Author: Danny Liang

Final Project

Throughout history, humanism has been prevalent in many different forms of art in order to show appreciation and value of human beings. Greek and Roman art creates a central focus on the human experience through the showcase of the human body itself. Through various Greek and Roman art, you are able to visually see the aesthetics and natural beauty shown through sculptures of humans. The marble statue of Kouros, The Greek Slave by Hiriam Powers, and the Statue of Emperor Trebonianus Gallus are all examples of humanism expressed through the visuals of the human body. These artworks encompass the stance of humanism through the appreciation of the human body as something beautiful in and of itself.

The Greek Slave by Hiriam Powers is one of the most well known sculptures by Power that expresses human experience through the visuals of the nude body. In The Greek Slave, we see a fully nude woman enchained in shackles posed in contrapposto. One reason for the stance of contrapposto was to make the woman look more realistic and have a more natural stance that we would see in the real world. This naturalistic representation of the human body shows the focus on human experience and appreciation of the human body. According to Zygmont, Powers himself says that “The Greek Slave is a woman who has been taken from one of the Greek Islands by the Turks in the time of the Greek revolution. Her father and mother, and perhaps all her kindred, have been destroyed by her foes, and she alone preserved as a treasure too valuable to be thrown away” (Zygmont). After being stripped of everything she has, the maiden is left with nothing but a locket and a small cross to show her devotion and faith to God. Through the showcase of the human body and intense anxiety in the woman awaiting her faith, the audience is able to connect with the sculpture and appreciate the sacrifices that this woman has gone through. The human body of The Greek Slave also allows the audience to connect with the sentiments of anti-slavery and visually picture the struggles that the woman in the sculpture has experienced. According to Reverend Orville Dewey, “The Greek Slave is clothed all over with sentiment; sheltered, protected by it from every profane eye. Brocade, cloth of gold, could not be a more complete protection than the vesture of holiness in which she stands” (Zygmont). In other words, the sculpture does not need to be clothed as the protection from God is all the protection she needs. Through the visuals of the human body itself in The Greek Slave, the audience is able to see the beauties in the human body of the woman and create visual images of the struggles and experiences of the slave during her hardships.

Moving to the Archaic Period, we are introduced to the free standing statue of Kouros. In contrast to The Greek Slave, the Kouros does not offer a realistic representation of the human body. “Frequently employed as grave markers, these sculptural types displayed unabashed nudity, highlighting their complicated hairstyles and abstracted musculature” (Gondek). The sculpture shows a nude male with a very stiff pose having one leg advanced over the other. This wouldn’t be your average every day posture that you would be accustomed to. Nevertheless, the elements of humanism are still evident through the patterns expressed on the human body. According to Richter, “The ideal of the art of the time was evidently not realism as we understand it, but a simplified conception of the human figure, solid harmonious structure, in which essentials were emphasized and generalized into beautiful patterns” (Richter, 52). These patterns that are seen in the neatly arranged hair and symmetrical body of the Kouros show the beauty in this human figure and the purpose of the sculpture to exist through lifetimes. Because the Kouros was meant for funerary purposes, the act of marking gravesites with this statue shows that people valued the meaning behind the statue. According to Harris and Zucker, the Kouros was a “symbol, an ideal of manhood and perfection.” Although different from the realistic and natural representation of the human body, the Kouros still successfully encompasses the elements of humanism through the patterns and the purpose of the statue itself.

The bronze statue of Emperor Trebonianus Gallus is an interesting statue that influenced many people of 3rd century Rome. According to Mattingly, Gallus was appointed the new emperor after the fall of former emperor Trajan Decius. Although people were suspicious of Decius’ death believing Gallus could have aided the enemies at the battle of Abrittus, Gallus did the best he could to protect people from the plague. Gallus ultimately died at the battle of Interamna. In regards to the statue itself, we see a sort of unusual figure displaying very disproportional elements. We are able to see the oversized torso and thighs making his head seem very small in comparison to his upper and lower body. This is very different in comparison to classical ideal figures such as the aesthetics seen in the Doryphoros. According to Marlowe and Harris, there are no archaeological records of this statue. That being said, scholars have come up with assumptions and interpretations of the statue to be so large in size because emperor Gallus was to represent how a soldier-emperor would look in 3rd century Rome. This explains the unnatural non-classical look to the statue because ideal figures in the classical period rose from the ranks of the senate. Scholars’ assumptions as to where the statue was located was at the site of military barracks. “There is little doubt that the site was Mediolanum, the great military centre of ever-growing importance in North Italy” (Mattingly, 37). Through the influence of the statue on soldiers, we are able to see the acceptance of the non classical body and the influences that this statue had on the soldiers that viewed it. They are able to visualize the experiences of the emperor through the visual of his human body.

Greek and Roman art displayed many forms of statues that represented ideas of humanism and appreciation of the human body. Through specific features in these statues, audiences are able to see the beauty in different representations of the human body.

Works Cited

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, “Marble statue of a kouros (New York  Kouros),” in Smarthistory, December 20, 2015, accessed December 9, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/marble-statue-of-a-kouros-new-york-kouros/.

Dr. Bryan Zygmont, “Hiram Powers, The Greek Slave,” in Smarthistory, January 24, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/hiram-power-greek-slave/.

Gisela M. A. Richter. “The Greek Kouros in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies, vol. 53, 1933, pp. 51–53. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/627245.

Mattingly, Harold. “THE REIGNS OF TREBONIANUS GALLUS AND VOLUSIAN AND OF AEMILIAN.” The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society, vol. 6, no. 1/2, 1946, pp. 36–46. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42661251.

Dr. Renee M. Gondek, “Introduction to ancient Greek art,” in Smarthistory, August 14, 2016, accessed December 9, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/greek_intro/.

 

Annotated Bibliography

Dr. Renee M. Gondek, “Introduction to ancient Greek art,” in Smarthistory, August 14, 2016, accessed December 9, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/greek_intro/.

-This source by Dr. Renee M. Gondek describes an introduction to ancient Green art while going in depth on language, religion, and culture of different time periods. This can be useful for my project and proposed thesis statement because Gondek talks about the introduction of Greek art in the Archaic period with the stand still statue of Kouros.

 

Dr. Bryan Zygmont, “Hiram Powers, The Greek Slave,” in Smarthistory, January 24, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/hiram-power-greek-slave/.

-This source by Dr. Bryan Zygmont is about the story and origin of the Greek Slave and how it became a well known sculpture. This can be useful for my project because it provides a deep analysis of the sculpture itself as well as Hiram Powers’ (the artist) meaning behind the features of The Greek Slave. Through defining the female nude of the slave, I would be able to further argue my thesis of how Greek and Roman art used the human body to tell a story and symbolize beauty through experience.

 

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, “Marble statue of a kouros (New York Kouros),” in Smarthistory, December 20, 2015, accessed December 9, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/marble-statue-of-a-kouros-new-york-kouros/.

-This source by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker provides two videos on the Kouros itself. This is simply an all about video on the Kouros and what each feature of the stand still sculpture represents. This is helpful for my project because it offers descriptions on the kouros and what the body represents. This relates to my thesis on why the human body was used in Greek and Roman art.

 

Gisela M. A. Richter. “The Greek Kouros in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies, vol. 53, 1933, pp. 51–53. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/627245.

-This scholarly article by Gisela M. A. Richter is about the Kouros in The Metropolitan Museum. This article provides the significance of the statue of Kouros as well as information on the preservation of the Kouros and how it made its way into The Metropolitan Museum. This article is useful because it provides information on the Kouros and what the human body symbolizes in the statue.

 

Mattingly, Harold. “THE REIGNS OF TREBONIANUS GALLUS AND VOLUSIAN AND OF AEMILIAN.” The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society, vol. 6, no. 1/2, 1946, pp. 36–46. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42661251.

-This scholarly article by Harold Mattingly is about the reigns of emperor Trebonianus Gallus. This article offers a brief history on the reigns of Trebonianus Gallus. This can be useful for my project because I can use his experiences to describe why the sculpture is the way it is.

Final Project Outline / Background

Thesis: Greek and Roman art creates a central focus on the human experience through the showcase of the human body itself. Through various Greek and Roman art, you are able to see the aesthetics and natural beauty shown through sculptures of humans. This encompasses the stance of humanism through the appreciation of the human body.

Title: The Greek Slave

Artist: Hiriam Powers

Date: 1843

Brooklyn museum

The Greek Slave is a female nude that expresses all the struggles that this person endured through her lifetime. You are able to see the slave bounded by chains with a sort of blank expression showing the acceptance of her life and problems that she has experienced.

 

Title: Marble relief with Herakles carrying the Erymanthian Boar

Artist: Unknown

Date: 27 B.C.-A.D. 68

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This marble relief showcases Herakles successfully capturing a boar that rests on his shoulders. Through the showcase of Herakles’muscular toned body, you can see the appreciation of the role and duty of Herakles as a hunter and warrior.

 

Title: Kouros

Artist: Unknown

Date: 590-580 B.C.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Kouros is a free standing sculpture of a male nude. Through the stiffness and position of the body, you are able to tell that this person was of a high rank. The figure being nude also expresses the appreciation of the human body.

 

Title: Bronze Statue of the emperor Trebonianus Gallus

Artist: Unknown

Date: A.D. 251-253

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The statue of emperor Trebonianus Gallus reveals a nude male of extremely high class. Although different from many ideal body figures, this oversized statue reveals the appreciation of the human body as the expression and stance by the emperor shows power.

 

Title: Marble Statue of Youth

Artist: Unknown

Date: 1st century A.D.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Marble Statue of Youth is a clear representation of humanism through the visuals of the human body. The statue represents the victory of the male and just like many other Greek and Roman sculptures, the statue is a nude with an ideal body of a male athlete.

The Met Museum Visit

My experience at the Met was full of amazing visuals from a huge selection of pieces of many different time periods. Immediately entering the Met, I was able to see the difference in size compared to the Brooklyn Museum. What I found most interesting in the Met were the sculptures of the Lamassus before entering the Assyrian palace section. Similar to the Brooklyn Museum, the Met’s Assyrian Palace Relief panel showcased many works of King Ashurnasirpal ll and eagle headed guardians performing common rituals. Art of ancient Mesopotamia never fails to interest me and it is fair to say that I spent a great amount of time at the Assyrian reliefs during my visit to the museum.

Moving on to Renaissance art, the piece that caught my eye was The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor in 1520 by Joos Van Cleve. This triptych oil painting contains three panels with gem like hues such as ruby and sapphire which can be seen through the clothing in the middle panel. Through Cleve’s painting, Cleve creates this setting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with a beautiful landscape in the background. Like most Renaissance art, this art by Cleve is meant to tell a story through this visual representation of the crucifixion. We are able to see biblical figures such as Virgin Mary, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John, and Saint Catharine. On the left panel you can see John the Baptist carrying a lamb which indicates Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Artwork of the Renaissance were very similar to The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor in the case that artists intended to tell a story through religious visuals and images. In contrast to Renaissance art, Baroque art has a deep emphasis on emotional intensity as well as a clear focus on what the author intends for his/her audience to focus on. The Lamentation in 1603 by Domenichino clearly illustrates the differences between Baroque art and Renaissance art. In the Lamentation, you are able to see the grief in the individuals faces as they mourn over the crucifixion of Christ. You can also see an emphasis on diagonals rather than vertical like in Renaissance art. Everyone in the painting is at a slight angle whereas in The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor, you can see the verticality from Jesus on the cross as well as the biblical figures standing upright. Another common technique in Baroque art is the use of foreshortening where images seem to be moving towards us. In the Lamentation, we can see the legs and feet of Jesus and Cupid coming towards the audience which is also emphasized through the diagonal. It is through these differences that audiences can clearly distinguish between Renaissance art and Baroque art.

Unit 2 Summary

Art of the ancient world has revealed a wide spectrum of different cultures and lifestyles. In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, art takes a form of worshipping gods and kings. This shows the distinct class divisions which we can see in many arts from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In contrast, ancient Greek and Roman art puts an emphasis on humanism and epistemology or the study of thought and ideas. Ancient Greek and Roman art introduces an epistemological shift where we can see the value in humans and the human form. The experience of Greek and Rome is represented through the human body. Although different art from different time periods have many contrasting aspects, they also share many similarities as well.

Starting off Unit 2, we are introduced to a Geometric Krater found at the Dipylon cemetery in Athens. Although the krater was used mainly for funerary purposes, we can see many similarities to other arts of the ancient world such as the Standard of Ur. Similar to the Standard of Ur, the Geometric Krater uses horizontal bands or registers with each register representing different concepts. The style of dividing a piece into registers is very common in art of the ancient world. Fast forward to ancient Greek sculptures, we are introduced to the free standing sculpture of Kouros. The Kouros is very similar to the statue of King Menkaure and Queen of Ancient Egypt. The Kouros is positioned exactly like King Menakaure with an emphasis on verticality. Both pieces seem to express a very stiff position, one that humans would most likely not be accustomed to. Although they are positioned very similarly, the Kouros is completely nude whereas King Menakaure is clothed with a headpiece and traditional Egyptian skirt called a shendyt. This difference shows that Ancient Greeks, unlike Egyptians, showed a cultural pride in nudity which touches back on the idea of humanism and appreciation for the human form. Aside from sculptures, art in the ancient world can also be seen through temples such as the Parthenon. Greek temples such as the Parthenon were very large unlike Roman temples. The Greeks carried out rituals and worshipping which took place inside these large temples. Romans on the other hand, held rituals outside their temples meaning their temples did not need to be large in size. The Roman Villa of Publius uses a linear perspective making an illusion of space drawing the audience’s eyes towards the temple itself. Unlike the Villa of Publius, Greek temples show similarities to large structures such as Egyptian pyramids. Similar to Greek rituals being held inside the temples, Egyptian pyramids were used as tombs for pharaohs and queens. These large structures emphasized the importance of the rituals and worshipping of higher power.

Art in the ancient world share many similarities and differences. Through these different time periods, we are able to see the influence of a culture’s art on another as well as the differences they may share.

Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

Humanism is a system of thought and beliefs that emphasized the value of humans and what they can do. Humanism in Art of Ancient Greece and Rome emphasized epistemology and created a central focus on human experience. Through various Greek and Roman art, you are able to see the aesthetics and natural beauty shown through sculptures of humans. In contrast, humanism in Mesopotamian art and Egyptian art can be a little different. Although you may see similar features in humanlike sculptures, the subject matter of Mesopotamian and Egyptian art was centralized around an appreciation for kings and gods. Art in Ancient Greece and Rome would depict ideal figures of men and glorify athleticism and sports whereas in Mesopotamian art and Egyptian art, the focus was more around the church and kingship.

In the sculpture of Doryphoros, you are able to see an emphasis on a natural standing pose called contrapposto. This naturalistic representation of the human body shows the focus on human experience and appreciation of the human body. The sculpture being nude also reveals a cultural pride whereas in Mesopotamian and Egyptian art, nudity is rarely seen as a sign of strength. The tilt in the Doryphoros’ arm is supposed to be holding a spear which can symbolize the strength in military and war. In contrast to art of Ancient Greece and Rome, the Assyrian Palace Reliefs show many differences when compared to the sculpture of Doryphoros. The Relief of King Ashur-nasir-pal ll and a Winged Genie reveals the king and a winged genie performed some sort of ritual. Although they are shown as muscular, both the king and the genie are clothed from head to toe in garments whereas the sculpture of Doryphoros is nude. Art of Ancient Greece and Rome clearly emphasizes the human experience whereas art in Mesopotamia and Egypt focused more on worshipping gods and kings.

Brooklyn Museum Assignment

Part 1:

One artwork from the ancient world that caught my eye was “King Ashur-nasir-pal ll and a Winged Genie” in the Assyrian Palace Reliefs. Throughout the reliefs, you are able to see carved images of genies called apkallu. These genies were believed to serve King Ashur-nasir-pal and can be either eagle headed or human headed. In the artwork of King Ashur-nasir-pal ll and a Winged Genie, you are able to tell apart the king and his protective genie by the crown that the king is wearing. You can also see that the genie is facing the king asserting his obedience towards the king. The King also has a sash wrapped around his crown which shows the kings high status in Assyria. You can also see the king holding a bow which probably symbolizes warrior-like activities such as hunting. Throughout the reliefs, you can also see that most of the reliefs have genie’s holding pinecones towards a sacred tree. In this artwork, you can see the king holding a small bowl with his arm bent at a 90-degree angle meaning the bowl is probably filled with some sort of liquid. This can symbolize some sort of offering to a deity. I also noticed the king’s legs are all covered by his robe but the robe of the genie exposes one of his legs. This shows that the king probably isn’t as active as the genie where they’re constantly serving and protecting their king. The repetition throughout the reliefs of serving the king and tending to the sacred tree shows the importance of kingship and the culture of the Assyrians.

Part 2:

The artwork that stood out to me the most in Soul of a Nation was “The Flag is Bleeding” by Faith Ringgold in 1967. In this painting, you can see the American flag dripping with blood. Starting from the left, we can see an African American man holding his heart which seems to be the source of blood throughout the artwork. In his hands you can see a knife which indicates Ringgold’s emphasis on the violence in the 20th century. Moving along the painting, you can see a woman in the middle with her arms conjoined with a white man and the African American man. The painting seems to be split in half where the the left and right side of the woman’s face looks completely different. This may indicate the sympathy for African Americans as the woman’s face on the left side with the African American seems to be way more humanlike whereas the right side seems to look more evil. Despite the sympathy in the woman, she is ultimately controlled by the white male. This artwork by Ringgold symbolizes the systematic oppression and discrimination that African Americans had to face in the 1960’s. I chose this piece because of the ongoing inequality that America still faces today. This piece by Ringgold clearly depicts how America was built on slavery. “The Flag is Bleeding” relates to the other exhibits because it shows how the society and culture was at the time. The Assyrian Palace Reliefs emphasizes kingship and “The Flag is Bleeding” emphasizes the discrimination against African Americans.

Art 1010 Unit 1 Summary

In Unit 1, we were first exposed to Freire’s “banking model”. The banking model is a concept of education and the systematic oppression that the education system delivered onto students for many years. Freire describes this concept as a teacher teaching students a certain way, the right way, on how to think and answer certain problems. Students are essentially empty brains retaining all information that teachers teach. Freire poses solutions to this problem by suggesting a problem posing concept where there would be enhanced dialogue between the student and teacher. This way, students would work together with their teacher to come up with solutions rather than acting as robots and regurgitating answers provided. This method allows students to think freely and independently on whatever it may be. Pedagogy and power has taught me to think freely as our society is in need of character and individuality. I plan on using this lesson to encourage my children in the future to think for themselves as our education system is not changing any time soon.

In succession to pedagogy and power, we were introduced to Formal Analysis. Formal Analysis is visually analyzing a piece of work and trying to identify the subject matter that the artist is trying to convey. Many people, including myself, are accustomed to scanning pictures and moving on. D’Alleva describes this as the habit of “lazy looking”. In today’s society, we are exposed to technology and media at almost every moment of our lives. Our attention spans are becoming shorter, therefore, we can’t help but “lazy look”. In formal analysis, I learned how to analyze a work of art and dissect the meaning and subject matter to fully understand why an artist drew or made a specific piece of art. I learned to use key components such as color and scale in Titian’s Venus of Urbino to see the intentional use of warm colors of red and brown to maybe indicate the style and culture of the Renaissance period. I learned to use space and mass in Goya’s The Third of May 1808 to see how Goya uses mimesis and intentionally creates illusory characteristics that seem very realistic to the audience. Formal analysis can also be used on The Standard of Ur to see how the sizing of kings were larger to emphasize class divisions.

Throughout Unit 1, I learned about thinking freely through pedagogy and power and how to use formal analysis while looking at art. These were very important topics that will impact me in the near future.

Formal Analysis

Formal analysis is visually analyzing a piece of work and trying to identify the subject matter that the artist is trying to convey. While looking at an art work or any picture in general, many people get in the habit of simply scanning the picture and moving on. D’Alleva describes this as the habit of “lazy looking”. We hardly ever have the time and patience to analyze a picture to fully understand what the artist is trying to address. When we say formal analysis, not only are we visually analyzing the art, but we are also using various key components in order to further understand the artists’ key purpose of the painting. One of the key components include color and scale. What primary or secondary colors does the artist use? Is one part of the painting larger than another? Many artists use these tools to further emphasize their meaning such as figures of gods would be larger than other figures or a person in a line of fire would be wearing a bright white shirt. Artists want you to focus on the key components of the painting and in order to do so, they intentionally use color and scale to draw the audience’s attention. Another key component of formal analysis is line. Are the lines strong and continuous or are they broken up into small pieces? Artists intentionally use lines to direct the audience’s eyes and the visual movement of how a person looks at art. One last key component of formal analysis is the use of space and mass. Many artists use space and mass to create illusory characteristics that seem almost realistic to the viewers. This is also called mimesis. Artists use skills like foreshortening to create an illusion as if certain objects are receding towards us. Many artists intentionally use certain techniques in their drawings to emphasize their subject matter of their work. Formal analysis consists of many of these key components that make up the compositions of many artists.

Pedagogy and Power

Freire describes the concept of a teacher and student as the “banking concept of education as an instrument for oppression”. In the banking model, Freire describes this concept as the teacher being the oppressor whereas the students are empty brains retaining all the information that the teacher teaches. Freire obviously disagrees with the model and even poses solutions to the model such as the problem posing concept where there would be enhanced dialogue between the student and teacher. Students would work together with their teacher to come up with a solution which encourages students to think freely and independently.

The banking model clearly empowers the teachers and disempowers the students. According to the banking model, students are oppressed and stripped of their right to free thinking. This eliminates any creativity that students may have. Freire also describes the banking model as dehumanizing society. The education system is oppressing students and until things change, our education will continue the use of the banking model.

Like many people under our contemporary education system, I have been exposed and still continue to be exposed to Freire’s “banking model” of education. Students are taught at a young age to sit down in rows and pay attention to your teacher. Working as a teacher myself as well as being a student, I’ve experienced the oppressor and the oppressed. We are given curriculums and common cores by the department of education and are required to prepare students for upcoming standardized tests. As much negatives that Freire expresses about the banking model, I can reflect positively on behalf of my experience. Through daily tutoring, students progress in many different subjects such as math, reading and science. Throughout the year, the constant progression through these young children creates a sense of happiness and joy as you are endlessly thanked by students’ parents. Although many people may argue that this is a prime example of the banking model, these students were at the elementary level where some were still learning to communicate. I feel like students should be encouraged to start independently thinking at around the junior high school level and applying solutions that Freire discussed of dialogue and solving problems with teachers as a partner. That way students are encouraged to be creative and innovative. Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”