometric bodies with a combination of human and animal parts and faces that resembled African carvings. The painting could be a moonlit night scene or a day scene under the deep shade of the jungle and the disproportion among shapes generates an uneasy balance. Sugarcane didn't grow in the jungle, but was cultivated in fields in a huge industry with thousands of slaves in Cuba. DT: abstract, African masks, jungle

The Kaaba

The Kaaba F: Mecca, Saudi Arabia A: Abraham? D: 631-632 CE M: Granite, covered in black silk and cotton veil U: Place of worship The Kaaba was a sanctuary in pre-Islamic times. Upon Muhammad's return to Mecca the shrine had been used for polytheistic worship, but he cleansed the Kaaba of idols. The Kaaba was set on fire in 683 CE. Reportedly, the Black Stone broke into three pieces and Ibn Zubayr reassembled it with silver and rebuilt the Kaaba in wood and stone, following Ibrahim's original dimensions and also paved the space around the Kaaba. It is fifteen meters tall and ten and a half meters on each side; its corners roughly align with the cardinal directions. The door of the Kaaba is now made of solid gold; it was added in 1982. It is expected that Muslims make the trip to Mecca at least once in their life.

The Kiss

The Kiss Artist: Constantin Brancusi Date: original 1907-1908, Cubism Material: stone sculpture Function: show an embracing couple From: Romania This mirrors Rodin's work of the same name. It shows two embracing figures that are symbolically gendered and their eyes form one, similar to a mythical cyclops. The two figures show a balance due to being the same height. Their arms are flat around each other, though this was different in other versions the sculptor made. There are identifying gender features, such as long hair and breasts. Many consider him the father of modern sculpture. DT: cubist, stone, embrace, symmetry, balance

The Migration of the Negro

The Migration of the Negro Artist: Jacob Lawrence Date: 1940-1941, style?? Material: casein tempera on hardboard Function: show segregation of the African Americans From: United States This is social commentary on the discrimination and segregation of African Americans in the US. This piece was a part of 60-panel series about the migration of about 6 million African Americans from the agricultural south into the industrial north after WWII. Lawrence painted 60 panels total with Philips. In the painting, a literal line divides the two races, representing segregation. The figures face away from each other and are extremely isolated. DT: social, commentary, segregation

The Oath of the Horatii

The Oath of the Horatii Artist: Jacques-Louis David, French royals Date: 1784, French neoclassical Material: Oil on canvas Function: show three sons taking an oath to their father From: France Typical of the neoclassical, this shows a renewed interest in Greco-roman topics. This piece stresses civic pride, which was a topic of most neoclassical art. It is meant to evoke a sense of pride in the viewer. The composition is dramatic and theatrical, with the lighting mirroring the tenebrism of Caravaggio. The figures use sweeping gestures than draw the attention of the viewer and further stress civic pride. DT: civic pride, sons, father, oath

The Oxbow (view from Mount Holyoke, Northamton, Massachusetts, after a thunderstorm)

The Oxbow (view from Mount Holyoke, Northamton, Massachusetts, after a thunderstorm) Artist: Thomas Cole Date: 1836, American romanticism Material: oil on canvas Function: show the American landscape From: Massachusetts, US The composition is split into two parts: the left representing romanticism and the right representing classicism. The left is dark after a thunderstorm, similar to how romantic pieces are dark in representing the unconsciousness of the human mind. The right appear perfect and beautiful, similar to the ideal portrayals in classic pieces. DT: landscape, american, divided, thunderstorm

The Palace at Versailles

The Palace at Versailles Architects: Louis le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart Patron: King Louis XIV Date: Begun 1669, French Baroque architecture Material: Masonry, stone, wood, iron, and gold leaf (architecture); marble and bronze (sculpture); gardens Function: act as the palace for the royal family From: Versailles, France Like all Baroque architecture, this palace is not perfectly balanced. In addition, it is extremely dramatic and the facade comes out towards the viewer. There is no perfect ratio of shapes, as seen in the Renaissance period. The interior precursors the Rococo period, as well as acts as the beginning of interior design; it is extremely overdone and gaudy, almost too dramatic. In addition, the French people were suffering horribly at this time from corruption in the government. Overall, Versailles represents the large gap between the wealthy and the middle class in French society. DT: grand, royal, palace

The Portuguese

The Portuguese Artist: Georges Braque Date: 1911, cubist Material: oil on canvas Function: show collection of flattened images From: France Typical of cubism, this piece lacks any depth and is thus flattened. The colors are monochromatic and mainly shades of browns. At this time, cubists confronted the age-old idea that depth is needed in a painting. There is stenciled lettering that spells "B Dal." It was a response to Fauxism's excessive use of coloring. DT: flattened, monochromatic, cubist

The Steerage

The Steerage Artist: Alfred Stieglitz Date: 1907, Modernist photography, photo-secession Material: photogravure Function: show the steerage section of a passenger ship as people are being shipped back from New York to Germany Location: Germany At the time, many immigrants came to the United States looking for a better life or to escape problems. However, many of them were sent away after a long journey for being deemed unworthy. Similar to paintings, Stieglitz employs diagonals in the composition of the photograph; this revolution was inspired by the changing styles in painting and sculpture. Within this photo, Stieglitz provides social commentary on the divisions among the classes. DT: diagonals, poverty, social

The Swing

The Swing Artist: Jean-Honore Fragonard Date: 1767, French Rococo Material: Oil on canvas Function: Show a woman on a swing while her lover and a bishop stand below From: France Typical of the time period, the color scheme is made up entirely of pastels and the lines are not crisp. This piece is representative of the Rococo era's view of life at the time. Rococo stresses ease and luxury, shown here by the carefree behavior of the woman. A cupid sculpture appears to be trying to quiet the woman in fear of her lover being discovered. The piece displays atmospheric perspective as well as a heavy garden setting in order to minimize the human figures. DT: ease, carelessness, floating

The Swing (After Fragonard)

The Swing (After Fragonard) Artist: Yinka Shonibare Date: 2001, Postmodernism Material: Mixed-media installation with dress made of African print fabric Function: Show The Swing painting after the French revoution From: The installation utilizes a headless female mannequin dressed in traditional eighteenth century dress swinging from a branch that is attached to the ceiling of the gallery. The skirt is lifted and shoe hangs from invisible wire to show that the subject kicked off her shoe. The work depicts a summary of the scene in the original painting but leaves out some elements of the painting. The two men and most of the green forest background are missing. Installation is a 3D replica of part of the scene in painting. The piece is a disjunction to the original piece it was modeled after. The headless mannequin could suggest the fate of the aristocracy following the French revolution. Fabrics used to make up dress are symbol of multi-cultural identity.

The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode

The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode Artist: William Hogarth Date: c.1743, English taste of the natural Location: England Materials: Oil on canvas Function: Show a satirical breakfast between an elite married couple This piece satirizes typical Rococo art and the absurdity of elites' behavior. The husband is seen drunkenly arriving to breakfast with the bonnet of another woman in his pocket. The dog, symbolic of loyalty, sniffs at the bonnet, therefore representing the unfaithfulness of the couple. The wife appears to have been playing cards all night while her husband was with another woman. This hilarious breakfast between the couple serves to show the immorality and sinfulness of many of England's upper class. DT: satire, breakfast, disloyalty

The Two Fridas

The Two Fridas Artist: Frida Kahlo Date: 1936, surrealist Material: oil on canvas Function: show two self-portraits of the artist From: Mexico This is atypical of the time period because it is a self-portrait of a female artist. At this time, Mexicans were beginning to celebrate themselves as mestizos, a mix of European and native blood. Frida is shown in traditional European dress, which she wore before her marriage with Diego, and traditional native dress, which she wore during her marriage with Diego. The hearts are connected to show her dual heritage. This was painted a year after her divorce, which is why they are seated under a stormy sky and she holds a portrait of her ex-husband. She blood reflects her life after an accident where she had back problems and had to paint laying down. DT: mestizo, dual heritage, connected

The code of Hammurabi

The code of Hammurabi F: Babylon (modern Iran). P: Susain c. 1792-1750 B.C.E. M: Basalt A: Babylonian In this stone is carved with around 300 laws, the first known set of ruler enforced laws. Hammurabi was the most far-reaching leader of Mesopotamian history. Hammurabi is depicted receiving the laws from the God Shamash, who is wearing a headdress with lightning bolts coming from his shoulders. The emphasis is how the laws come from the God and are written in cuneiform. The laws are carved into the stone as inscriptions.

The virgin of Guadalupe

The virgin of Guadalupe Artist: Miguel Gonzalez Date: c. 1697-1701, Baroque Material: Oil on canvas on wood, inlaid with mother of pearl Function: Show the virgin of Guadalupe From: Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City The virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. In the lower left corner, she is shown appearing to a young Mexican boy, Juan Diego to show her as humble. The story says that she tells Juan Diego to go to the bishop and ask him to create a shrine in her honor. The vision Juan Diego received helped convert the indigenous people in Mexico. The bishop rejects the idea, but when roses Juan Diego gathered at Guadalupe's request spills forward with an image of her, he is believed. This piece is typical of colonial art because it lacks bright colors and is not as dramatic as European Baroque. It even looks similar to Byzantine art because of its flatness and shell-inlay.

Todai-ji, Nra Japan Front, Gate, Great Buddha, 2 Nio Guardian Statues

Todai-ji, Nra Japan Front, Gate, Great Buddha, 2 Nio Guardian Statues A: Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, patron was Emperor Shōmu D: 734 C.E. Nara Period M: Bronze and wood (sculpture); wood w/ ceramic tile (architecture) U: F: Place of worship Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples. Tōdai-ji is a temple of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, which reveres the Buddha Vairocana (Birushana in Japanese) as the cosmic, central Buddha. The principal image of the temple is a bronze statue of Vairocana, colossal in scale.

Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People)

Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People) Artist: Jaune Quick-to-See Date: 1992, Post-Modernism Material: Oil, mixed media, and canvas Function: Illustrates historical and contemporary inequities between Native Americans and the United States government From: Virginia This was made 500 years after Columbus's arrival in North America. Jaune Quick-to-See Smith illustrated the way the colonizers took advantage of the Native Americans by trading with them useless trinkets for their land and argued that if the colonizers wouldn't take these trinkets back for the very same land then it wasn't a fair deal. It emphasizes the historical and current inequality Native Americans face while also addressing how Native heratige and culture was being changed into commodities.

Transformation mask

Transformation mask Artist: Kwakkwaka art Date: late 19th century Material: wood, paint, and string Function: act as ceremonial mask From: Northwest coast of Canada The tribes of the northwest coast were animistic; they associated the animals with spirits. A raven was considered powerful yet also as a trickster; here, it is conveyed on the outside of the human face. This mask would be used during a potlatch ceremony, in which tribes would purge their belongings and overindulge in order to show their wealth and power. Furthermore, the potlatch ceremony was used as an alternative to war. The mask contains geometric, colored shapes and was considered to be sacred objects. DT: ceremonial, spirit, animistic

Travlers among mountains and streams

Travlers among mountains and streams A: Fan Kuan P: Northern Song Dynasty, c 1000 CE M: Ink and colors on silk U: Turning away from the corrupt and unreliable Chinese government and looking toward nature. F: China Fan Kuan's masterpiece is an outstanding example of Chinese landscape painting. Long before Western artists considered landscape anything more than a setting for figures, Chinese painters had elevated landscape as a subject in its own right. Bounded by mountain ranges and bisected by two great rivers—the Yellow and the Yangzi—China's natural landscape has played an important role in the shaping of the Chinese mind and character. From very early times, the Chinese viewed mountains as sacred and imagined them as the abode of immortals. The term for landscape painting in Chinese is translated as "mountain water painting."

Tutankhamun's Tomb, intermost coffin.

Tutankhamun's Tomb, intermost coffin. F: P: New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1,323 B.C.E. M: Gold with inlay of enamel and semiprecious stones. A: The kings gold inner coffin, shown above, displays a quality of workmanship and an attention to detail which is unsurpassed. It is a stunning example of the Ancient goldsmith's art

Under the Wave of Kanagawa

Under the Wave of Kanagawa A: Katsushika Hokusai D: 1830-1833 C.E. M: Polychrome woodblock print, ink and color on paper U: show boatmen struggling against a massive wave F: Japan A large blue and white wave is in mid-crashing position. Typical of Japanese art, Mt. Fuji is a calm observer in the background, silently watching the chaos of the scene. At this time, color pigments were limited because of the shogun's control over the trade; Hokusai's use of blue, however, is extremely atypical of this time period because it could only be obtained through trade. DT: chaotic, wave, landscape, balance, woodblock

Untitled (#228)

Untitled (#228) Artist: Cindy Sheman Date: 1990, AAAAAAA Material: Photograph Function: Explore female identity From: Rome, Italy Sherman served as model, set-dresser, and photographer for her History Portraits. Drawing from a range of art-historical styles and periods, including the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical, and alluding to canonical paintings, she used costuming and settings to transform herself into the historical-looking male and female figures at the center of each photograph. Full of obvious prostheses, bad wigs, and theatrical makeup, the images are made to appear artificial. By revealing her disguise, she demonstrates that her pictures are constructs; through them, she draws attention to the staged and often mannered nature of historical portrait paintings, while also playfully mocking the discipline of art history.

Venus of Urbino

Venus of Urbino Artist: Titian Patron: Venus of Urbino Date: c. 1538 CE, Venetian High Renaissance Material: Oil on canvas Function: Private use of Medici family From: Venice, Italy Context: Because of the principles of humanism, it was now acceptable to portray the female body nude. This is perhaps a self-portrait of a female courtesan in Venice; as a result, this painting became the canon for female nude portraits. The artist skillfully portrays perspective by placing the woman in the foreground and the servant, seen smaller, in the background. In addition, the portrayal of women has now changed; previously, women would not look at the viewer, showing their demure nature and purity. However, as seen with this piece, the woman looks directly at the viewer, showing the changing views on the female gender as a direct result of the spread humanism. Descriptive terms: Venus, nude, realistic

Veranda post: King and senior wife (Opo Ogoga) Caryatid

Veranda: King and senior wife (Opo Ogogoa) Caryatid Artist: Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples) Patron: Yoruba king Date: c. 1910-1914 African art Materials: wood and pigment Function: show a king with his first wife From: Yoruba Typical of the time, rulers often had multiple wives; in this case, he is shown with his senior wife and junior wife. The hierarchy of scale depicts the importance of wives within their society. It was common for rulers to consult wives for advice, and the king's stance suggests his dependency on others in his life. It was carved out of a single piece of wood and depicts the senior wife, junior wife, and the trickster flute god Esu. The Fan Bearer is missing. DT: king, wife, daily life, honor

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Artist: Maya Lin Date: 1982, Post-Modernism Material: Gabbros and Black Granite Function: Honors those in the armed forces who fought and died in the Vietnam War The impulse for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was based on the idea of a physical cut into the earth symbolically suggesting a wound that must heal. Maya Lin won the commission through the anonymous selection of her design. The scale of the monument and the density of the names serves as an overwhelming reminder of the impact of war. Lin's polished marble memorial looks like ___ and is inscribed with the names of 58,000 service people killed during the Vietnam War. Maya Lin used black polished granite and the viewer's reflection in her memorial, creating another dimension to this work of art.

Villa Savoye

Villa Savoye Architect: Le Corbusier Patron: private patron Date: 1929, modern architecture Material: concrete Function: act as a personal home From: Poissy-sur-Seine, France Typical of modern architecture, the architecture is extremely simplified and made of basic shapes. The facade lacks any design other than structural shapes. Function before form was the main manifesto of buildings of this kind, similar to the Bauhaus movement. Le Corbusier celebrated science, reason and technology, arguing that modern machines could create highly precise objects. He believed beauty lay in both modern technology and classical architecture, as he was inspired by the math Greeks used to make their architecture, specifically the Parthenon. The stark white exterior wall has a remarkably smooth, planar quality which stands in contrast to the fluidity of the interior that is organized by a multistory ramp that leads the viewer on a gently curving path through a building that is nearly square. The contrast between the sharp angles of the plan and the dynamism of the spaces inside charge the house with a subtle energy. Its essential geometric volumes embody his concept of the type form, and its careful consideration of procession and proportion connect the building to Classical ideals. DT: simplified, modern, rectangle

Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George

Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George Artist: several unknown artists Date: Early Byzantine Europe, six or early seventh century CE Materials: Encaustic on wood Function: Icon placed in a medieval monastery From: Mount Sinai, Egypt The icon shows the Virgin and Child flanked by two soldier saints, St. Theodore to the left and St. George at the right. Above these are two angels who gaze upward to the hand of God, from which light emanates, falling on the Virgin. The Virgin averts her gaze and does not make eye contact with the viewer. The ethereal angels concentrate on the hand above. The light tones of the angels and especially the slightly transparent rendering of their halos give the two an otherworldly appearance.

Wall Plaque from Oba's Palace

Wall Plaque Artist: Edo peoples Date: 16th century African art Material: cast brass, lost wax technique Function: show the king being fanned by attendants From: Benin (Nigeria) This cast brass piece was made using the lost wax (cire perdue) method. Unlike most African sculpture, which are made out of wood, this piece is made of cast brass using the lost wax technique. Thus, this shows that casting was discovered in Africa, opposed to being brought in by Europeans. The king is shown being fanned by his attendants and wearing a breastplate, not scarification. There is a hierarchy of scale, showing the importance of the figures. The western influence includes the Christian motifs on top, horses, and a coral beaded crown. Many of this is thought to be brought by the Portuguese. DT: brass, casting, relief,

White Temple and its Ziggurat

White Temple and its Ziggurat F: Uruk (modern Warka, Iraq) P: c. 3500-3000 B.C.E A: Sumerian M: Mud Brick The temple showed the Sumerian's desire to provide monumental settings for the worship of their deities. The building was probably dedicated to Anu, the sky God. Rooms were for different functions. The Cella (highest room) was for high-class priests and nobles. Very geometric (4 corners of the structure facing in cardinal directions) The temple stands on the top of a high platform, or ziggurat, 40 feet above street level. The stairway leads to the top and temple doorways, creating a "bent-axis" to provide access to all doorways. This contrasts the Egyptian's linear approach. While Egyptians build their pyramids with stone, the Sumerian builders formed mud bricks, which slowly eroded over time.

White and Red Plum Blossoms

White and Red Pum Blossoms A: Ogata Kōrin D: Jōmon and Yayoi periods, 1710-1716 C.E. M: Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper U: Represents the flow of life F: Japan Evident of the increasing influence of Taoism, the idea of yin and yang is seen in this painting. The trees are rough and dark, but the blossoms are bright and soft, thus creating a balance of opposites. DT: balance, yin and yang, Taoism

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Winged Victory of Samothrace P: Hellenistic Greek. c. 190 B.C.E. M: Marble carved sculpture A: Unknown U: Show naval victory during the time. Statue sits in or above fountain, similar to figurehead of boat. F: Samothrace, Greece The theatrical stance, vigorous movement, and billowing drapery of this Hellenistic sculpture are combined with references to the Classical period-prefiguring the baroque aestheticism of the Pergamene sculptors

Woman holding a balance

Woman holding a balance Artist: Johannes Vermeer Date: c. 1664, Northern Baroque Material: Oil on canvas Function: show a woman weighing her valuables From: Northern Europe Common of Baroque art and Vermeer himself, the lighting is one-directional and seems like it is coming from an open window. Vermeer's typical style was to make the viewer feel as if they were looking in on some intimate moment. She holds a balance, therefore possibly weighing her valuables. Jewelry is shown, and these trinkets can represent Dutch prosperity during this time; since the woman possesses valuables, it shows the rising of the middle class and the power of the Netherlands as a whole. DT: intimate, balanced, thematic, one-directional lighting

Women I

Women I Artist: Willem de Kooning Date: 1950-52, postmodernism Material: oil paint Function: show a woman From: America The hulking, wild-eyed subject draws upon an amalgam of female archetypes, from Paleolithic fertility goddesses to contemporary pin-up girls. Her threatening stare and ferocious grin are heightened by de Kooning's aggressive brushwork and frantic paint application. Combining voluptuousness and menace, Woman I reflects the age-old cultural ambivalence between reverence for and fear of the power of the feminine.

Y No Hai Remedio (And there's nothing to be done)

Y No Hai Remedio (And there's nothing to be done) Artist: Francisco de Goya Date: 1810-1823 (published 1863), Spanish Romantic Material: Etching, drypoint, burin, and burnishing Function: Show the horrors of the Spanish War of Independence From: Spain During this time period, Spain was in complete disarray due to war and violence. Thus, this piece shows the consequences of the carnage of war. The figures have no recognizable faces and are thus lacking individuality. Typical of the Romantic period, this piece protests the current government as a result of the murder and carnage in Spain. DT: violence, death, war, carnage