intro to visual arts test two

Lidded Saltcellar, ivory, Sierra Leone, Bullom or Temne and Portuguese collaboration, 15th -16th C.

At the time of this pieces creation salt shakers were considered high class items and often had elaborate designers. During this time portages traders liked the ivory carvings of people on the west coast of Africa. This lead to them creating their own pieces for their customers that lead to a combination of European and African aesthetics. This particular salt shaker is inspired by indigenous Sapi beliefs.

Two Flasks, Ming dynasty, China, porcelain, cobalt blue underglaze, c. 1403-1424

Both the Yongle and Xuande emperors used these flask and they were made with elaborate decorative patterns. The emperors family probably used the flask to hold wine but also traded them since there has been similar flasks found at the Topkapi Saray in Turkey and the Ardabil Shrine in Iran.

Londesborough Brooch, Celtic (Ireland), silver gilt with amber and glass, late 8th -early 9th C

Despite apparent symmetry, there are many minor differences between the left and right terminals in decoration. circular On the back of the terminals two circular frames hold tin and copper discs . Plain blue glass studs are placed at the end of the hoop. This is how we can tell that the Brooch was constructed as two separate pieces that were later attached together.

Bishop Odo Blessing the Feast, Bayeux "Tapestry" (embroidery), Norman-Anglo-Saxon, England or France, linen/wool, c. 1066-1082

Despite its name, the Bayeux Tapestry is actually an embroidery in wool thread on linen cloth. The tapestry it's self tells the story of the Battle of Hastings and the story of how William the Duck of Normandy became King of England in 1066. This is considered a historical piece of work and can be used to look at certain aspects of the battle such as the weapons' they used or the people there.

Hip Pendant of an iyoba (Queen Mother), Edo Culture, Benin City, Nigeria, ivory/iron/copper, c. 1550

Queen Mother Idia of Benin, who was known as a "warrior queen" is depicted in this art piece. Her long, powerful, and bountiful rule is symbolized with the use of some of the most long lasting and durable materials found in Africa: iron and ivory. thanks to the durable materials they were able to preserve a long-term image of wealth and power. If you look at the pendant you can also see that the artist included scars above Mother Idia's eyes. at the time this was painted in Benin, scars like this were exclusive to highly regraded officials as a symbol of bravery

Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave, from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, polychrome woodblock print/paper, c. 1831

The Great Wave was part of 36 Views of Mount Fuji series which became so popular that Hokusai added ten more prints to the collection. During this time he also changed his name to Iitsu which marked his period of great fame.

Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, oil/wood, c. 1503-1506

The Mona Lisa is believed to be part of the Second Florentine period (1500-mid-1508) of Leonardo's work. Though you can tell that is was not finished during this time and was rather finished over an extended period of time. The craquelure of the face shows that is was painted at a different time than the hands which are thinner similar to his later paintings.

Michelangelo, Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel ceiling, Vatican Palace, fresco, 1511-1512

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most famous frescos in the world due to it's size and how long it took to paint. The fresco is praised by many for it's beauty but also the fact that it made Holy scripture easier to understand according to the Holy Father John Paul ll.

Templo Mayor (Great Aztec Pyramid), Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), reconstruction, c. 1500

The Temple stood in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The temple had two twin temples on the top dedicated to the war god Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc it was a focal point of the Aztec religion and very centre of the Aztec world.

Alexander Gardner, The Home of the Rebel Sharpshooter: Battle Field at Gettysburg, albumen print, 1863

The credit for this photo is given to Gardner though the original catalog gives credit to Timothy O'Sullivan. Their is also a clipping on the back of the photo identifying the solider pictured as Andrew Johnston Hoge.

Raharuhi Rukupo (master carver) Te-Hau-Ki-Turanga, Maori Meeting House, wood/shell/grass/flax/pigments, New Zealand. 1842-1843, restored 1935

The meeting house is meant to represent the tribe's founding ancestor's. Each board and rafter is meant to represent a different part of the ancestor's body's. Women actually were the ones responsible for the woven patterns found on the walls and roof but since they were not allowed to enter the building they had to weave the patterns from the back outside of the building.

Rembrandt van Rijn, The Night Watch (The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq), oil/canvas, 1642

The painting the was covered in a dark varnish which gave people the impression that the scene was taking place at night, which is what lead to the name "Night Watch. It was not until the 1940s that this varnish was removed. Rembrandt did not confined him self to a single technique while he was painting this. In some places the paint was layered on thicker and given more time while in others there is minute painted detail. This painting was commissioned for the the Kloveniersdoelen, the house that housed the Amsterdam civic guard company of arquebusiers, or musketeers. This painting was very different from other military's paintings however seeing as it didn't depict it's subjects in a straight line but rather a cluster as they got ready to march.

Tawaraya Sotatsu, Waves at Matsushima, painted screen, gold, ink, color, Kyoto, late 16th - early 17th C.

These screens were most traditionally used as back drops at special occasions. These screens were specifically commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Zen temple Shōunji in the late 1620s. Today the screens are considered one of Sotatsu's most influential works. historians have noticed similarities to his work in pieces that were produced two centuries after his. Though of course his fame and renowned went unnoticed till much after his death.

Ambrogio Lorenzetti, The Effects of Good Government in the Country, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, fresco, 1338

This Fresco was painted in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena to remind the government of their choices. The room itself was often used as a meeting spot for political leaders. The fresco is divided by windows so on one side of the right window is the allegory for a good government and on the other side of the same window is the effects of a good government. The left window then shows the allegory and effects of a bad government.

Tunic, Peru, Inca, Camelid fiber, cotton, c. 1500

This Tunic is particularly unique form others in the Inka culture because it is entirely covered in small rectangular geometric units called t'oqapu. Scholars suggest that the individual rectangles may have represented different peoples, places, or things. Therefore it is suggested that this may have been used as a record of an event much like the knotted khipu cords.

Albrecht Dürer, Adam and Eve, engraving, 1504

This engraving shows Durer's idea that there was a system of proportions and measurements and that the ideal human form could be created using this system. You can see this in this engraving with the symmetrical idealized poses of both Adam and Eve.

Battle Scene, Hide Painting, Mandan culture, North Dakota, tanned buffalo hide, dyed porcupine quills, and pigment, 1797-1899

This hide was taken by Lewis and Clark during their expedition and was sent to president Thomas Jefferson who displayed the hide in the entrance hall of his home. This was the earliest known example of a plain painting.

Fan Kuan, Travelers among Mountains and Streams, Northern Song dynasty, hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, early 11th C.

This is perhaps one of the only surviving paintings by artist Fan Kuan. Fan Kuan along with many others during the 11th century seek spiritual enlightenment through nature. In this painting Fan Kuan was expressing a connection between men and the natural world.

Great Serpent Mound, Adams County, Ohio, c. 1070

This is the largest Serpent effigy in the world. These mounds were made by Native Americans and were used for agricultural reasons. This mound was also believed to have spiritual meaning because native Americans tended to use snakes in their ceremony's.

Mary Cassatt, Woman Bathing, color drypoint/aquatint, c. 1890-1891

This painting was part of American painter Mary Cassatt's first exhibit. The abstract linear quality of the women's back drew much attention and gained Cassatt much fame. One of her male colleges infract famously said "I do not admit that a woman can draw like that."

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Beheading Holofernes, oil/canvas, c. 1620

This painting's naturalistic style wasn't well received when it arrived in Florence due to it's gruesome details. The painting was actually was not allowed to be in the Gallery exhibit. It was only due to her friend Galileo Galilei that she was able to even get payed for her work. Though it's still not to go without note that she was one of the few female artist at the time.

Duccio di Buoninsegna, Madonna and Child, tempera/gold/panel, c. 1290-1300

This piece of art created a trend in Italian art of having the images of Madonna and the Child look like something from real life. The extension of the painting going past the frame is supposed to connect the viewer to the world of the painting.

The Unicorn is Found, from the Hunt of the Unicorn, tapestry series, French/Flemish, wool/silk/metal thread, c. 1495-1505

This tapestry depicts a unicorn kneeling in front of a fountain with it's horn in the water. In traditional mythology unicorns where considered a symbol of purity. using this information we can conclude that the unicorn is purifying the water as the hunters around it watch in confusion.

Giovanni Bellini, St. Francis in Ecstasy, oil/tempera/wood, c. 1470s

What makes this painting unique is it's perspective and lighting. The Ariel perspective of the painting and lighting coming down from the heavens gives the painting an earther areal feeling.

Twin Figures (Ere Ibeji), Yoruba culture, Nigeria, wood, 20th C.

Yorba has the highest rate of twins being born in the world. twins in this culture are believed to be under the protection Shango after their naming ceremony. These statues in the Yorba Culture were carved for parents who lost a child before the child's naming ceremony. The statues were believed to be a focal point for the spiritual energy of the deceased twin who is now in the care of their spiritual mother.

Francisco Goya, Third of May, 1808, oil/canvas, 1814-1815

this painting depicts the execution of patriots from Madrid by a firing squad from Napoleon´s army. What makes this painting unique is the way that the light illuminates certain characters in the painting. Goya decided to illuminate the heroes of the painting making sure they stood out from other characters.

Hieronymus Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights, Triptych, Brussels (?), oil/wood, c. 1505-1515

this particular work of art has many interpretations and is very detailed. The first panel depicts god presenting Eve to Adam. this panel has also been interpreted as a comment on the institution of marriage. The second panel depicts what has been interrupted as a representation of the falsehood of love known as Grail in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The men and women in this so called paradise think that they are free of sin but sadly they are wrong and this is depicted in the third panel which is hell.