Roman vs. Early Christian Art

In this sculpture of Ceasar Augutus we see the beauty of Roman sculpture and the way it symbolized certain characteristics of the subjects. In this time in Roman sculpture, it was a trend to emphasize the wrinkles and aged quality of the subject to symbolize their wisdom and other characteristics. In this portrait of Ceasar Augustus we see that the wrinkles on his forehead are emphasized which symbolizes that he was a wise and thoughtful ruler, but we also see wrinkles around his mouth which suggest that he smiles often, so we can infer that he was also happy and merciful. We can gather a lot about how the general population was to view Ceasar Augustus from this portrait, and we can gather that we were supposed to feel that he was wise and thoughtful, but also merciful.

In this sculpture of Christ as the Good Shepherd, we see early Christian iconography begin to emerge. At this time, the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd was very popular because of the idea of Christ shepherding his people. The trend of Christ being beardless was also very popular during this time period. In this sculpture we see the style has vastly changed from its Roman roots. The figure of Christ is not proportional and is almost cartoon-like. His legs are too short and his arms are abnormally long. We also see that the face is not very realistic. His facial features are too big which makes his forehead look too short and his whole head look too small. 

Roman and Christian culture were both symbolized through their artwork. We see that in the Roman example that Ceasar Augustus wished to communicate his positive leadership skills through his sculpture portrait. In that time wisdom was symbolized through the lines and wrinkles on the face, so it would have been very clear to the viewers what was being communicated. In the Christian sculpture, we see Christ as the Good Shepherd. In the same way that Ceasar Augustus communicated his positive leadership skills, the sculptor of this piece was communicating the way Christ would lead and shepherd his people. This became a big theme in Christian iconography that is still used today. Both cultures use their artwork to communicate the power and greatness of their leaders.

Our Parthenon Project

Ancient Grecian Pottery

In this work of pottery from Ancient Greece, we see women in wool making and weaving in the black-figure style. In this piece we see the role of women in Ancient Greece and their work celebrated on this vase. In their culture a woman was thought to be attractive if she was a good weaver which is a strong contrast to their perception of the beauty of the male figure.
In this piece the women are engaged in wool making which is wrapped around the middle of the vase, and more women are encircling the top of the vase over a zig-zag detail. The vase is archaic. We can infer this because the figures are stiff and formulated, unlike the classical style which is more realistic and has more movement.

The Modern Egyptian

The Modern Egyptian Link

Archaic Smile

In this piece we see the perfect example of the style early Grecian sculpture. In their artwork they gave great emphasis to the glorification of the male body, and the importance of attention to detail in the rendering of the human figure. However, in this period, we see that while they have acquired great skill and practice in rendering the male body, we can also see that they have less experience and understanding of the human facial features. This soldier is supposed to be dying, but we see that he is actually smiling. This is very common and a signature mistake in Archaic artwork and was not corrected until the construction of the Parthenon. Another telling mark of Archaic style is the hair of the figure. It is simplified to the work of a headdress, and tight curls were symbolized with ovals and circles. Because of the amount of stylistic execution there is in the head of the figure, we can assume that the face of a man was not nearly as important as his body. This is one reason why they often portrayed men naked in battle and in athletics. They believed in the beauty and symmetry of the body of the male figure, and it became a signature piece of subject matter in their artwork.  

Sunflower Seeds

In this article, the author goes to an instillation piece exhibit at the Tate Modern in London. This piece is titled "Sunflower Seeds" and was created by Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei. It is an instillation piece of an overwhelming amount of tiny porcelain pebbles painted with black slip in different patterns and then fired to look like sunflower seeds. The original idea of the piece was for the viewer to actually enter the ocean of "seeds" to be overwhelmed by how not only the amount of the seeds, but also to be overwhelmed by the fact that each one was different, much like a finger print. Unfortunately, the piece has lost its appeal because the viewer now cannot enter the instillation due to potential health hazards caused by the dust from the unglazed porcelain. Because of this now limited view of the work, the piece has lost some of its overwhelming and amazing qualities. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/arts/design/19sunflower.html?_r=1&ref=arts

Egyptian Surprise in Downtown Nashville

At first glance, The Downtown Presbyterian Church is a normal historical building in downtown Nashville. It's not until you look more closely at the outside architecture that you realize that the church may have some Egyptian inspired elements. After you enter the church and go into the sanctuary you realize that the building is a little more than just slightly inspired by Egypt! The sanctuary is completely themed to look like an Egyptian temple with detailed papyrus columns and stained glass windows designed to look like the Nile. They attempt to make the space look bigger with a perspective painting of columns on the wall and a sky painted between the beams on the ceiling. The colors are the traditional teal, red, yellow, and tan of Egyptian artwork and give the space a very exotic and exciting feeling. They even went as far as to put the symbols for the sun god over the pipe organs, which also have a papyrus detail carved into them. They also have paintings of gods over the doorways which may seem very strange since it is a Christian church. While there are no images of Christ in the temple, the sanctuary may symbolize religion as an intellectual exercise that requires a greater understanding of other cultures. The building itself is a wonderful replication and celebration of Egyptian architecture.    

Corporate Art In Tight Times

This article describes the need for art in businesses, even in this economy. First we see the new mural at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium entitled Unexpected Variable Configurations: A Work in Situ.  Brett Daniels, a Dallas Cowboy spokesman says that, "It has exposed the sports fan to art, whether they like it or not." Another work that we visit is Hugh Heffner’s love for his Andy Warhol print of the January 1986 issue designed by the famous artist.

Many businesses throughout history and today have used art collections to give the impression that they are high-end, sophisticated, and cultural companies. Another reason for company art collections is that the CEO enjoys artwork, or possibly that the CEO or boss’s spouse collects the artwork. In these hard times, few people can afford to buy high-end art and so regardless of the reason for the collection, businesses who support the art world, are the ones who are simultaneously keeping it alive. 


http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_37/b4194072964990.htm?chan=magazine+channel_etc.

Stele of Naram-Sin

This piece is a perfect example of iconography and hieratic scale. Here we see Akkadian ruler, Naram-Sin, conquering his enemy in the mountains.  The ruler is portrayed much larger and higher in the piece than his soldiers and the mountain people which tells the viewer that he is the most important person in the piece.  We see that he has just forced a spear through one man’s throat and the rest of the enemy is begging for mercy. These actions and the fact that his muscular build and apparent vigor are meant to symbolize god-like qualities, demonstrate the power of the ruler and also show the importance and respect you are expected to show him.  

After looking at this piece more closely, I have noticed that at the top of the piece there are two suns. I am unsure of the meaning of this, but it might be possible that it has to do with some compositions we were studying where they had many situations in one work. This may symbolize how long the battle lasted, or it may also symbolize the power of Naram-Sim.