Josie Moran AP 250
Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine Tequixquiac, central Mexico. 14000-7000 B.C.E. Bone.
This sculptor was founded accidentally in 1870 in Mexico that was 40 meters below ground because the area once had many lakes. the artwork was created out of remains of sacrum of an extinct camelid and two holes were cut through the sacrum with engravings on it and is made to look like a dog or wolf. This sculptor was created by hand with the help of sharp tools, but it is difficult to find the understanding of the art because it was created before writing was used. But with the study of MesoAmerica the sacrum was seen as a sacred bone and it was very important bone in the culture related to sacredness, resurrection and fire.
Anthropomorphic stele Arabian Peninsula. Fourth millennium B.C.E. Sandstone.
This statue resembles human form, but itself is not in human form; it has a head that is trapezoidal, shoulders that are square, eyes that are very close together, a flat nose, a neck with a necklace and a torso with two cords hanging diagnolly and an awl. This is one 1/3 stelae that was found in the Northwest region of Saudi Arabia and 1/60 low-relief sculptures that has been found in the Arabian peninsula from 4th millennium BCE in the past 4 decades. The work was found in a small village near Hai'il, Saudi Arabia in an area where there were many well-traveled trade routes and it is one of the oldest works of art discovered in Arabia. The function of this art was to mark a grave site or a burial ground which means these were mainly used for religious purposes.
David Donatello. c. 1440-1460 C.E. Bronze
This was the first large bronze nude since antiquity. The body is very exaggerated in contrapposto of the body. It is a life-size work probably meant to be housed in the Medici Palace and not for public viewing. it is an Androgynous figure. Its stance is very nonchalance, contemplating the victory over Goliath's head at David's feet and David's head is lowered to suggest humility. Laurel on hat indicates David was a poet and the hat is a foppish Renaissance design.
Fruit and Insects Rachel Ruysch. 1711 C.E. Oil on wood
Not a depiction of actual flowers, but a construct of perfect specimens all in bloom at the same time. Asymmetrical arrangement and an artful arrangement. Probably used illustrations in botany textbooks as a basis for painting. Her father was a professor of anatomy and botany as well as an amateur painter. In a phase in which the artist produced still life's in a woodland setting.
Birth of Venus Sandro Brotticelli. c. 1484-1486 C.E. Tempera on canvas
Venus emerges from the sea fully grown with a faraway look in her eyes. Roses are scattered before her because they were created the same time as Venus and they symbolize that love can be painful. On the left is zephyr who is the west wind and chloris who is a nymph. On the right is a maiden who is rushing to cloth her when she arrives on shore. The figures are floating and are not anchored to the ground. All of the figures are crisply drawn with pale colors. The landscape is flat and unrealistic with simple V-shapes drawn as waves. And this work was commissioned by the Medici's
Calling of Saint Matthew Caravaggio. c. 1597-1601 C.E. Oil on canvas
1/3 paintings illustrating the life of St. Matthew in a chapel dedicated to him by the Contarelli family. Light comes in from 2 sources on right, creating a tenebroso effect on figures. Diagonal shaft of light points directly to saint Matthew, who points to himself as if unsure that Christ would select a tax collector: depicting a moment in time. Christ's hand gesture is similar to Adam's in the Sistine Chapel. Foppishly dressed figures are in the latest Baroque fashion. Narrow stage for figures to sit and stand on. Only slight suggestion of halo on Christ's head indicates sanctity of the scene. Sensual figures, everyday characteristics and naturalistic approach to the Baroque.
The Tête à Tête, from Marriage à la Mode William Hogarth. c. 1743 C.E. Oil on canvas
1/6 scenes in a suite of paintings called marriage a la mode. Narrative paintings and later turned into a series of prints. Highly satiric paintings about aristocratic English society and those who would like to buy their way into it. Husband has been cheating and the wife has been spending al the money and playing cards. Turned over chair indicates that the violin player made a hasty retreat when the husband came home
Great Hall of Bulls Lascaux, France. Paleolithic Europe. 15000-13000 B.C.E. Rock Painting
15,000 years ago people witnessed the migration pattern of many animals and then depicted the animals bodies in profile but their horns are from a more frontal viewpoint. Archaeologists have found many stone tools that give insight to the art and to the ancient humans: they used the holes in the wall to support tree-limb scaffolding which was used to reach higher places. They believe that these painting were used as hunting magic which lead to a successful hunt because they were dependent on hunting and gathering. The rooms that the art was found in was usually in hard to reach places meaning that these places could have been sacred or ceremonial meeting places.
House of Vetti. Pompeii, Italy. Imperial Roman. c. second century B.C.E.; rebuilt c. 62-79 C.E. Cut stone and fresco
2 brothers owned the house, both were freedmen who had made their money as merchants. You enter from the east side through a narrow doorway sandwiched between several shops. Large reception area called thee atrium that is open to the sky and has a catch basin called an impluvium in the center, cubicula radiate around the atrium. Peristyle garden in rear with fountains, statuary, and more cubicula; this is the private area of the house. The axial symmetry of the house is set up so when someone enters into the house they can see all the way through to the peristyle garden in the rear. Exterior of the house lacks windows so the interior lighting comes from the open atrium and the peristyle.
Santa Sabina, Rome, Italy. Late Antique Europe. c. 422-432 C.E. Brick and stone, wood
3 aisled basilica with no transepts with a long, tall, broad nave with axial plan. The spolia are tall slender columns taken from the Temple of Juno in Rome and erected on this site and is a statement of the power that Christianity had over paganism during this time. The windows are not made of glass but selenite which is a type of transparent and colorless gypsum and the flat wooden roof is a coffered ceiling with thin walls that support the light roof. The bare exterior and the sensitively decorated interior represent the Christian whose exterior may be gross but when you go in, it is beautiful. As in the Jewish tradition, men and women stood separately; the men were in the main aisle while the women were in the partial aisle with a partial view. Built by Peter of Illyria.
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut Near Luxor, Egypt. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1473-1458 B.C.E. Sandstone, partially carved into a rock cliff, and red granite.
3 colonnaded terraces and 2 ramps where the terraces were originally planted as gardens with exotic trees. This was the first time the achievements of a woman are celebrated in art history; her body is interred somewhere else: not in the temple, her son's is. The temple is coordinated with the natural setting: long horizontals and verticals of the terraces and colonnades repeat the patterns of the cliffs behind the temple and patterns of dark and light in the colonnade are reflected. She was the first known female monarch who became regent for young Thutmose III after her brother II died and she sought to establish her royal authority due to the fact that she was a woman and how rare it was: ruled at beginning of new kingdom. The reliefs tell the story of her journey to Punt from 1482-1479 BC and it is the first ever pictorial documentations of a trade journey, but were destoryed after her death by III and they show her divine birth and divine origins which are depicted out of clay by Khnumm. In the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt.
Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France. Romanesque Europe. Church: c. 1050-1130 C.E.; Reliuary of Saint Foy: ninth century C.E.; with later additions. Stone (architecture); stone and paint (tympanum); gold, silver, gemstone, and enamel over wood (reliquary)
A church that was built along the pilgrimage road to Santiago de Compostela. And it was a church built to handle the large number of pilgrims with wide transepts, large ambulatory and radiating chapels. Inside the church it has massive heavy interior walls which are unadorned. There is no clerestory; light provided by windows over the side aisles and galleries. It has barrel vaults in the nave which is reinforced by transverse arches. From above the church is in a cross-like shape. Reliquary of a young girl martyred in the early fourth centruy; she refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods in a pagan ritual. Inside of the of the statue is the girls skull.
Merovingian looped fibulae Early medieval Europe. Mid-sixth century C.E. Silver gilt worked in filigree, with inlays of garnets and other stones.
A fibula is a pin or brooch used to fasten garments; showed the prestige of the wearer. It has a cloisonne and chasing techniques and shows the decline of the classical tradition. It is a small portable item and is a zoomorphic object. You can tell it's Christian with the cross shaped body, cross in it, a fish represented as if it was inside the body of an eagle. This pin is a bird and it was expensive because the wire is silver and the stones are expensive. As if the ceiling were open to the sky and the figures were spiraling around Jesus's name. The damned are cast into hell; the saved rise heavenward; a last judgment. Influence of Bernini's dramatic emotionalism in the style. Some cast long shadows across the barrel vault, some painted figures are not stucco, but maintain a vibrant 3D illusion.
The Arnolfini Portrait Jan van Eyck. c. 1434 C.E. Oil on wood
A lot of theories behind the meaning of the work: it was thought to be a wedding portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife or a memorial to his dead wife, or a betrothal or business is being completed in the absence of his wife. There are many symbols of weddings: custom of the burning candle on the 1st night of the wedding, the shoes off stands for standing on holy ground, the prayerful promising pose of a groom and the dog stands for fidelity. 2 witnesses in the convex mirror; maybe the artist himself because the inscription says that Jan Van Eyck was here 1434. Wife pulls up the dress to symbolize childbirth although she is not pregnant. St. Margaret is the patron saint of childbirth and is on the bedpost. Man appears near the window symbolizing his role as someone who makes his way in the outside world and the woman appears farther in the room to emphasize her role as a homemaker. Meticulous handling of paint and concentration to minute detail.
Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters New Kingdom (Amarna), 18th Dynasty. c. 1353-1335 B.C.E. Limestone.
A sunken relief stele and may have been a private shrine for a home in which it provides a rare look for the royal family: the pharaoh and his family basque in the life-giving rays of Aten. One daughter is being lifted in order to kiss her, another sits on Nefertiti's lap and gestures toward her father and the youngest reaches to touch a pendants on her mother's crown. The mood is informal and anecdotal with the sense of a couple and their relationship with their children with is unlike typical Egyptian art it is very informal: intimate portrayal of the pharaoh and his family is unprecedented. Akhenaten changed the state religion in which Amun is no longer the main god and new monotheistic religion centered on Aten: encompasses the whole world in his power. More naturalist/realistic with a stretched skull, thick arms and legs, wide hips on both men and women and swollen, drooping stomachs: fairly informal.
Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun, Pompeii Republican Roman. c. 100 B.C.E. Mosaic
Alexander is on the left and is seen as young, brave, forthright and assured of success. Darius is in the center right of the chariot and is seen as horrified, weakly ceding the victory, his charioteer commands the horses to make their escape. It is crowded with nervous excitement. The Roman floor mosaic based on an original Greek mural painting found at Pompeii. Extremely complex interweaving of the figures and perhaps a copy of the mural made by Philoxenos of Eretria for King Cassander. Another theory is that it was made by Helen of Egypt, one of the few Greek artists who have come down to us.
Angel with Arquebus, Asiel Timor Dei Master of Calamarca (La Paz School). c. 17th century C.E. Oil on canvas
Angel depicted with a rifle instead of a traditional sword and the military pose derived from European engravings of military exercises. Probably one in a series of angel drummers, buglers, standard bearers and holders of swords. Drapery of a 17th century Spanish aristocrat with a Mannerist influence in the stiffness of the figure in a dance-like stance. Latin inscription of "Asiel, fear of God." Angel appears in an androgynous stance with gold embroidered on the fabric favored by indigenous people. Relationships between these images and the winged warriors of Pre-Colombian art.
Arena (Scrovengni) Chapel, including Lamentation Padus, Italy. Unknown architect; Giotto di Bonde (artist). Chapel: c. 1303 C.E.; Fresco: c. 1305. Brick (architecture) and fresco
Arena chapel built over an ancient Roman arena, hence the name. Also called the Scrovegni Chapel after the name of the patron, Enrico Scrovegni. Built to expiate the sin of usury through which Scrovegni's father amassed a fortune. Some narrative scenes illustrate Biblical episodes of ill-gotten gains. Lamentation shows scenes of Jesus' followers mourning his death, usually the scene contains Mary, John and Mary Magdalene. John throws his head back, Magdalene cradles Jesus' feet and Mary holds his head. At left is the OT scene of Jonah being swallowed by the whale and returning to life, parallel to the NT scene of Christ dying and rising from the dead. Shallow stage, figures occupy a palpable space pushed forward toward the picture plane. Range of emotions are depicted with a clear foreground, middle ground and background.
Grave stele of Hegeso Attributed to Kallimachos. c. 410 B.C.E. Marble and paint
Attributed to the sculptor Kallimachos in the geometric period where Greeks used kraters to mark graves. Archaic Greeks used kouroi or stelae which makes this work classical. Erected in Dipylon cemetery in Athens. Commemorates the death of Hegeso where the inscription identifies her and her father. In the scene shown it is a woman examining a piece of jewelry in a jewelry box that is handed to her by the standing servant: dowry. The jewelry is painted in and not visible.
Las Meninas Diego Velázquez. c. 1656 C.E. Oil on canvas
Group portrait of the artist in his studio at work; he steps back from the canvas and looks at the viewer. Velazquez wears a cross of the Royal Order of Santiago, elevating him to knighthood. Central is the Infanta Margharita of Spain with her meninas, or attendants, a dog, a dwarf, and a midget. Behind are 2 chaperones in half shadow. IN the doorwat is maybe Jose Nieto, who was head of the queens tapestry works. King and queen appear in a mirror, but what is the mirror reflecting Valezquez. Alternating dark and lights draw us deeper into the canvas; the mirror simultaneously reflects out into our space. Dappled effect of light on shimmering surfaces. Painting originally hung in Philip IV's study.
Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes Persepolis, Iran. Persian. c. 520-465 B.C.E. Limestone
Built by Darius I and Xerxes I and later destroyed by Alexander the Great, not built as much as a complex of palaces but rather as a seat for a spectacular for receptions/festivals. Built on artificial terraces like Mesopotamia's architecture as mud-brick with stone facing. Relief sculpture depicts delegations from all parts of the empire bringing gifts to be stored in the local treasury; location chosen because it ensured the most protection. Columns had a bell-shaped base that is an inverted lotus blossom, capitals are bulls or lions: the strongest animals depicted and carved onto the stairs of the Immortals who were so-called always numbered by 10,000. Influenced by many cultures (Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian) while everything is built to dwarf the viewer and make the art larger/more important. Stairs have a central relief of the king enthroned with the attendants; crown prince behind him with dignitaries bowing before him and orderly and harmonious world symbolized the static processions.
Pyxis of al-Mughira Umayyad. c. 968 C.E. Ivory
Calligraphic inscription in Arabic identifies the owner, asks for Allah's blessings and tells us the function of the pyxis. The main function of the pyxis is a container to hold expensive aromatics. It was a gift for the caliph's younger son. Horror vacui, vegetal and geometric motifs. It has eight medallion scenes showing pleasure activities of the royal court: hunting, falconry, sports and music. It was created and found in a part of Spain that was a majority Islam.
Entombment of Christ Jacopo da Pontormo. 1525-1528 C.E. Oil on wood
Center of the circular composition is a grouping of hands. The bodies are elongated. High-keyed colors, perhaps taking into account the darkness of the chapel it is placed in. No ground line for many figures- what is Mary sitting on? Hands seem disembodied. Some androgynous figures. No weeping, just yearning. Linear bodies twisting around one another. Anti-classical composition. The painting is called the Entombment of Christ although there is no tomb, just the carrying of Jesus' lifeless body.
Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Miguel Cabrera. c. 1750 C.E. Oil on canvas.
Creole woman and became a nun in 1669. Was a feminist who survived in Mexican convents where privileged nuns lived in comfort with servants and households. Literary figure, published books that were widely read; wrote poetry and theatrical pieces. Instrumental on giving girls an education in a male-dominate world.
Great Mosque Córdoba, Spain. Umayyad. c. 785-786 C.E. Stone masonry
Double arched columns with brilliantly articulated in alternating bands of color, voussoirs. A light and airy interior with horse-shoe shaped arches having a tradition in Visigothic Spain and Roman architecture. Hypostyle mosque qith no central focus and no congregational worship. Original wooden ceiling replaced by vaulting. Complex dome over the mihrab with elaborate squinches and columns are spolia from ancient Roman structures. Relatively short columns made ceilings low, doubling of arches enhances interior space, perhaps influenced by the Roman aqueduct in Merida, Spain. Kufic calligraphy on walls.
Statue of Votive figures from the Square Temple at Eshnunna Sumerian. c. 2700 B.C.E. Gypsum inland with shell and black limestone
Each figure is of different height representing the hierarchy of scale and the folded hands are in gesture of prayer to a deity. The huge eyes are to show how they are in awe, spellbound and even staring at the deity with arms and feet cut away. The men have a bare upper chest with a skirt from waist down, beard flow in ripple pattern and they wear a belt. The women are draped with a dress over one shoulder; and on the back of all they say "It offers prayer." The figures represent mortals being placed into the temple and praying to the god Abu and sometimes have cups or branches in their hands as offerings up to the gods. Both Gods and humans are present in the statues.
Great Pyramids (Menkaura, Khafre, Khufu) and Great Sphinx. Giza, Egypt. Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2550-2490 B.C.E. Cut limestone.
Each pyramid is a monument to a dead pharaoh with an enjoining mortuary temple within it, used as an offering space for the gods. A pile of limestone with minimal interior for the deceased, the pharaoh is buried within the pyramid unlike the stepped pyramid where the pharaoh is buried underneath the pyramid. Each side of the pyramid is oriented with the four corners of the compass, N, S, E, W: upper and lower Egypt, afterlife and living side. Shape was influenced by a sacred stone relic: benben, shaped like a sacred stone found at heliopolis who was at the center of the sun god cult. Each pyramid has a funerary complex adjacent connected by a formal pathway used for moving the bodies of Menkaura, Khufu and Khafre. The sphinx is a very generalized feature although some say it is a portrait of Khafre whose pyramid is behind the sphinx. It is the body of a lion, head of a pharaoh or god and is seen as protecting the pyramids. The body of a lion is significant because cats helped save the grain supply from mice and are seen as royal. Carved in situ from a huge rock, symbol of sun god and was originally brightly painted to stand out in the desert. On the bank of the west Nile facing directly east to west: afterlife to alive.
San Vitale Ravenna, Italy. Early Byzantine Europe. c. 526-547 C.E. Brick, marble, and stone veneer; mosaic
Eight sided church. With a plain exterior except the porch added later in renaissance with large windows for illuminating interior designs. Interior has thin columns and open arched designs. Interior elements de-materialize the mass of the structure. A martyrium.
King Menkaura and Queen Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2490-2472 B.C.E. Greywacke
Figures are attached to the block of stone and arms and legs are not cut free: less detail on those because all the detail and focus is on the main parts of the body and clothing. Figures are staring out into space as looking out into the gods face and gesturing to the god. Wife's simple and affectionate gesture, and or presenting him to the god's. Menkaura's powerful physique and stride symbolize his kingship. The view of women's expressed in ankle length and tightly draped dress showing her form of covering her body: men and women same height means same importance. Splotches of color seen on both faces, but some believe that the color was meant to wear away to show the lack of emotions and inhumanity in afterlife.
Apollo 11 Stones Nambia. c. 25000-25300 B.C.E. Charcoal on stone
Found in the Apollo 11 Cave in the Huns Mountain of Southwestern Namibia and are some of the oldest known artwork of any kind from the African continent. 7 painted stone slabs of brown-grey quartzite, depicting a variety of animals painted in charcoal. Brought from another cave indicating ritual use and were used to express their thoughts of the world around them. And the prehistoric people could not read or write so they used animals as a pictorial definition which provides complete information, although this animal can not be depicted.
The code of Hammurabi Babylon (modern Iran). Susain. c. 1792-1750 B.C.E. Basalt.
Hammurabi united Mesopotamia in his lifetime and took Babylon from a small power to a dominant kingdom but with his death the empire died down. Contains one of the earliest law codes ever written below the main scene in 51 columns. Sun god, Shamash, enthroned on a ziggurat and handing Hammurabi a rope, ring and rod representing that he can write the code. Shamash, judge of the sky and earth, with a tiara of 4 rows of horns, presents signs of royal power, the scepter and the ring to Hammurabi. 300 law entries placed below the grouping, symbolically given from Shamash himself to Hammurabi and is a bas-relief.
Henri IV Recieves the portrait of Marie de' Medici, from the Marie de' Medici Cycle Peter Paul Rubens. 1621-1625 C.E. Oil on canvas
Heroic gestures and demonstrative spiraling figures. Mellow intensity of color, inspired by Titan and Caravaggio. Sumptuous full-fleshed women. 21 huge historical paintings allegorically retelling the life of Marie Medici, Queen of France, wife of Henry IV. Splendid costumes suggest opulent theatrical production. Allegories assist in telling the story and mix freely with historical people.
Virgin and child between Saints Theodore and George Early Byzantine Europe. Six or early seventh century C.E. Encastic on wood.
Icon placed in a medieval monastery. The virgin and child are centrally placed and firmly modeled. Mary as Theotokes, Mother of God and she looks beyond the viewer as if seeing into the future. And Christ looks away perhaps anticipating the Crucifixion. St. Theodora and George were warrior saints, stiff and hierarchic and engage the viewer directly. Angels look toward heaven and were painted in a classical style with brisk brushwork. Turned toward heaven, where the descending hand of God comes down to bless.
A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery Joseph Wright of Derby. c. 1763-1765 C.E. Oil on canvas
Influenced by the meeting of a provincial group of intellectuals called the Lunar society who met once a month to discuss current scientific discoveries and developments. Orrery is an early form of a planetarium, imitating the motion of the solar system. Lamp in the center is the sun. The mixed group of people in attendance representing all ages of men: young woman seated to the left. Some curious some contemplate, some in wonder and some fascinated. The philosopher, loosely Isaac Newton, stops to clarify a point to the note-taker on the left. To complete the celestial theme: each face in the painting is an aspect of the phases of the moon. One of a series of candlelight pictures by Wright; inspired by Caravaggio's use of tenebrism.
Palazzo Rucellai Florence, Italy. Leon Battista Alberti (architect). c. 1450 C.E. Stone, masonry
It has 3 horizontal floors of equal height separated by a strongly articulated stringcourse with pilaster rising vertically and dividing the spaces into squarish shapes. Strong classical cornice caps the building and rejects rustication of earlier Renaissance palaces instead they used beveled masonry joints. The 1st floor pilasters are Tuscan which come from Doric columns, the 2nd are Alberti's own invention which come from Ionic style and the 3rd are Corinthian. Friezes contain Rucellai family symbols with the billowing sails. Square windows on the 1st floor with windows with mullions on the second and third floor. Originally the building had 5 bays on the left with a central door and a second doorway bay and right bay added later, eight bay fragmentary, owners of the house next door refused to sell. Patron was Giovanni Ruccelai who was a wealthy merchant.
Pazzi Chapel Basilicia di Santa Croce. Florence, Italy. Filippo Brunelleschi (architect) c. 1429-1461 C.E.
It has a rectangular chapel attached to the church of Santa Croce in Florence. Two barrel vaults on the interior, small dome over crossing. It has an interior with restrained sense of color, muted tones, punctuated by glazed terra-cotta tiles. Chapter House which is a meeting place for the Franciscan monks. It is attributed to Brunelleschi has been questioned.
White Temple and its Zuggurat Uruk (modern Warka, Iraq). Sumerian. c. 35000-3000 B.C.E. Mud Brick.
It is a large settlement at Uruk of 40,000 based on agriculture and specialized labor for the Deity Anu, the god of the sky, the most important Sumarian deity. It was made out of mud-brick building on a colossal scale with buttresses spaced across the surface to create a light and shadow pattern. Whitewash was used to cover the mud appearance and tapered down so that rain water washes off. On top of the ziggurat is a terrace for outdoor rituals and the temple was used for indoor rituals. God's descend from the heavens to a high place on earth, hence the Summarian's building the ziggurat as high places and coordinate with the four corners of the compass.
Last judgement of Hu-Nefer, from his tomb New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty. c. 1,275 B.C.E. Painted papyrus scroll
It is an illustration from the Book of the Dead which is an Egyptian book of spells and charms. The God of embalming, Anubis, has a jackal's head and leads the deceased named Hu-Nefer into the hall where his soul is being weighed against a feather to show the weight of his sins. The hippo/lion figure between the scales will eat the heart of the evil soul and the soul will not live on in the afterlife. The god Thoth has the head of a bird and is the stenographer writing down these events in hieroglyphics. Osiris, the god of the underworld, appears enthroned on the right to the subject the deceased to a day of judgement.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Rome, Italy. Francesco Borromini (architect) 1638-1646 C.E. Stone and stucco
It is named this because it is on a square in Rome with 4 fountains and is in an unusually small site. Alternating convex and concave patterns and undulating volumes in ground plan and facade. Facade is higher than the rest of the building. Interior side of the chapels merge into the central space. Interior dome oval shape and coffered. Walls treated sculpturally. Borromini worked in shades of white, avoided colors in many Baroque buildings.
Hunters in the Snow Pieters Bruegel the Elder. 1565 C.E. Oil on woods
It is one of a series of paintings representing the months, shown is November and/or December. This is the Alpine landscape in a winter scene. With strong diagonal lines leading the eye deeper into the painting. The figures are peasant types but not individuals. Landscape has high horizon line which is a Northern European tradition. many details but nothing is static. Hunters have had little success in the winter hunt, and the dogs are skinny and hanging their heads in defeat.
Il Gesù, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco
Principal church of the Jesuit order. Column groupings emphasize the central doorway. Tympana and pediment over the central doorway. Slight crescendo of forms toward the center. Two stories separated by cornice; united by scrolls. Framing niche acts as a unifying device. The interior has no aisles which was meant for grand ceremonies.
Allegory of Law and Grace Lucas Cranach the Elder. c. 1530 C.E. Woodcut and letterpress
It shows Protestantism which is faithful achieve salvation by God's grace and guidance can be achieved using the Bible. Done in consultation with Martin Luther, who was the leader of the Protestant Reformation. On the left is the last judgement where Moses is holding the 10 commandments, Law of Moses isn't enough to live a good life and the skeleton chases person to Hell. On the right is a figure bathing in Christ's blood which shows that faith in Christ alone is needed for salvation.
Screen with the Siege of Belgrade and hunting scene Circle of the González Family. c. 1697-1701 C.E. Tempera and resin on wood, shell inlay
It was commissioned by Jose Sarmiento de Valladres, viceroy of New Spain. Displayed in Viceregal Palace in Mexico City and is the only known example of an art work that combines biombos and enconchados. 2 faces on the screen: one has a hunting scene and the other is a war scene. The hunting scene is suited to an intimate space for small receptions. The war scene is more suited for a grander room with political importance: The Great Turkish War from 1683-1699. Illustrates a scene of Hapsburg power.
Röttgen Pietà Late medieval Europe (Germany). c. 1300-1325 C.E. Painted wood
It's an andachtsbild, used for private devotion. Christ is seen as emaciated, drained of all blood, tissue and muscle: this pieta is much more exaggerated. It depicts the horror of the crucifixion manifest and humanizes religious themes. It has grape like drops of blood which is a reference to Christ as a "mystical vineyard." We can also see the look of horror and depression on Mary's face which is unusual because usually Mary knows that Jesus' death is temporary and will rise again in 3 days, but here it is intense.
Terra Cotta Fragment Lapita. Solomon Islands, Reef Islands. 1000 B.C.E. Terra cotta (incised)
Lapita refers to an ancient Pacific culture which archaeologists believe to be ancestors of the contemporary cultures of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Lapita art is known for its ceramics which feature intricate repeating geometric patterns that occasionally include faces and figures. Many Lapita ceramics were large vessels that could've been used for cooking, serving or storing food. Some of the designs found on Lapita pottery may be related to patterns used in Modern Polynesian tattoos and bark cloth.
Temple of Amun-re and Hypostyle Hall Karnark, near Luxor, Egypt. New Kingdom, 18th and 19th Dynasties. Temple: c. 1550 B.C.E.; hall: c. 1250 B.C.E. Cut sandstone and mud brick.
Large columns that are tightly packed together admitting little light into the halls, which are hypostyle: representing the beginning of time and with papyrus like plants. Columns are elaborately painted with massive lintels binding the columns together on top in an axial plan. The tallest columns have papyrus capitals, have some clerestory to allow some light and air into the darkest parts of the temple. The lower columns have bud capitals with columns carved in sunken relief. The floor of the temple rises slowly as you move through it, towards the sanctuary of the god: a symbolic benben, a high place for Amun-Re to descend to and to be worshiped; only few are allowed into the sanctuary because it was so sacred.
Temple of Minerva and sculpture of Apollo Master sculptor Vulca. c. 510-500 B.C.E. Original temple of wood, mud brick, or tufa; terra cotta sculpture
Little architecture survives, the model is drawn from descriptions by Vitruvius, a Roman architect during 1st century B.C.E. The temple is made out of mud brick and wood. The steps in front direct attention to the deep porch which emphasizes the entrance. Influences of Greek architecture in the columns and capitals; columns are unfluted and made of wood. Etruscan variation on Greek capitals which are called the Tuscan order. The temple is raised on a podium and there are 3 doors that represent 3 gods and a division of interior into 3 spaces.
Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well and Jacob Wrestling the Angel, from the Vienna Genesis Early Byzantine Europe. Early sixth century C.E. Illuminated manuscript )
Lively, softly modeled figures with classical training of the artists: contrapposto, foreshortening, shadowing, perspective with a shallow setting. Fluid movement of decorative figures with richly colored and shaded. 2 rows linked by a bridge and text placed above the illustrations, which are on lower half of the page. Manuscript is painted on vellum and done in silver script, now oxidized and turned black. Genesis 24: 15-61 with Rebecca emerging from the city of Nahor with a jar on her shoulder to go down to the spring. She quenches the thirst of a camel driver and his camels. Colonnaded road leads to the spring, Roman water goddess personifies the spring. Jacob wrestling the angel is in Genesis 32: 22-31. Jacob takes his 2 wives, 2 maids, and 11 children and crosses a river with a number of children abbreviated. Roman looking bridge and at night he wrestles an angel and he is strikes on his hip socket.
Madonna and Child with Two Angels Fra Filippo Lippi. c. 1465 C.E. Tempera on wood
Mary is seen as a younger mother and the model may have been the artists lover. The landscape is inspired by Flemish painting with the rock formations indicating the Church and the city near Madonna's head is the Heavenly Jerusalem. Motif of a pearl is seen in her headdress and pillow as products of the sea. The pearls are used as symbols in scenes of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the Incarnation of Christ. The scene is depicted as if in a window of a Florentine home. And humanization of a sacred theme.
Venus of Urbino Titan. c. 1538 C.E. Oil on canvas
May not have been Venus but may have been a courtesan. Sensuous delight in the skin tones. Looks at us directly. Complex spatial environment: figure placed forward on the picture plane, servants in middle space; open window with plants in the background. Roses contribute to the floral motif carried throughout the work. Dog perhaps symbolizes faithfulness. Cassoni: trunks intended for storage of clothing for a wife's trousseau. Patron Guildobaldo della Rovere of Urbino. Painting became a standard for future reclining female nudes.
Head of a Roman patrician Republican Roma. c. 75-50 B.C.E. Marble
Realism of the portrait shows the influence of the Greek Hellenistic art and the late Etruscan art. The faces is very realistic which is called a veristic portrait with bulldog like tenacity features; over hanging flesh, deep crevices in the face. His face shows that he is full of experience and wisdom with traits like Roman patricians would have desired. Features may have been exaggerated by the artist to enhance adherence to Republican virtues. The busts are mainly of men and depict elders to show their wisdom that they have gained throughout their years.
Hagia Sophia Consantinople (Istanbu). Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. 532-537 C.E. Brick and ceramic elements with stone and mosaic veneer.
Means Holy Wisdom and is a combination of centrally planned and axially planned churches. Exterior is plain and massive with little decoration. The interior has the altar at the end of the nave, but emphasis over the area covered by the dome. The dome is supported by pendentives and it has 40 windows at the base symbolically acting as a halo over the congregation when filled with light. Arcade decoration with wall and capitals are flat and thin but richly ornamented. With cornice unifying the space with large fields for mosaic decoration and at one time had 4 acres of gold mosaics on the wall. Many windows punctuate wall space. Minarets are added in the Islamic period, when the Hagia Sophia acted a a mosque but is now a museum. Patrons were Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, who commissioned the work after the burning of the original building in the Nike Revolt of 532.
Winged Victory of Samothrace Hellenistic Greek. c. 190 B.C.E. Marble
Meant to stand in or above a fountain that is cascading water around rocks below and is similar to a figurehead of a boat. The wet drapery is meant to imitate the water playing on her body and shows evidence of invisible wind on her body. Dramatic twist and contrapposto of the torso with the monumentality of the figure. Her missing right arm may have raised a victory crown or held an open hand in greeting, maybe she was laanding on the prow of ship. The boat at the base is a battleship with oarboxes and traces of a ram. Built to commemorate a naval victory in 190 B.C.E. Nike is a sign of victory; founded in 1863 in situ on Samothrace.
Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza Viceroyalty of New Spain. c. 1541-1542 C.E. Ink and color on paper
Named after Antonio de Mendoza, the viceroy of Spain and intended as a history of the Aztecs for Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. Created 20 years after the Spanish conquest and it shows Aztec rulers and daily life in Mexico. Uses pictograms created by Aztec artists that were later annotated in Spanish. This scene depicts the founding of Tenochtitlan and the conquest of Colhuacan and Tenayucan on the bottom. Enemy temples are on fire while Aztec warriors carry clubs and shields. Small representation of the Templo Mayor above the Eagle and the skulls represent the sacrificial victims. The eagle landing on the cactus at the intersection of the 2 water ways commemorates the division of Tenochtitlan into 4 quarters.
Tomb of the Triclinium Tarquinia, Italy. Etruscan. c. 480-470 B.C.E. Tufa and fresco
Named after a triclinium, an ancient Roman dining table, which appears in the fresco; banqueting couples recline, eating in the ancient manner. Ancient convention showed of men painted in darker colors than women. Trees spring up between the main figures and shrubbery grows beneath the reclining couches and perhaps suggesting a rural setting. A funeral banquet is intended, but the emotions are of a celebration. Ceiling has polychrome checkerboard pattern with circles symbolizing time. Dancing figures play instruments during festival celebrations of the dead.
Niobides Krater Anonymous vase painter of Classical Greece known as the Niobid Painter. c. 460-450 B.C.E. Clay, red-figure technique
One side shows Apollo and Artemis killing Niobid's children; this is because Niobid bragged about her children to Leto, so Leto's children (Artemis and Apollo) kill Niobid's children; focusing on the idea of hubris. The other side is Hercules and Athena to his left, could be a sculpture of Hercules, and warriors are coming to as him for protection before they go into battle, might be about faithfulness to the gods. A red figure vase they covered everything with slip except what they wanted to show up then the details are painted in with a liquefied slip. The symposium of vases were that they were used in dinner parties called symposiums, A way for the citizens to have fun but in a structured way. Freeborn males were invited, provided a bond for the ruling classes, play games of skill, oratory.
Self-Portrait with Saskia Rembrandt van Rijn. 1636 C.E. Etching
Only image of Rembrandt with his wife together in an etching and it is 30 yr old Rem with his wife. Not wearing contemporary dress; fanciful dress. Images of Saskia abundant in Rembrandt ouput, a source of inspiration of him. Martial harmony and using Saksia as a muse of inspiring him. Wife and mother of four. Rembrandt is drawing or perhaps making an etching.
Spaniard and Indian Produce a Mestizo Attributed to Juan Rodríguez Juárez. c. 1715 C.E. Oil on canvas
Panel from the 1st known series of casta painting and may not have been a completed set. Spanish social hierarchy with the European ancestry at the top; 16 different gradations of social scale. Spanish blood linked to civilizing forces; wearing lavish costumes. Africans and Indians are rendered with respect; showing harmony and mixing of the classes. Many Africans and Indians are rendered to look more South European on their physical features. Spanish colonists commissioned with works to be sent abroad to show how the caste system of the new world works. And it is not considered are objects but illustrates ethnic groups.
The Palace of Versailles Versailles, France. Loius Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart (architects). Begun 1669 C.E. Masonry, stone, wood, iron, and gold leaf (architecture); marble and bronze (sculpture); gardens by Andre Le Notre.
Reorganization and remodeling of a hunting lodge into an elaborate palace. Center of the building was Louis XIV's bedroom, or audience chamber, from which all aspects of the design radiate like rays from the sun-- Sun King. Versailles corresponds to Louis XIV's political and economic ambitions. Building was centered in a vast garden and town complex radiating from it. Subdued exterior decoration on facade, undulation of projecting members is understated. Halls of Mirrors: 240 ft long, barrel-vaulted painted ceiling, light comes in from one side and ricochets off the largest panes of glass that could be made at the time; flickering use of light in an architectural setting; ceiling paintings illustrate civil and military achievements of Louis XIV. The gardens are classical and harmoniously arranged.
Sarcophagus of the Spouses Etruscan. c. 520 B.C.E. Terracotta
Sarcophagus of a married couple whose ashes were placed inside, both held objects in their hands, maybe an egg to represent life after death. Full length portraits with great concentration on the upper body and less on the legs. The bodies make an unrealistic L-turn to their legs, broad shoulders with little anatomical modeling, emaciated hands. Shows the ancient tradition of reclining while eating, represents a banquet couch. Symbolic relationship: man has a protective gesture around the woman while the woman feeds the man, reflects the high standing women had in Etruscan society. Made in four separate pieces and joined together.
Women Holding a Balance Johnnes Vermer. c. 1664 C.E. Oil on canvas
Small number of Vermeer works in existence, except for 2 landscapes, Vermeer's works portray intimate scenes in the interior of Dutch homes. Viewer looks into a private world in which seemingly small gestures take on a significance greater than what 1st appears. Figures seem unaware of our presence. The light enters from the left and warmly highlights textures and surfaces: the woman's garments, wood table, marble checkerboard floor, jewelry, painting, etc. A moment in time with stillness and timelessness. A moment of weighing and judging. Behind a painting of the last judgement: a time of weighing souls and the balance has nothing in it pearls and coins on the table waiting to measure. Balancing reference perhaps to the unborn child and shows allegory.
The Virgin of Guadalupe Miguel González. c. 1698 C.E. Based on original Virgin of Gaudalupe. Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City. 16th century C.E. Oil on canvas on wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl
Symbol of Mexico: the eagle perched on the cactus at the bottom center. Brocade on Virgin's robes made of enconchados. Enconchados are influenced from Asian decoration art. Image in demand and many made for export around new Spain. Painting of Mary when she was in Juan Diego's vision and was told to create a church for her.
Pantheon Imperial Roman. 118-125 C.E. Concrete with stone facing
The Pantheon was dedicated to all the gods and has an inscription that says "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, having been consul three times, built it." There is a Corinthian porch in the front and the facade has 2 pediments, one deeply recessed behind the other. Square panels in floor and in coffers contrast with roundness of walls the coffers may have been filled with bronze rosette designs to simulate stars. Cupola walls are very thick at 20 feet as the base; the oculus is 27 feet across and allows sunlight and air in and acts as a moving spotlight across the interior. The height of the building equals its width; interior of building based on the circle a hemisphere with walls having 7 inches for statues of gods. The thickness of the walls thin at the top and the coffers take some of the weight pressure off the walls and the concrete construction makes it very strong. It was brilliantly decorated and originally had a large atrium before it, originally built on a high podium modern Rome rose up to it.
Sistine Chapel ceiling and altar wall frescoes Vatican City, Italy. Michelangelo. Ceiling frescoes: c. 1508-1512 C.E.; altar frescoes: c. 1536-1541 C.E. Fresco
The Sistine Chapel was erected in 1472 and painted by quatrocento masters including Boticelli and Perugino, as well as Michelangelo's teacher, Ghirlandaio. The function of the Sistine Chapel was where new popes are elected. Michelangelo chose a complicated arrangement of figures for the ceiling, broadly illustrating the first few chapters of Genesis, with accompanying OT figures and antique sibyls- many based on antique sculptures. 300 figures on ceiling and not 2 of them in the same pose with the male nude in motion. Enormous variety of expressions and painted cornices frame groupings of figures in a highly organized way. Many figures like the Ignudi are done for artistic expression rather than to enhance the narrative. Acorns are a motif on the ceiling inspired by the crest of the patron, Pope Julius II.
Great Altar of Zeus and Athens at Pergamon Asia Minor (represents-day Turkey) Hellenistic Greek. c. 175 B.C.E. Marble
The altar is placed on an elevated platform up a dramatic flight of stairs. Conscious effort to be in dialogue with the Panathenaic Frieze on the Parthenon. 7.5 foot high frieze over 400 feet long wraps around the monument. Contains an altar dedicated to Zeus with ionic columns to frame the monument. Parallels made between King Attalos I's victories over the Gauls in a recent war, Alexander the Great's defeat of the Persians, and the gods' defeat over the giants in mythology. The sides show different scenes of a battle and the relief sculptures are popping out more than usual and are interacting with us.
Tlatilco female figurine Central Mexico, site of Tlatico. 1200-900 B.C.E. Ceramic
The artistic pose and the lively hairstyles represent the experiences artistic traditions of Tlatilco. Many show deformities including two-headed figures, bifacial images representing the first evidence of congenital defects. There are many shapes and forms for these statues of both male and female (separate or together), genre scenes, ball playing games, animals and imaginary creatures. The sculpture may have had shamanistic function of crossing over into a deeper life.
Doryphoros Polykleitos. Original 450-440 B.C.E. Roman copy (marble) of Greek original (bronze)
The purpose of this statue was to inspire men to be just as fit and as proportionally perfect as seen in the statue, founded in Pompeii where athletes trained. It is a male canon of an athlete or warrior that is a roman marble copy of a Greek bronze statue. It is in a closed stance with alternating tenses and relaxed elements of the body; left arm and right leg are relaxed while the right arm and left leg are weight bearing: contrapposto. He averts his gaze, you may admire him, but he does not recognize the admiration. The body is more realistic with body having angles and curves and the muscles are more defined in a natural way; broad shoulders, thick torso and a muscular body. In the right hand it would've held a spear for war.
Chartres Cathedral Chartres, France. Gothic Europe. Orignal construction. c. 1145-1115 C.E.; reconstructed c. 1194-1220 C.E. Limestone, stained glass
The building of this church started in 1194 after the romanesque church before is burnt it down. It is a church dedicated to Mary with a Marian shrine within it. Mary's tunic that she wore while she was giving birth to Jesus is the most sacred relic and it escaped the fire with no damage and was a sign to rebuild the cathedral. Right spire is from 1160 and the left spire is from the late Gothic period from 1507-1513 and conceived in a different style form which was more elaborate. importance of the church reflects in the speed of the construction which was about 26 years. It has an enlarged chevet which accommodated elaborate church ceremonies. With tall vertical nature of the interior pulls the viewer's eyes up to the ceiling and symbolically to heaven. The dark and mysterious interior increases the spiritual feeling and the stained glass windows enlivens the interior surfaces.
Catacomb of Priscilla Rome, Italy. Late Antique Europe. c. 200-400 C.E. Excavated tufa and fresco
The catacombs beneath Rome have 4 million dead and extend for about 100 miles and contains 7 popes tombs and several martyrs. The catacomb includes the Orants Figure which is a fresco over a tomb niche set over an arched wall and a cemetery of a family vault: left a teacher with children and right is mother and child. It stands with arms outstretched in prayer and the figure is compact, dark, set off from a light background and terse angular contours with emphatic gestures. It also includes the Greek chapel which is named for 2 Greek inscriptions painted on the right niche with 3 niches for sarcophagi and decorated with paintings in the Pompeian style. The last thing it includes is the Good Shepherd fresco. It is a restrained portrait of Christ as a good shepherd, a pastoral motif in ancient art going back to the Greek. It is the symbolism of the Good Shepherd and rescues individual sinners in his flock who stray.
Ecstasy of Saint Teresa Cornaro Chapel, Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria Rome, Italy. Gian Lorenzo Bernini. c. 1647-1652 C.E. Marble (sculpture); stucco and gilt bronze (chapel)
The church was originally dedicated to Saint Paul. And it was then later rededicated to the Virgin Mary in gratitude for a military victory in Bohemia in 1620. Turkish standards captured in siege of Vienna in 1683 on display. Single wide nave with one of the side chapels housing Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. The first story: six iconic pilasters, emphasis placed on center of facade. Round and triangular pediments; broken pediments; swags and scrollwork. A sculptural interpretation of St. Teresa's diary in which she tells of her visions of God, many involving an angel descending with an arrow and plunging it into her. Natural light redirected onto the sculpture from a window hidden above the work. Marble handled in a tactile way to reveal textures: skin is high gloss, feathers of an angel are rougher and the drapery is animated and fluid with the clouds roughly cut. Carved from a single block of marble. Figures seem to float in their space, with the rays of God's light symbolically illuminating the scene from behind. St. Teresa's pose suggest sexual exhaustion. Stage like setting with the patrons, member of the Cornaro family, sitting in theater boxes looking on and commenting.
Tutankhamun's Tomb, intermost coffin. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1,323 B.C.E. Gold with inlay of enamel and semiprecious stones.
The famous tomb discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 of the mummified body of King Tut who was buried with 143 objects on his head area with a gold mask placed over the head. The gold coffin was 6 feet 7 inches long containing the body of the pharaoh and the golden mask was smoothly idealized features of the boy-king. In his hands he is holding the symbols of Osiris, the god of the afterlife, the crook and a flail. He was the son of Akhenaton, his father and mother were brother and sister, his wife was his half-sister; perhaps physically handicapped caused by genetic mutation, he reigned from age 9-19. King Tut ruled after the Amarna period, during the Amarna period the worship was focused on the god Aten and the capital was moved away from the pharaoh's capital. King Tut moved the focus of Egypt's worship back to the god Amun and returned religious capital back to Thebes.
Forum of Trajan Rome, Italy. Apollodorus of Damascus. Forum and markets: 106-112 C.E.; column completed 113 C.E. Brick and concrete (architecture); marble (column)
The forum of Trajan was built with booty collected from Trajan's victory over the Dacians. The large centralized plaza flanked by stoa-like buildings on each flank. It originally held an equestrian monument dedicated to Trajan in the center. Part of the complex that included the Basilica of Ulpia, the markets of Trajan and the column of Trajan. This was the last imperial fora to be constructed in Ancient Rome.
Stonehenge Wiltshire, U.K. Neolithic Europe. c. 2500-1600 B.C.E. Sandstone .
The large stone creation was created over 1500 years throughout 3 phases and this piece of art was very contemporary for its time period and was the first of dynasty; before the pyramids. This work was an egalitarian endeavor which was very rare which means there was no ruler to force them to create this and they made it out of equality. There is no known significance of the stones but many think it was a ceremonial site, a religious pilgrimage destination, a burial ground or it was used as an astronomical calendar. The stones were created through the post-and-lintel building which means they put a post and a peg then a stone on top of it; most stones were sandstone or blue stone.
Annunciation Triptych Workshop of Robert Campin. 1427-1432 C.E. Oil on wood
The left panel depicts the donors with middle-class people kneeling before a holy scene while the wife was added later perhaps because of the donor's marriage. The center panel depicts the annunciation taking place in an everyday Flemish interior. The right panel is Joseph in his carpentry workshop with a mousetrap symbolizing the capture of the devil. It has meticulous handling of paint with intricate detail and steeply rising ground lines which depicts the figures too large to sit in the architecture. There is a lot of symbolism in this painting: towels and water stand for Mary's purity, Mary seated on the floor represents her humility, Mary blocks the fireplace or the entrance to hell, etc.
Peplos Kore from the Acropolis Archiac Greek. c. 530 B.C.E. Marble, painted details
The purpose of this statue is that is was originally thought to be an offering to a goddess, and many believe that it is a goddess. The clothes are similar to other sculptures of other goddesses depicted from that time. She has holes in her head which suggests that a crown was there and it signifies divinity. Hand emerges into our own space, breaks out of the mold of static Archaic statues. She has a tightened waist, breasts revealed beneath the drapery, rounded and naturalistic face and her hair falls naturally beside her body. She is named for the peplos, traditionally through to be one of the 4 things she's wearing. Much of the paint still remains which animates her face and hair.
Colosseum (Flavin Amphitheater) Rome, Italy. Imperial Roman. 70-80 C.E. Stone and concrete
The real name is the Flavian Amphitheatre and was accommodated for 50,000 spectators. It is made of concrete core, brick casing and a travertine facing: concrete for a cheap and strong base, brick casing to make it look prettier and a travertine facing to add some texture. There are 76 entrances and exits circle the facade. Interplay of barrel vaults, groin vaults and arches; this was meant for wild and dangerous spectacles: gladiator combat, animal hunts, naval battles, but not as tradition suggests, religious persecution. Facade has engaged columns: first story is made of Tuscan, second story is made of ionic, third story is made of Corinthian and the top is a flattened Corinthian; each thought of as a lighter than the order before. Above the squared windows at the top level are small brackets that are meant to hold flagstaffs, these staffs are the anchors for a retractable canvas roof used to protect the crowd from hot weather. Much of the marble on the outside was pulled off during the middle ages for other projects.
Jade cong Liangzhu, China. 3300-2200 B.C.E. Carved jade.
The round shape may have been developed from bracelets and often have miniature faces carved in the sides. Jade is an extremely hard substance to manipulate and cannot be carved but worn down which means it takes a long time for pieces to be finished and it is also a highly prized material. It is from the Neolithic period and during this time China was a collection of isolated, organized states and jade was worn by nobles and kings in life and death. It is found in many tombs of higher ranking people in large numbers and is thought to protect the body from decay in the afterlife; represent Heaven and Earth. No known use.
Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II, Dur Sharrukin Neo-Assyrian. c. 720-705 B.C.E. Alabaster
The statue contains a human-headed animal guardian figure with wings to show it is a protector and a high figure. It has 5 legs to view from the front for it to be standing of attention and from the side it seems to be walking by you as you walk by it. Meant to ward off enemies and evil spirits and protect the palace, apotropaic. Protective Spirits placed at both sides of each gate as a guardian and also bore the weight of the arches above the gates. With a feeling of harmony and stability through the sense of its strong and protectiveness.
Anavysos Kouros Archaic Greek. c. 530 B.C.E. Marble with remnants of paint
The statue is made of marble, as opposed to Egyptian statues made of greywacke. The Kourous is fully nude which was not seen in Egyptian sculptures: not approved upon. This statue has an archaic smile which was used to show power, the braided hair and head band connects to Egyptian art. The balance of weight with the locked knees and the left leg partially forward is seen in Egyptian art as well as opposed to the contrapposto look. It was made to look like a speacific person and is also idealized: honoring someone. There is no human emotion showing but also a sense of individuality, front facing, clenched fists which shows that the person is young.
Seated Scribe Saqqara, Egypt. Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynastic. c. 2620-2500 B.C.E. Painted limestone.
The statue was created for a tomb at Saqqara as a provision for Ka and it is not a Pharaoh which is seen by the sagging chest and realistic rather then idealistic features. The color still remains on the sculpture and is very lifelike but not a portrait, rather a conventional image of a scribe. The scribe is seen as very attentive with a thin and angular face which contrasts with the ideally portrayed Pharaoh. The scribe is holding papyrus in his lap and did have a writing instrument which is now gone which was in his hand showing that he was ready to write and was paying attention to what was happening. The inlaid yes are made of a piece of redviened white magnesite in which a piece of slightly fractured rock crystal was placed while the front was polished. A black line is used for eyebrows, lots of details in the hands with two wooden dowels used for nipples.
Bayeux Tapestry Romanesque Europe. c. 1066-1080 C.E. Embroidery on linen
The tapestry is a misonmer with embroidery to tell the story. It was commissioned by Bishop Odo who was the half brother to William the Conquerer and it tells the story of William's conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was most-likely designed by a man and was created by women. it has fanciful beasts in the upper and lower registers with borders sometimes commenting on the main scenes, or show the scenes of everyday life. Color is used in a non-natural manner with different parts of animals colored variously. This embroidery has a neutral background, flatness of figures who have no shadows, narrative tradition going back to the column of Trajan. It shows over 75 scenes with over 600 people and is 230 feet long and continues to narrate the tradition of Medieval art. Not sure how long this work took.
Bushel with ibex motifs Susan, Iran. 4200-3500 B.C.E. Painted terra cotta.
There is no specific function of this particular beaker but may have been used in funeral practices in the city of Susa with fleshing corpses. The beaker was found in an area where an ancient cemetery had been located and was probably used in the ceremony of funerals. The decorations suggest a connection that the people had to the natural world around them with the plants, animals and settlement life depicted. The register on the image might also place us to the setting of where the artwork was created.
Acropolis Athens, Greece. Iktinos and Kallikrates. c. 447-410 B.C.E. Marble
There was an older temple to Athena in that same area that was destroyed when the Persians invaded. The Persians destroyed and burned down the temple and the Athenians took a vow to never rebuild it but a generation later they decided to rebuild the Athenian temple. Mathematics and building skills and search for perfect harmony and balance were all important to the Greeks so the Parthenon demonstrates all these things. Its architectural perfection is an illusion based on subtle distortions that correct the imperfections of human sight. There are a series of Nikes in the Temple of Athena Nike, the most famous sculpture is Nike Adjusting her Sandal. The sculpture shows her possibly taking her sandal off as she is in a sacred space and she is depicted with eroticism through her clothes and the way that they drape her body which was a big deal. The emphasis on drapery was a stylistically very much a part of the Classical period. There was also an emphasis on her body and form seeming natural, relaxed, and imbalanced. The Acropolis represents the birth of democracy as there was a shift in government in the 5th century that made it easier for the Greek people to participate in their government
Dedication Page with Blanche of Castle and King Louis IX of France, Scenes from the Apocolypse from Bibles moralisées. Gothic Europe. c. 1225-1245 C.E. Illuminated manuscript
These pages come from a moralized Bible and depicts the two kings on top and the creators of the work on the bottom. The top left depicts Blanche of Castile who was the mother and the regent to the king. The top right depicts King Louis IX as a young teenager holding a coin which represents the 12 gold coin the king inherits when becoming king. On the bottom left is a monk who is reading latin to the younger scribe. On the bottom right is the scribe/artist who is working on the art piece in the art piece. Luminosity of stained glass windows with strong black outlining of forms.
Golden Haggadah (The Plagues of Egypt, Scenes of Liberation, and Preparation for Passover) Late medieval Spain. c. 1320 C.E. Illuminated manuscript (pigment and gold leaf on vellum)
These pages from a Jewish book depicts the story of the Jewish exodus fro Egypt under Moses ad its subsequent celebration. It is to be read at a passover seder during the time the celebration. Haggadah means narration and fulfills the Jewish requirement to tell the story of the Jews' escape from Egypt as a reminder of God's mercy. The narrative cycle of events from the books of Genesis and Exodus and this book is primarily used at home and avoids the more stringent restriction against holy images in synagogues. It has 2 unknown artists, probably Christian, illustrated the Golden Haggadah, a jewish scribe wrote the Hebrew script. Style similarities to French Gothic manuscripts in the handling of space, architecture, figure style, body gestures and the manuscript medium. It was painted in Barcelona with 56 mini gold leaf backgrounds and is read from right to left.
Running horned women Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria. 6000-4000 B.C.E. Pigment on rock.
They compared this art work to other "rock cities'' to find out the time period because the art from Northern Africa is very diverse and old. This art work is known as the Round Head period because of the large size , elaborate people and the people with round and featureless heads. The art was found in a hard to reach area, again, suggesting a ritual use and the portrayal of a goddess with the horns, dots and the armlet imply she is a goddess or it is a ritual. Many believe that there are religious beliefs or ceremonies that were behind the creation of this painting.
Isenheim altarpiece Matthias Grünewald. c. 1512-1516 C.E. Oil on wood
This altarpiece was placed in a monastery hospital where people were treated for "Saint Anthony's Fire" or ergotism, which is a disease caused by eating a fungus that grows on rye flour. This then explains the representation of St. Anthony on the 3rd and 1st views. Ergotism causes convulsions and gangrene. In the 1st view it is the crucifixion with a dark background, dead and decomposing flesh, arms almost torn from the sockets, lashed and whipped bodies, symbolism of ergotism, swooning Mary dressed like the nun who worked in the hospital, when the panels are open they reveal the next scene of Christ amputated as patients suffered ergotism would. the 2nd view has Marian symbols of the enclosed garden, closed gate, rosebush and the rosary; Christ rises from the dead on the right and his rags changed to beautiful robes which show his wounds which don't harm him now. The 3rd view shows the symbols of ergotism: oozing boils, withered arms, distended stomach which isn't shown.
Adam and Eve Albrecht Dürer. 1504 C.E. Engraving
This art piece was influenced by the classical sculpture and Adam looks like a Ancient Greek sculpture. It produces the ideal image of humans before the fall of man and the figures are in contrapposto from the Italian Renaissance. Four humors are represented in the animals shown: cat is angry, the rabbit is energetic, the elk is sad and the ox is lethargic; the 4 humors were kept in balance before the fall of man. The mouse by Adam's feet represents satan and the parrot is a symbol of cleverness. Adam tries to dissuade Eve and grasps the mountain of ash and a tree with a snake coiled around it. Northern European devotion to detailed paintings.
The Ambum Stone Ambum Valley, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. c. 1500 B.C.E. Greywacke
This artwork is modeled after the long-beaked echidna found in the Pacific/Oceanic region and were similarly used to how pigs are used today. It was created out of Greywacke stone which is very hard to work with and manipulate which makes it even more valuable because of the amount of labor put in. The sculpture is put in the pestle category because it is the head of an animal and it is a free-standing sculpture. We are not sure about its significance because there is little information known about the people who made it, but it could've been used for spiritual rights or represent species or ancestors but is sacred because today it is used for fertility, hunting and socery.
School of Athens Raphael. 1509-1511 C.E. Fresco
This fresco was commissioned by Pope Julius II to decorate his library. The painting was originally called "Philosophy" because the pope's philosophy books were meant to be housed on the shelving below. One painting in a complex program of works that illustrates the vastness and variety of the papal library. Open, clear light uniformly spread throughout composition. Nobility and monumentality of forms parallel to the greatness of the figures represented; figures gesture to their philosophical thought. Building behind might reflect Bramante's plan for St. Peter. In the center are the 2 greatest figures in ancient Greek thought: Plato and Aristotle. Raphael is in the corner of the extreme right. Michelangelo is resting on the stone block writing a poem. Raphael overall's composition was influenced by the Last Supper.
Alhambra Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354-1391 C.E. Whitewashed adobe stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding
This is a palace of the Nasrid sultans of Southern Spain. It has light and airy interiors with fortress like exteriors. It was built on a hill overlooking the city of Granada and contains water pools, palaces, gardens, fountains and courtyards. It has small, low bubbling fountains in each room provide cool temperatures, especially in the summer. The thin columns support the heavy roofs and gives the space a feeling of weightlessness. It also has intricate patterns and sculpted ceilings and walls.
Seated boxer Hellenistic Greek. c. 100 B.C.E. Bronze
This is a rare Hellenistic bronze statue and may have been a part of a group, or perhaps a single sculpture with a head turned to face an unseen opponent. It may be an older man past his prime with a defeated look and is worn out/tired. Smashed nose, lips sunken in to suggest broken teeth, cauliflower ears, great emotion. Nude fighter with hands wrapped in leather bands, blood denoted in copper dripping from his face and onto his right arm and thigh. Copper used as highlight on his lips, nipples, straps on leather gloves, wounds on head. May have been a good luck charm for athletes; evidence of toes worn away by touching.
Palette of King Narmer 4. The palette was used to prepare eye makeup which was used to protects their eyes from the sun. It was probably commemorative or ceremonial. (2-2)
This is a relief sculpture depicting King Narmer uniting Upper and Lower Egypt with Hathor, a god as a cow with a woman's face, depicted four times in the top register. On the front Narmer is wearing the cobra crown of lower Egypt and is reviewing the beheaded bodies of the enemies and is preceded by 4 standard bearers and a priest and followed by his sandal bearer. On the Back Hawk of Horus, god of Egypt, triumphs over Narmer's foes, Horus holds a rope around a man's head and a papyrus plant, a symbol of Lower Egypt and the back has a symbol of strength with the bull's tail at his waist. It was used to mix eye make-up for the blinding sun although it was more ceremonial and the hieroglyphics dd to the meaning. Many believe that the palette conflates actions taking place over many years into one event and is a narrative.
Augustus of Prima Porta Imperial Roman. Early first century C.E. Marble
This is a statue of an idealized view of a Roman emperor with contrapposto. It has a confusion between god and man intentional with a sense of divine rule with standing barefoot which indicates he is on sacred ground. On his breastplate there are a number of gods participating in the return of Roman standards from the Parthians and the breastplate indicates that he is a warrior and his judges robe show him as a civic ruler. His back is not carved which means it was meant to be placed on a wall. The characteristic of Augustus is the part in the hair over the left eye and the 2 locks over the right. He may have carried a sword at one time pointing down in his left hand and his right hand in Roman orator pose, perhaps held laurel branches. At his base there is Cupid on the back of a dolphin which is a reference of Augustus's divine descent from Venus . Found in the Villa of Livia for his wife.
Mosque of Selim II Edrine, Turkey. Sinan (architect), 1568-1575 C.E. Brick and stone
This mosque has extremely thin, soaring minarets with an abundance of window space which makes for a brilliantly lit interior. It has decorative display of mosaic and tile work and was inspired by the Hagia Sophia but a centrally planned building. It has an octagonal interior with 8 pillars resting on a square set of walls. Open airy interior contrasts with the conventional mosques that have partitioned interiors. Part of the complex includes a hospital, school, library, etc. Sinan was chief court architect for Suleyman the Magnificent and it transitions from square ground plans to round dome which was achieved by inserting smaller domes in the corner with huge piers supporting the dome.
Last Supper Leonardo da Vinci. c. 1494-1498 C.E. Oil and Tempera
This painting was commissioned by the Sforza of Milan for the refectory or dining hall of a Dominican Abbey. The relationship between the friars eating and a Biblical meal. Only Leonardo's work remaining in situ. Linear perspective with the orthogonals of ceiling and floor point to Jesus. Apostles grouping of three: Jesus is alone but before the group of three windows symbolizing the trinity. Leonardo used an experimental combination of paints to yield a greater chiaroscuro; however, the paints began to peel off the wall in Leonardo's lifetime and the painted was restored many times. Great Drama of the moment: Jesus says "one of you will betray me." Various reactions on the faces of the apostles with anguish on the face of Jesus. Judas falls back clutching his bag of coins and face ins darkness.
Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus Late Imperial Roman. c. 250 C.E. Marble
This sarcophagus is extremely crowded surface with figures piled on top of one another and the figures lack individuality. One figure in the top middle is not wearing any armor indicating that he is depending on God to save him and keep him safe. The confusion of the battle is echoed by congested composition. Roman army trounces bearded and defeated barbarians. This depicts the chaos of the war that Rome faced throughout the 3rd century
Athenian agora Archaic through Hellenistic Greek. 600 B.C.E.-150 C.E. Plan
This was the main thoroughfare of the city and was used as a processional way for the parade of the Panathenaic festival. Used for chariot races, a running track and a training ground for the Athenian cavalry.50 members of the senate always stayed here that way the government was always ready in case of an emergency. 500 Athenian citizens met in this building daily to prepare the legislation and make decisions. Each citizen belonged to a tribe and each tribe was represented on the monument; the people of Athens would go to this munument to read news and announcement for their tribe underneath their statue.
Lindisfarne Gospels: St. Matthew, cross-carpet page; St. Luke portrait page; St Luke incipit page Early medieval (Hiberno Saxon) Europe. c. 700 C.E. Illuminated manuscript (ink, pigment, and gold)
This was written by Eadrith who was the bishop of Lindisfarne. It was an unusual work because it was created by one artists as opposed to a team of artists and was written in Latin with annotations in English between the lines. The English was added around 970 and is the oldest surviving manuscript of the Bible in English. It uses St. Jerome's translation of the Bible which was called the "Vulgate". The latin script is half-uncial, the English script is Anglo-Saxon miniscule. 130 calf skins were used to make the manuscript and the colophon at the end of the book discusses the making of the manuscrpit.
Standard of Ur from the royal tombs Summerian. c. 26000-24000 B.C.E. Wood inlaid with shell, lapis, lazuli, and red limestone.
Two sides of the box, one depicting war and the other depicting peace which may have been an a early example of a historical narrative. The box may have been used as part of soundbox for a musical instrument. Reflects extensive trading network: lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, shells from Persian Gulf and red limestone from India. The figures have broad frontal shoulders while the body is in profile with emphasized eyes, eyebrows, and ears. And are organized in registers; figures stand on ground lines and reading from top to bottom.
