Author: Divya Roy

Final Project Walking Tour

Walk in the Paths of Devotion

A Virtual Museum Tour Through Ancient Artworks

Divya Roy

Table of Contents

What is devotion…………………………………………… 1

Ancient Mesopotamia………………………………………………………………. 2

Ancient Egypt………………………………………………………………………… 3

Ancient Greece……………………………………………………………………….. 4

Ancient Rome………………………………………………………………………… 5

Renaissance…………………………………………………………………………… 6

What is Devotion

Devotion can be interpreted to mean a lot of different things. It is a form of “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause” or in a religious perspective, devotion is to a deity, practiced through religious worship, prayers or religious observances. Art, especially ancient art, is a window through which one can see this psyche of people and the propensity of their devotion to a particular deity.

The art made by the artists is in fact a form of devotion, as the elements give so much depth about the subject and the artist.  Art is a form of devotion, such that when art changes so does devotion.

The MUSEUM TOUR

This museum tour will focus on multiple works of art from different eras and places in a journey to understand and get a grasp of the psychology behind devotion for the ancient peoples and its creators.

“True devotion is motivated by love alone and devoid of selfish entanglements.”

Indeed, there is no doubt that the works of art we will see today are made in devotion to the Gods of the time, a portion of love alone and devoid of selfish entanglements, as the art works speaks volumes through the intricate work about struggles and selflessness of the creators.

MESOPOTAMIA

Period: Neo-Sumerian

Date: ca. 2090 B.C.

Place: Mesopotamia

Classification: Stone-sculpture-inscribed

The work from a visual perspective tells of an important and revered subject. The subject in the statues is Gudea, a ruler of the state of Lagash. The statue demonstrates a very sophisticated level of craftsmanship for the time and even today. The inscription details the story of Gudea, and how the statue is dedicated to honor the Gods/goddesses by being placed in a temple. Each of the very fine detailing of stone, form the hat, to the fingers/toes and the inscription is telling of the value of this particular artwork. This is almost an offering to the Gods, as the art is sought to represent divinity and the craft something more than the natural.

EGYPT

For ancient Egyptians, the ideal pharaoh was a man in his young adulthood and in the prime of his life however, physical reality often tended to be less important as old men, women, or even babies who have the title of pharaoh could be viewed in this very ideal form. Therefore, the visual image especially portrayed in artworks becomes a relevant part of devotion. The representation of of the female Hatshepsut shows exactly that. The inscriptions for her depicted her with masculine and feminine grammar even though it states she is a woman.

This statue was one that stood in the grand doorway on the upper terrace of Hatshepsut’s temple.

Period: New Kingdom

Date: ca. 1479-1459 B.C.

Place: Upper Egypt

Greece

Ancient Greece was probably one of the more widely recognized civilizations for their devotion to the supernatural, as they worshipped multiple Gods, each with a distinct character and quality. The Hellenists, like many ancient civilizations used there Gods as a way for making sense of the chaos in the world, and form an origin for human life.

The most intriguing aspect of devotion in my perspective is that, the Greeks were able to form devotion through the mundane. In a sense incorporating religion and devotion into their everyday life, so much so that they are constantly reminded of it in every part of their day. Below is a simple vase depicting the story Perseus being sent to obtain the head of Medusa by King Polydektes.

 

Period: Classical

Date: 450-440 B.C.

Place: Attic Greece

Classification: Vases

ROME

The ancient Roman era gives a different portrayal in devotion. The deities become dramatically similar in physiology to human beings. The devotion though still to a deity, shifts to the ideal image of human beings. The musculature and bone structure become highly emphasized for the ancient Romans. In a sense, this marks the beginning of a human superiority complex, and devotion starts to become self-centered. Because artists were able to portray the human body so keenly, the devotion toward the “human” becomes even more stronger. The athlete’s body was highly idealized and emphasized during this time.

Name: Marble Statue of Bearded Hercules

Period: Early Imperial, Flavian

Date: 68-98 AD

Classification: Stone sculpture

RENAISSANCE

During the time of Renaissance, devotion becomes more focused and organized, as Christianity starts to take root among the people. People looked to a man named Jesus Christ as their savior. Because of Jesus’ narrative, paintings came of real value and emotion, like all other arts discussed. Jesus’ story became a center of focus, as it was so painful, touching and moving. Every aspect of Christ’s life was poured out into paintings. Especially, his climatic moments on Earth, were emphasized. The last supper became a symbolic element of the church to come together in communion and join the community in a union even after the leader’s death. The painting of the last supper became an emblem for community and worship.

Name: Last Supper

Date: 1325-30

Place: Italy

Classification: Painting

 

Annotated Bibliography 

Ziegler, Joanna E. “Michelangelo and the Medieval Pietà: The Sculpture of Devotion or the Art of Sculpture?” Jstor, 1995, www-jstor-org.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu/stable/pdf/767122.pdf. 

This article focuses on how reacting to Flemish models Michelangelo remained consistent in his views of art. He radically redefined the enterprise of the sculpture and sculpture making and also art itself. He did so by making the sculptures inviolable (due to the change of material from wood to marble) and resistant to the physical transformations. I particularly took interest in this article because it was seen that the Flemish works have been associated with devotion and in ritualistic proceedings. This transformation in art as a consequence of Michelangelo explores how devotion becomes tested when art transforms.

“IWonder – Why Does the Art of Ancient Greece Still Shape Our World?” BBC News, BBC,2017www.bbc.com/timelines/z99tn39.

This research site goes into the specific of Greek art in chronological time while incorporating with its history. And we see, that Greek art often becomes a reminder for future generations about previous generations, it was a way of carrying down legacies. This is why art is important to the Greeks. Ancient art especially carries down the traditions of ancient Greek people, and allowing them to overwhelmingly present in everything gives a constant reminder to Greeks about who they are and who they were.

“Renaissance Art.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 1 Jan. 2018, www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance-art.

This website really helped to give a full understanding of Renaissance art and especially why it was important in Christianity. This helps draw the importance of Christ in almost all of Renaissance paintings and other artworks. The role serves a bigger purpose to unite the Christian community.

“Hatshepsut.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, 2010, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544446.

This website explores why gender was not an issue in Egyptian art work as their idealized figure always remained universal in all of the artworks. This becomes an important aspect in devotion as the role or title of pharaoh was to be devoted to rather than the individual identity.

NĂSTĂSOIU, DRAGOŞ GH. .. “Patterns of Devotion and Traces of Art.” Umeni / Art, vol. 64, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 29–43. EBSCOhost,ezproxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aft&AN=114579735&site=ehost-live

The article provides an analysis of art history and patterns of devotion by referring to the pilgrimage of Queen Elizabeth Piast to Marburg, Cologne, and Aachen, Germany in 1357. Following the journey, the reader becomes convinced that there is infact a connection between art and devotion and two are inseparable.

 

 

The MET experience

This was my first visit to the MET Museum, after living in New York for over fourteen years. The experience as a whole was very overwhelming as there was so much detail to take in from the architecture of the building to the carefully displayed art pieces. The place was filled with large numbers of visitors but, the place didn’t feel crowded and most importantly didn’t take away from an observer’s experience. The museum seemed to be divided into different zones according to the setting and time period.

The first artwork that stood out to me from the Renaissance time period was called “The Miraculous Communion of Saint Catherine of Siena”. The artwork as a whole was very overwhelming, since there are so many details that catches the eye. It is a large altar piece and portrays the story of a Sienese mystic and a minister to the poor and plague-stricken. The work shows a divide in the middle in the forma pillar and the two worshipping the Christian Jesus while backs turned. There is so much warmth, mystery and high contrast in the artwork that invites the observer in. There is careful detailing in the Christ and the two people, showing the importance of deity during the Renaissance period.

An artwork that I drew to in the Baroque art section was the “Man Holding a Jug”. It first seemed very whimsical and without purpose, yet something so real that it seemed surreal. The artwork is a portrait of a man holding a jug. Like the renaissance art work, this picture also used a warm color to focus the portrait and showed high contract in the background with a darker color. The face of them man is the highlight of the piece for me because, it look very real and photo shopped. This is drastically different from the Catherine of Siena, since the work was very art-like, and didn’t have a real life portrayal. The faces of the subjects in the renaissance artwork was very dull, and unreal, for a lack of a better word.

The MET museum is definitely a place that pushes observers to critically think with its overwhelming portrayal of distinct works from distinct periods in time. I was able explore outside of these two exhibits, and it was amazing to witness the power of art. I think there is so much history that can be seen by simply looking at a piece of art.

Unit 2 Summary

The art of the ancient world was very eye opening in allowing me to understand the era and time in which it was originated. We were able to fully discuss and interpret the art of ancient Mesopotamia Egypt, Greece and Rome. Each region and time period had a different perception of humanity, deities, and the cycle of human life. Looking and formally analyzing ancient art is important because it reflects the society that creates them. The symbolism, colors and materials can tell us a lot about the culture that produced it.

The ancient Egyptian art had some variations under the each succession but, overall had a very strong and stagnant portrayals of the rulers, the common people, the God and even the animals. One thing I understood about ancient Egyptian art is that there was always a utility associated with the work of art. For example, The Palette of Narmer from 3000 BCE, served not only as a palette for aesthetic needs but also an opportunity to be reminded of the greatness of King Narmer. It is quite fascinating to see that Egyptians used art as a medium to preserve the glory of their rulers, who gave the people stability, wealth and most of all aspiration. In the palette, King Narmer is the larger figure, standing dominantly, showing his power through the staff in his hand and the slave/soldier of war he is holding by the head. King Narmer also seems to be receiving the crown of Lower Egypt from the falcon. This again goes to show his dominance in uniting the two regions, and creating one unified nation. This brings the concept of harmony, and social order into discussion because the Egyptians really revered living an honest and just life, as shown by the portrayal of after life in many Egyptian art work. This idea, and the unity they hoped to achieve in the after death with the Gods was central to the civilization. Egyptian art was different from Hellenistic and Roman art, in their depiction of humans. Also, the evolution of Greek and Roman art brought about many drastic changes in the portrayal of art itself.

When we first think of Greek art, our thought first goes to the elaborate and magnificent temples and building architecture developed by the ancient Greeks. They had developed very standard ways of constructing many places of worship, and other important building. In addition, Greek sculptures and stone work of human being show the understanding of human anatomy and structure. What the Egyptians portrayed as a stoic, rigid, and animated figure, the Greeks gave their human sculptures a more defined perspective of the human form. Even though it didn’t have an individualistic touch, early Greek art still gave a standard portrayal of the human body. For example, the Kouros constructed in 600 B.C.E. give the audience the correct human dimensions for the figure in the sculpture. The knee, the body muscles are well highlighted, and even the hair though not very realistic seems to have taken an effort to create, as each individual hair strand has a wave. This had more similarities to the stone sculptures of ancient Egypt than the classical periods of Greek and Rome. As we move towards classical period, human portrayal looked much more natural and had realistic facial expressions. For example, with eh Kritios Boy, though the facial expression still remains to be a bit dull, the body construction is very well realistic and natural.

Roman ancient art by far neared closer to the realistic portrayal of the actual human body, as much of their ideology was centered on the concept of humanism. The people, and even the deities, resembled a glorified human. This was unlike the ancient Egyptians where they depicted their Gods with animal heads and a rigid body. The Romans, glorified the human body through their artwork. Starting with the sculpture of Polykeitos in 450 B.C.E. who has this amazing athletic human body with well constructed human anatomy. The figure though lacked an individualistic touch to the face and a bland hair style, still outwardly portrayed a realistic human look. As we move forward we see the Dying Gaul, the portrait of Alexander the Great, the Seated Boxer, which all have a very realistic portrayal of the human body evidenced by the formation of the hair strands and the portrayal of the human body. The sculptors during this time took time to define the human musculature and present the body as realistically as possible.

Looking back to the earliest artworks from Mesopotamia, we see the development of human art through time. For me the interesting aspect of learning about these great work of art through time is that it tells the audience about how different humans have thought of themselves depending on the culture and time period. I feel that artwork as shown by these multiple cultures is an important facet in creating structure, togetherness and harmony among groups of people. Ancient artwork represents a ways of life, and the way people felt about humanity. Though each culture had differences in their art work, they all take art as a space for reminding generations after generation the legacy of the ancestors. They were all made for the people of the place and time.

Greco-Roman vs. Egyptian Art

From what I have learned thus far in my college career and also, my experiences outside of school, I believe humanism to be an idea centered on human beings rather than immortal or supernatural things. In psychology, a humanistic perspective focuses on the client and supporting him or her with a positive input rather than pointing out wrongs. It is an idealistic view that humans are innately good and whatever they do wrong has to be the consequence of situational influences. The most apparent way that humanism is reflected in Greco and Roman art is through the real like human like portrayal of the art. As we discussed in class, the minute details in the movement of the body and face becomes emphasized. For example, hair deviates aways from a standard rigid structure to a more real like with fluidity. They especially emphasizes the athleticism which represents strength, beauty, and an advantage. Even in the portrayal of supernatural divine beings, the Greeks and Romans glorify the physical beauty of the human body. This is drastically different from the Egyptians as they did not fully capture the realistic human body in their portrayal of subjects. They are usually very formalized, static, and less naturalistic. It is clear that they didn’t have a humanistic approach to art in their depictions of deity, who have animal heads and human body.

For example, in a sculpture from the Greco-Roman period titled “Dionysos and Maenad”, the viewers see a portrayal of two women, draped with some cloth. In the sculpture, the artist show realistic movements in the body as well as a real life like connection between the two subjects. Even the clothing are portrayed so naturally. Though the women remain still, they are positioned in a real human like way. In contrast,  the papyrus rolls that depict the weighing of the heart, the observers see stoic, rigid, pillar like beings that are represented as either human beings or deities. They are all created in a standardized method, not giving the subjects any of their individualistic features. Though humanism is apparently present in Greco-Roman art, I think both artwork has correctly captured a time in history that we haven’t seen or heard of. The art speaks of the type of people that lived at the time, and a little bit about their perspectives about the human being.

Couple Walking

I was honestly very moved by the ‘Soul of a Nation’ exhibition. As the name suggests, the exhibition did portray the soul of this nation during a time period where African Americans were so contested and resilient. The exhibition really portrayed a realistic view of the conditions of African Americans through the disparate artwork of more than sixty Black artists. Among some of the most beautiful pieces of artwork, the Couple Walking photo captured by Roy DeCarava stood out to me mainly because of its realistic portrayal. The photograph spoke volumes about the sense of comradery, resilience, and companionship among the two subjects. However, in light of the movement and change that was occurring for the African American community at the time, I think this photo further represents a union and love shared among the suffering Black communities all over America. Though it is a black and white photograph, there is a warmth that welcomes the observer to think about the man and the woman faced away from the camera, holding tightly onto each other. They seem to be waking away from the camera and the scene captured almost candidly by the photographer. The man in the photo is wearing a sleeveless shirt with jeans, and the woman wearing a head scarf, and formal attire. Though kind of contrast in their clothing style, their love and adoration for each other become expressed through their arms which surround one another. For me, looking at this photograph this couple seems hopeful as they walk through a historically, politically, and socially relevant time period in America. I feel hope not only for the couple but, also the African American community as they walked together holding arms in a fight for equality and justice.

The Wooden Prince

The statue of Amunhotep III stood out to me at first because of the color scheme. The gold and brown colors made the figure seem warm and welcoming. With closer look, the figure seemed to be made of wood, different from the fine stone figures usually seen in Egyptian art. This evoked curiosity. Without reading the caption, the figure seemed to be representing an authority, with a magnificent crown and a gold colored kilt. The gate of the figure gave a sense of sophistication and confidence. The figure was small, and stood on a wooden base. Strikingly the figure has no arms, and the left leg is in front of the right, suggesting a sense of motion or even dominance. There seems to be difference in the polish of the head and body, which was interesting. The crown was one of the most complicated woodwork in the figure. The crown is something called the “Blue Crown” which was first seen in Egyptian art only a few generation prior, meaning that it was a relatively new invention. The eyebrows and the eyes are outlined in a purple-blue glass, and eyes in white and black glass. The face is also drawn so realistically, and seems to be lifelike. The male figure was made in the late XVII dynasty, circa 1390-1352. The caption read that the figure was a cult statue made after the death of subject. After some research, I found that wood was pretty expensive and rare and they had to be imported. This shows that this figure was someone of great importance or meant something to the people since it was created after his death. Not surprisingly, Amunhotep III’s reign was a time of peace.

I really enjoyed looking at this piece of art, it really spoke volumes of who the the pharaoh was, and his reign. Though I was first attracted to this piece because of the color, the art revealed to me so much history and purpose that I didn’t know. Definitely a great experience.

Art History Summary Unit 1

During this unit there was a lot of emphasis on formal analysis. Formal analysis asks to look at the painting for physical elements like line, color, composition, and size as well as understand the historical contexts behind its origin. Once both aspects of the painting is considered the the art can be better understood to a viewer. As a class we looked at the painting “Venus of Urbino”, and we were able to analyze the picture through careful observations and discussion. We also went into thinking about pedagogy and power in relation to the banking model of teaching. It was really a great way for us to open our feelings of traditional pedagogy and how we can innovate it. I think understanding formal analysis will be the foundation of this class, and it will be a concept carried throughout the course. It is also important that we had the opportunity to discuss pedagogy and power since we can try to move away from the harms of it and be a little more independent in our critical analysis.

Analyzing an artwork through the critical eye helps to reveal so much information about the picture that may be unknown at first sight. The time spent looking at the artwork is the viewers experience of the artist and the artwork. This unit really delved into the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words. The artist has the freedom to express his or her thoughts into an artwork however, the fascinating part about art is that it is subjective. Subjectivity of the artwork makes it not limited by boundaries or definitions. Formal analysis is the tool used to understand it but in the viewer’s own perception and conclusions. This makes the art experience a more spontaneous adventure, giving a possible equal responsibility to the artist and the viewer.

What’s Formal Analysis?

What is formal analysis? In your own words explain what we mean when we say formal analysis and what its components are

Formal analysis is a tool used to understand what the artist conveying. It uses the elements of color, line, space and mass, and scale. However, formal analysis is not independent of context analysis which takes into account the subjects of the picture to better understand and grasp the purpose of the image and the message its conveying. Often times it is possible to place together the physical elements of a picture with the contextual elements to piece together a story about the art work observed. Whether it is a two dimensional art or a three-dimensional sculpture, the art’s elements can carry the observer to a deeper understanding of the image. Formal analysis starts with observation, keenly taking notes of the elements in the picture.  The key is to ask leading questions about the color, the style, the perspective, etc. and also why. Though the fundamental aspects of formal analysis remains the same, the perspective changes with different types of art. The way that the observer understands a two dimensional art work is not the same way they would try to understand architecture. Moreover, formal analysis become coherent after the contextual analysis is taken into consideration. The art speaks when the observer considers the political, social, and cultural portrayal of the art work. Art is open to interpretation because it is highly subjective and abstract, formal analysis gives a standard way to assess art so that the message in the work can be captured.

Banking Model

Friere proposed the banking model to address the current flawed educational system, where teachers “deposit” information to the students. According to Friere, the system harms children by hindering their intellectual growth and  liberating their unique ideas and concepts. In this teaching system, teachers act as depositors and students as receptors, making the humans into mechanical objects. This prevents both the depositors’ and receptors’ autonomy and in the long run the ability to think critically, rationalize and conceptualize information at a personal level. This type of teaching method empowers the teachers, as they control the passive learning experience at the expense of the the students and the teachers. The teaching method leads to a demise of the teachers’ and students’ true consciousness. It asserts and promotes a system of oppression and control.

My learning experiences have been through this banking model system from the time I can remember. However, there are gradual changes in this system, and I can see teachers who want to promote open discussions and allow students to dictate a portion of the learning process. That being said, there needs to be more changes in our educational system.  I had a class where the teacher came in and started lecturing. There was no space to ask questions or to have discussion about the topic. Though it was a hard class, it was even more dreadful because I was not able to conceptualize the information provided. The positive to this was that I had to develop my own scheme to learn the information on my own. It helped me to be independent and better understand my learning style since I was not getting the support I needed from my teacher.

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