Annotated Bibliography

Edwards, Fred. “What Is Humanism?” American Humanist Association, americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/edwords-what-is-humanism/.

In this article, Fred Edwards explains what humanism means in regards to the various different subcategories. He introduces the definitions of Christian humanism, philosophical humanism, and secular humanism. For purposes of my project however, I focused mainly on his definitions of Renaissance humanism, and modern humanism to see how this movement began, and how it is still in effect today.

 

“Egyptian Art.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ancient-egypt-ap/a/egyptian-art.

In order to understand what humanism is, I need to understand what it is not. Having learned an in-depth definition of Renaissance humanism, I know that it is a shift away from religion. It places an emphasis on the features of humans, and less on divinity and idolized, unrealistic characteristics. A good comparison to make to the humanism during the Renaissance would be the culture of ancient Egypt. This civilization was heavily focused on religion and the afterlife. Using Ancient Egypt as a starting point to analyze artwork will reveal how art has shifted with different ideologies and mindsets.

 

“Renaissance and Humanism in Europe in the 15th and 16th Centuries.” Musée Virtuel Du Protestantisme, 2018, www.museeprotestant.org/en/notice/renaissance-and-humanism-in-europe-in-the-15th-and-16th-centuries/.

This webpage provided an introduction to the history of humanism and its development. This webpage did not focus on one main subject such as art or figures, but rather introduced the movement of humanism. It mentioned who were prominent figures in its birth, and how it was a catalyst for major future movements such as the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

 

“Italian Renaissance Art – Humanism.” Cubism – the First Abstract Style of Modern Art, Artyfactory, 2018, www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/italian-renaissance/italian-renaissance-art-humanism.html.

This page provided a look into humanism specifically in art. Having now known the definition of Renaissance humanism as well as an introduction to its history, I am able to build connections to how it affected art. The key features of humanism are present in the examples shown on this webpage such as an emphasis on humans and their imperfections, and less religion.

 

Cline, Austin. “Philosophic Humanism: Modern Humanist Philosophy and Religion.” ThoughtCo, Jun. 22, 2018, thoughtco.com/philosophic-humanism-248113.

This article by Austin Cline gives insight as to how humanism has shifted throughout the centuries, and how it plays a role today. In an age where many individuals are quick to criticize faith and religion, and rather use a justification of science, humanism has become the basis for many. As Cline and Edwards mention, modern humanism can be compared to secular humanism in that they both place an emphasis on features such as the scientific method as a mean of proving questions. Anything that does not have to do with religion in our age according to them, can be classified as modern humanism.  

The Met Museum Visit

My visit to the Met was very pleasing as usual. I went on a Saturday so it was very packed with New Yorkers and tourists alike. This was actually my third time visiting as I had already gone once in high school and once just last semester. It is easy to notice however, that not even three visits are not enough to view the vast amount of works and exhibits available. The themes, styles, and subjects that the artwork and galleries represent are very large. In many works, I noticed elements and styles of the Renaissance and Baroque.

The Renaissance and the artwork attributed to it occurred during the 15th and 16th century. Generally, these types of works include elements such as calmness and serenity, uninterrupted contours, stability, and even lighting. They also tend to be idealized, and idealize whatever subject the art is portraying. One example of Renaissance art at the Met was Venus and Cupid by Lorenzo Lotto. The artwork is a nude painting that portrays the goddess Venus, along with her son, Cupid. The immediate theme given off is that of love, given the fact that it portrays a mother and her son, which shows the bond of love between them. Additionally, the background is compromised by a total red, which is also a color used to represent love. The features of Renaissance artwork is evident in this painting because the contours and hues used remain stable throughout the whole painting. Despite there being darker colors such as blue for the towel, and lighter colors such as white for the color of their skin, both colors appear to have a similar brightness to them. Furthermore, the lighting of the painting creates a feeling of calmness, while the subject itself creates an idealized scene of an idealized woman.

Artwork attributed to the Baroque is primarily introduced in the 17th century. This type of artwork is opposite of the Renaissance, and includes emotion, intensity, and drama. Lighting in these works fluctuates more, the artwork can be described as unstable, and it intends on capturing a moment in time. One example of Baroque art at the Met was Moses Shown the Promised Land by Benjamin West. The first thing I noticed in this painting was the contrasting light. Baroque art is all about energy and the energy given off by differing light and this painting is a perfect example. The top center of the painting shows a bright light opening up in the clouds that is supposed to represent the “promised land,” or Heaven. The right side of the painting is very bright compared to the left side of the painting. On the right, we see an angel who appears to be showing Moses the light from Heaven. Despite the far right consisting of darker colors, the lighting itself is still very bright. On the left side, we see Moses next to a very dark cloud that encompasses the majority of the left side. The colors used here and the lighting are very dark. Lighting is a major key that differentiates Baroque and Renaissance art. While Renaissance art has very smooth and consistent lighting, Baroque art encompasses a wide spectrum of lighting from the darkest darks, to the lightest lights.

Final Project Outline

I am choosing a paper proposal for my final project. The topic that I am choosing to explore is Humanism and its role in a developing world. In detail, I want to understand the positive or negative effects that Humanism had on different civilizations throughout history, with an emphasis on the artwork of each civilization. To do this, I will compare early works that focus on religion such as those of Egyptian civilization, to those that incorporate humanism such as Roman, Greek, and modern works.

Title: Cat Statuette

Artist: N/A

Date: ca. 332-30 BC

Museum: The Met; Gallery 134

 

Title: Outer Coffin of the Singer of Amun-Re, Henettawy

Artist: N/A

Date: ca. 1000-945 BC

Museum: The Met; Gallery 126

 

Title: A Hypocrite and a Slanderer

Artist: Franz Xaver Messerschmidt

Date: ca. 1770 – 1783

Museum: The Met; Gallery 548

 

Title: Blind Woman

Artist: Paul Strand

Date: 1916

Museum: The Met;

 

Title: Marble Statue of a Kouros

Artist: N/A

Date: 590 – ca. 580 BC

Museum: The Met; Gallery 154

Unit 2 Summary

Unit 2 focused on the artwork of ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia, and how art made such developments to reach the status of Ancient Greek and Roman art. One way we analyzed these changes was through humanism. This was a period where society began to rely less on religion and divine explanation for natural occurrences, and placed an emphasis on the human body and its capabilities. Comparing both Egyptian and Mesopotamian artwork with Greek and Roman artwork showed that they have similar and contrasting features.

When analyzing Egyptian and Mesopotamian art, it is easy to notice that they included vast amounts of detail in anything they created. Their paintings and coffin designs consisted of many different shapes and patterns with color, and contained many hieroglyphs. Their three-dimensional artwork was just as detailed as their two-dimensional work. Their coffins where they would place the dead in, such as the Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare, was decorated with similar patterns as their paintings, with shapes, color, and design. These coffins also had faces painted onto them, however, compared to the Greek or Roman statues, lacked detail. It is evident that the face was that of a human and not an animal, but you wouldn’t be able to identify if it was depicting a man or woman, nor would you be able to identify the individual that the face was modeled after because there are few distinct facial features. It is also evident, more so through their two dimensional artwork, that they placed a lot of emphasis on the afterlife and religion. Anubis, the half-jackal half-man, god of embalming, is seen in a work of art preparing someone for the afterlife. It was said that he watched over the dead and provided them with good fortune in the afterlife.

Humanism, is a change in mindset that puts more emphasis on human features and capabilities, rather than divine or supernatural factors. Rather than resorting to divine explanations for what were once thought to be unexplainable matters, were now solved with logic and human reasoning. Rather than placing gods on pedestals like the Egyptians did, Greeks were able to understand that their gods were flawed. This gave them a mortal, human status, that allowed Greeks to connect and relate to them more.

Ancient Greek and Roman artwork incorporated these humanistic features, and included more detail and less emphasis on religion. One example would be the statue of Kroisos from Anavysos. In this statue, he is seen standing in a pose that indicated he was perhaps a type of warrior since he is standing upright and appears confident. More importantly however, this statue incorporates much more detail than previous Egyptian and even Greek statues. On minor details that one would not notice immediately, such as hands, feet and hair, there are distinct features carved in such as fingers, toes, and individual hairs. Additionally, the statue of the man is detailed with muscles, and actual facial expressions, that would make the man who was modeled, identificable. Features such as these indicate that through humanism, artwork developed and focused more on the individual rather than religion.

Blog 8 – Humanism in Greek & Roman Art

Humanism is an overall shift to the idea of what humans are capable of and can produce, rather than relying and basing argument on divine or supernatural factors. This was a shift in mindset, practices, and certainly artwork. A major factor in developing the humanistic ideology was the Greek gods and goddesses. Greeks identified that their gods had flaws and faced issues that mortal beings faced. As a result, it allowed the individuals to resonate more with the gods, but also rely less on gods and more on their own capabilities. Greek and Roman artwork greatly illustrates humanism when compared with ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian artwork. To begin with, Greek and Roman artwork are much more detailed than Egyptian and Mesopotamian. Greek and Roman sculptures had a more realistic appearance and looked like an actual person one could recognize. There was more emphasis on the face with distinct facial features and expressions, but also details in places one wouldn’t pay attention to right away such as fingers, feet, muscles, and posture.

To illustrate the difference, an example of Egyptian art is Anubis and mummification. Anubis was the jackal-headed god of embalming that watched over the dead. This is a good example in comparison to Greek and Roman artwork because it’s 2 dimensional, so there is less room for detail as opposed to a sculpture. However, what the art represents is also a representation of Egyptian culture. The Egyptians were very focused on gods and religion and they would base their thinking on divine or supernatural power. By presenting art with a half-human half-jackal being who helps individual be closer their god, the art is employing divine features rather than humanistic.

An example of Greek art is Kroisos from Anavysos which was simply a human statue of a man. However, the detail included in the sculpture employs the elements of humanism. There was less focus on any divine or religious connection, and more emphasis on human features. Body parts such as fingers, toes, and muscles, as well as posture and expression all showed that this was an actual person who was most likely modeling for the artist. Nonetheless, humanism in this sculpture shows the differing ideals that the Greeks and Roman’s had compared to the Egyptians and Mesopotamians.

Soul of A Nation – Brooklyn Museum Pt. 2

The Soul of A Nation exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum was extremely powerful and moving. Much of the work focused on discrimination and oppression that African Americans have had to face, as well as how many overcame it. There were many photographs, paintings, and creations, but the thing that caught my attention the most was actually one of the smaller creations. Titled “Traditional Hang Up”, it is a piece by artist and activist John Outterbridge and was part of his Containment Series of 1969. Outerbridge’s Containment Series was a collection of art that depicted how African Americans and the lifestyle they carried was very contained. They were restricted from any upward mobility due to legal segregation laws, and were forced to live in subpar conditions.

The sculpture itself, is a metal T-shape with the American flag going across the top, and circular metal fragments going down the bottom. This piece was very intriguing to me because it was up to each individual to interpret the meaning. On the card next to the work, the only information available is the artist, and the collection that the art is part of. The way I interpreted this piece was that our country had progressed so far at the expense of African Americans and immigrants in general. The circular fragments of metal running down the T-shape resemble skulls, and they are what’s holding up the American flag. To me, this symbolized all the deaths and selfless sacrifices that had to occur, in order for our great nation to be in the place that it is.

Ancient World – Brooklyn Museum Pt. 1

The Ancient Egyptian Art exhibit was very fascinating. Upon entering, I saw a large coffin where wealthy ancient Egyptians would be mummified, and buried in with their personal belongings. There was also a large room that resembled a tomb because of how dark it was, as well as all the coffins, wall paintings, and artifacts that were inside. It was mesmerizing but in a way, frightening at the same time.

The artifact that intrigued me the most was the Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare. This is a large coffin made of cartonnage, pigment, glass, and lapis lazuli. It was made for priest Nespanetjerenpare in Thebes, Egypt, during the Third Intermediate Period circa 945-718 BCE. This interested me the most because it was the largest thing in the room, almost six feet to be exact. Applying formal analysis, the coffin had symmetry, and vivid colors throughout. Painted throughout the coffin were two people, and hybrids of people and animals on both sides. The back also had two large people that seemed to he holding up something in the middle. The coffin itself also symbolized the power and wealth that the priest had. In Ancient Egypt, only the wealthy could afford to be mummified and buried in a coffin with their personal belongings that they’d want to use in the afterlife. It’s very fascinating to know the culture and beliefs Ancient Egyptians had thousands of years ago. It also begins to make sense why people have tried to steal these coffins and the belongings inside throughout the centuries.

 

Unit 1 Summary

Unit 1 was an introduction to the main concepts and components of art which involve methods of learning, ways to characterize and analyze art, and our takes on those works of art. We began the semester by discussing what art meant to us, and how it is part of our lives. I believe art is used to define the creative world around us. For something to be considered “art”, it doesn’t have to be in a museum, nor does it have to be a painting. To me, art can be anything from a film, to a photograph, to graffiti on the walls of New York. If people are able to attach meaning and relate to a creative piece, then it is considered art. Art is also a large part of my life because I love to do photography. I began photography when I was 16 and used a small point and shoot camera. It wasn’t until I began getting more interested in photography that I bought myself an actual DSLR, and began to teach myself how to use it and how to edit. Though I am a little busier now with school, work, and other activities, I still try to go shooting with friends at least twice a week.

We also studied Paulo Friere’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. In this, Friere discusses how the “banking model” is a form of teaching in which the teacher or educator is only there to feed knowledge to the students, and the students are only there to receive knowledge. It is a one way relationship that empowers the teacher, disempowers the student, and prevents critical and creative thinking. Friere argues that there needs to a balance between the teacher teaching the students, and the students interacting with the teacher. Friere’s “banking model” was also applied to our personal lives with teachers that we’ve had in the past, and how their use of the banking model ended up causing harm to our learning.

Additionally, we discussed formal analysis and how it is used to identify and examine works of art. Through formal analysis, the observer tries to understand the underlying meaning that the artist may have intended for the work of art to have. Some components include color, size and scale, lines, and symbolism. When looking at color, you must pay attention to the types of color schemes and the range used. You must identify whether they are light or dark colors, and whether the colors contrast with one other. When looking at size and scale, you must observe where any subjects or objects in the work are positioned. You also need to note the size of the objects. For example, noting whether the main subject is the largest thing in the work, or if there are things larger than the subject. Lines are a way of identifying the techniques an artist used in a painting. Some parts of a painting may have been painted using stronger strokes or different types of strokes than other parts of a painting. Symbolism is a strong component of formal analysis because it moves away from the physical aspects, and allows the observer to understand what the artist intended on saying, without actually saying it. By inserting specific colors, shapes, or objects, the artist can convey a certain emotion, reaction, or thought without having to write or say anything.

Blog 4 – Formal Analysis

Formal analysis is a way of examining and evaluating the aspects of a work of art. Through this, the observer tries to understand the underlying meaning that the artist may have intended for the work of art to have. When formally analyzing a work of art, you must pay attention to components such as color, size and scale, lines, and symbolism. When looking at color, you must pay attention to the types of color schemes and the range used. You must identify whether they are light or dark colors, whether they are primary or secondary colors, and whether the colors contrast with one other depending on their position in the work. When looking at size and scale, you must observe where any subjects or objects in the work are positioned. You also need to note the size of the objects. For example, noting whether the main subject is the largest thing in the work, or if there are things larger than the subject. Lines are a way of identifying the techniques an artist used in a painting. Some parts of a painting may have been painted using stronger strokes or different types of strokes than other parts of a painting. This can perhaps tell how the artist felt about the specific object he was painting. Finally, moving away from the physical aspects, symbolism is a strong component of formal analysis because it allows the observer to understand what the artist intended on saying, without actually saying it. By inserting specific colors, shapes, or objects, the artist can convey a certain emotion, reaction, or thought without having to write or say anything.