Author: Sairah Sajid

Final Project: Comparing Ancient artwork

Introduction: The different techniques and time periods of all forms of art have greatly impacted the presentation of the artwork. Although all three portray statues the way that these statues are articulated have created a line of differentiation amongst the two. Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek artwork symbolize the different roles played in society during the coinciding time periods. In museums and pictures the statues display character and a certain poise while the three illustrate different aspects of the given time frames and the different societies. Although the three forms of art hold similarities, they differ in many ways. Ancient Greek artwork is significant in articulating human like statues. They used human forms to display god like statues and display the traits of a dominating human. Ancient Roman artwork is significant for displaying different forms of art using marble, stone, glass, metal, etc. Ancient Egyptian artwork is significant in portraying the image of gods. Ancient Egyptian artwork was surrounded by religion and the afterlife. They would fill tombs of Pharaohs with scriptures and paintings for their afterlife. The sculptures created during this time period mainly displayed the image of Pharaohs who were considered gods during that time period.

 

Statue of Aphrodite

Artist: Unknown/ Purchase, 1952

Date: 1st or 2nd Century A.D

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

In this statue Aphrodite the Goddess of love is shown surprised while taking a bath, with her arm extending to cover her breast in a phase, which both hides and reveals her sexuality. This was not surprisingly a huge deal for the Greeks. Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty and the daughter of Zeus. This statue of the Goddess represented a celebration of the female body in an ideal form of beauty, proportion, and grace. This was one of many different nude Greek female figures we saw at the MET but this one stood out a lot more than the rest. As a class we have discussed Aphrodite in many of the text we read throughout this semester, including the Iliad and odyssey of Homer.

Statue of Dionysos 

Artist: Pacetti, Vincenzo

Date:27 B.C.–A.D. 68

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

In this figure of Dionysos he is appeared to us standing with his left arm over on an archaistic female figure identified as Spes, the personification of hope. He is shown wearing a panther skin over his chiton and a cloak wrapped around his upper right arm and shoulder. The panther skin was a great symbol to identify this God just like wine would have been. In order for a support a part of the cloak flows around the back and over the head of the God. Another Greek female figure stands in front of the God of wine with her feet together on the base, while holding the lower part of her dress to one side. After understanding the figure’s costume, hairstyle, and explicitly her pose it persuades us that it’s a representation of Spes, a Roman personification of hope. Rather than the Text the God Dionysos was essentially discussed in the lectures that took place in class.

Terracotta Column- Krater

Artist: Group of Boston

Date: 360–350 B.C.

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

This Greek vase in orange and black caught my attention right away, because we had seen similar images in the Power point discussions in class. The paintings on the Vase portray a Styr waiting for Dionysos, the God of wine with a jug and jar, where you can assume it had something to do with the Styr wanting wine while on the other side another Styr uses gestures to express abandons.

 

The Seated Statue of Hatshepsut

Artist: Unknown/ Rogers Fund, 1929

Date: 1479–1458 B.C.

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

This a limestone statue that honors Pharaoh Hatshepsut during her joint reign of power with Thutmose III, which was made around 1479-1458 BCE. The statue shows Hatshepsut seated, showing that she was a woman of power and authority. She is also wearing a headdress that only pharaohs and royal people wore. The statue is not naturalistic because of the awkward position that Hatshepsut is shown in, which is very common for ancient societies such as the Babylonian and the Egyptian. The pharaoh has an unnatural and stiff face and body and is not a way to depict the pharaoh. We can see that the pharaoh shows evidence of being a female because of the breasts and because of her long legs. The statue shows evidence of being damaged because the statue is not fully intact. The lower part of the right arm is missing as well as the left hand. The information also indicates that the statue was fragmented and had to be reassembled. The upper body was were excavated in fragments and the lower body was in another museum. Across the sides of the pharaoh’s seat are hieroglyphics which probably tell the story of Hatshepsut. This form of writing is used as a way to write down the story and life of the person, which is another method used by the Egyptians. 

 

Marble Statue of a Wounded Amazon

Artist: Unknown/ Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1932

Date: 1st–2nd century A.D.

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

This is a Roman statue created in between 1-2nd century CE, and is a copy of a Greek bronze statue from 450-425 B.C. The statue shows the mythical race of Amazonian women who would battle against heroes such as Achilles. The statue shows a wounded warrior standing in a naturalistic way. The use of contrapposto is present, a Greek creation, which tries to show the shift of weight onto one foot. The body of the warrior is expressed more by showing the warrior’s body, specifically breasts. The warrior is wounded under her right breast and also there is evidence of multiple scars on the back that show that she is a warrior. The facial features are detailed and realistic, but the facial expression is not expressive which indicates the acceptance of death. The warrior’s right hand is wrapped around her head indicating that she is not in pain or struggling, which further indicates that she has accepted death. The warrior is wearing her fighting clothing which openly show her body, indicating that this was considered common in her culture.

Conclusion:  Although these time periods have presented various forms of art, their artwork displays numerous similarities. They all display human like figures and are all presented in sculptures. The eyes, nose and certain physical features amongst all three: Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman and Ancient Egyptian art show distinctive traits as a human being. All three artworks display a dominant structure that essentially displays power and a higher or stronger being. The differences amongst all three artworks are clearly shown through the different sculptures. Ancient Egyptian artwork revolves around the representation of god or a high power. Which was displayed through Pharaohs. Ancient Roman artwork revolved around the illustration of sculptures that were presented in different materials such as bronze, marble, glass, metal and stone. Ancient Greek sculptures show a dominant male who has feminine characteristics and is shown having a muscular image. Ancient Greek sculptures relate to how a human being looks, they show a feminine side by allowing the sculptures to show a slight slouch or a soft knee bend, etc. 

Sources:

http://history-world.org/arthist.htm

This article talks about the differences between Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman artwork. This article presents the similarities and differences amongst the two.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/985469?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

This article talks about the differences between Ancient Greek and Ancient Egyptian artwork. This article elaborates on different techniques used during each time period.

https://artscolumbia.org/performing-arts/music/history-of-music-education-greek-roman-and-egyptian-30160/

This article compares Ancient Roman and Ancient Egyptian artwork. It weighs in on the different music, sculptures and paintings that were idolized during that time period.

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-greek-art

This article weighs in on the significant pieces of art produced during the Ancient Greek time period. This article shows images of the most popular sculptures made during the time period and elaborates on the techniques used to produce this artwork.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ancient-egypt-ap/a/egyptian-art

This article elaborates on the most popular art work produced during the Ancient Egyptian period of time.  This article explains the importance of the ancient pyramids and the meaning behind the coffins.

 

Extra Credit

The painting that captured my attention at first sight was the canvas painting of Venus and the Lute player. Tiziano Vecellio, better known as, Titian created this painting during 1560. The setting of Titian’s painting focuses on three figures, the Greek goddess Venus, her love child Cupid, and a Lute player, in a setting showing a room that has lavish curtains and overlooks a landscape. I was attracted to Titian’s Venus because of my admiration of the Goddess Venus in my previous studies of Greek mythology. Venus also known as Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and sex. In this painting, Titian portrayed Venus as a sensual and angelic woman, who has the ability to capture the viewers’ attention with her intense expressions.  The painting depicts a nude Venus seated on a coach in a sensual position. She is wearing a white pearl necklace and expensive earrings. In the painting one can only see the profile of her face, which has an intense and subdued expression. Behind Venus is her son Cupid, who has a smaller figure and is holding a crown made of flowers over Venus’ head. The lute player is an important figure in this portrait because he is seen looking at Venus and it appears that he is playing music with his instrument. Behind the figures there is a window that overlooks a landscape, which consists of green trees, grass, and mountains. According to the gallery label, the painting has been thought to “address the Neo-Platonic debate of seeing versus hearing as the primary means for perceiving beauty.” My interpretation of the general theme or purpose of this canvas painting is its portrayal of the love for beauty and music. I hindered upon this theme based on the idea that artists from this time period idealized the female body as that of beauty. According to the Metropolitan Museum, the figures of a nude Venus “highlight the seductive warmth of the female body rather than its ideal geometry.” Like many artists from the Italian Renaissance, Titian represented Venus nude in order to symbolize the female body, thereby, representing beauty. On the other hand, the lute player is an abstract figure that is assumed to signify the love or admiration of music.

Annotated Bibliography

http://history-world.org/arthist.htm

This article talks about the differences between Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman artwork. This article presents the similarities and differences amongst the two.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/985469?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

This article talks about the differences between Ancient Greek and Ancient Egyptian artwork. This article elaborates on different techniques used during each time period.

https://artscolumbia.org/performing-arts/music/history-of-music-education-greek-roman-and-egyptian-30160/

This article compares Ancient Roman and Ancient Egyptian artwork. It weighs in on the different music, sculptures and paintings that were idolized during that time period.

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-greek-art

This article weighs in on the significant pieces of art produced during the Ancient Greek time period. This article shows images of the most popular sculptures made during the time period and elaborates on the techniques used to produce this artwork.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ancient-egypt-ap/a/egyptian-art

This article elaborates on the most popular art work produced during the Ancient Egyptian period of time.  This article explains the importance of the ancient pyramids and the meaning behind the coffins.

Final Project Outline

Theme: Comparing Ancient artwork

Thesis: Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek artwork symbolize the different roles played in society during the coinciding time periods. Ancient Greek artwork is significant in articulating human like statues. They used human forms to display god like statues and display the traits of a dominating human. Ancient Egyptian artwork is significant in portraying the image of gods. Ancient Egyptian artwork was surrounded by religion and the afterlife. Ancient Roman artwork is significant for displaying different forms of art using marble, stone, glass, metal, etc.

Statue of Aphrodite

Artist: Unknown/ Purchase, 1952

Date: 1st or 2nd Century A.D

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

Statue of Dionysos 

Artist: Pacetti, Vincenzo

Date:27 B.C.–A.D. 68

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

Terracotta Column- Krater

Artist: Group of Boston

Date: 360–350 B.C.

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

The Seated Statue of Hatshepsut

Artist: Unknown/ Rogers Fund, 1929

Date: 1479–1458 B.C.

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

Marble Statue of a Wounded Amazon

Artist: Unknown/ Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1932

Date: 1st–2nd century A.D.

Museum: Metropolitan Museum

Unit 2 Summary

Throughout this term we have learned the major differences between Ancient Greek, Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Roman artwork. The different strategies and the time periods of all forms of art have greatly impacted the display of the artwork. Although all three portray statues the way that these statues are articulated have created a line of differentiation amongst the two. All three, Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek artwork symbolize the different roles played in society during the coinciding time periods. In museums and pictures the statues display character and a certain poise while the three illustrate different aspects of the given time frames and the different societies. Although the three forms of art hold similarities, they differ in many ways.

Ancient Greek artwork is significant in articulating human like statues. They used human forms to display god like statues and display the traits of a dominating human. In Ancient Greek statues the representation of a man is shown to being strong, while displaying a feminine touch.

Ancient Roman artwork is significant for displaying different forms of art using marble, stone, glass, metal, etc. The main art forms that were projected were, sculptures, mosaics, paintings and architecture. Ancient Roman artwork is shown in many public areas such as parks, museums, buildings, etc.

Ancient Egyptian artwork is significant in portraying the image of gods. Ancient Egyptian artwork was surrounded by religion and the afterlife. They would fill tombs of Pharaohs with scriptures and paintings for their afterlife. The sculptures created during this time period mainly displayed the image of Pharaohs who were considered gods during that time period. The sculptures created by Ancient Egyptians were made of ivory, basalt, wood, gold and lime stone. The pyramids made during that time period were essentially supposed to the people who died and allow them to get a peaceful afterlife. Most Egyptian artwork displayed sculptures with no emotions and were largely proportioned.

Although these time periods have presented various forms of art, their artwork displays numerous similarities. They all display human like figures and are all presented in sculptures. The eyes, nose and certain physical features amongst all three: Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman and Ancient Egyptian art show distinctive traits as a human being. All three artworks display a dominant structure that essentially displays power and a higher or stronger being.

The differences amongst all three artworks are clearly shown through the different sculptures. Ancient Egyptian artwork revolves around the representation of god or a high power. Which was displayed through Pharaohs. Ancient Roman artwork revolved around the illustration of sculptures that were presented in different materials such as bronze, marble, glass, metal and stone. Ancient Greek sculptures show a dominant male who has feminine characteristics and is shown having a muscular image. Ancient Greek sculptures relate to how a human being looks, they show a feminine side by allowing the sculptures to show a slight slouch or a soft knee bend, etc.

Humanism

Humanism is defined as a philosophy based on the importance and dignity of each human. Humanism started in Italy, due to their innovative way of life; the increase of trade stemmed new ideas. People who practice Humanism are called humanists. Humanists essentially believe that humans have control over their lives and have the ability to question everything around them. Humanists usually study classical art, government, architecture, language, history and poetry. Humanism in art refers to the change a person could bring to art. In Greek and Roman art, the primary focus is man, while in Egyptian and Mesopotamian art articulates around the art of a higher power.

This Greek sculpture of Discobolus depicts an image of a man. Compared to Ancient Egyptian art, this image compares to an image of a human being while Egyptian art makes little resemblance to a actual human. Also the techniques of the sculpture differ from Ancient Egyptian sculptures since they are from different time periods the different techniques display different images. This Greek art shows a masculine warrior, which most Greek sculptures portray. This sculpture illustrates an image of a strong and powerful man, the way the sculpture is presented shows the slight feminine touch of the sculpture.

Brooklyn Museum Assignment

Part 1:

Ancient Egyptian Art

Torso of Dionysos, 2nd- 3rd Century C.E

In this figure of Dionysos he is appeared to us standing with his left arm over on an archaistic female figure identified as Spes, the personification of hope. He is shown wearing a panther skin over his chiton and a cloak wrapped around his upper right arm and shoulder. The panther skin was a great symbol to identify this God just like wine would have been. In order for a support a part of the cloak flows around the back and over the head of the God. This sculpture stuck out to me because it represents the ideal man during that time period. It made me think about the different representations of gender characteristics that are shown through cultures of different eras.  I was also drawn in by the techniques used to make this sculpture look real. The shadowing and the cravings illustrate the hip bone and the abs of the male. The belly button and the crevices around the breast area show an enormous amount of detail. This relates to the material we covered in class because it shows that the human body was exhibited during that period in time. Also the depth of the detail illustrates a mysterious image. The only thing that allows us to differentiate between whether this sculpture is of a male or female is the prostate and breast area. During this period of time human art was highly presented, nude sculptures filled the exhibit of ancient sculptures.

Part 2:

The Flag Is Bleeding

From the Soul of a Nation exhibit I chose to write about, Faith Ringgolds, “American People Series #18: The Flag Is Bleeding” (1967) . This painting is illustrates that the true meaning of the United States flag is not being represented. The meaning of the United States flag is freedom and peace. While in reality especially during the period of time this artwork is representing, there was a high rate of racial segregation and racial discrimination. This piece of artwork shows that we are all equal as humans yet people of color are targeted. This relates to the rest of the exhibit because it shows the discrimination people of color have been surviving over the years. I chose to write about this artwork because the different elements used by the artist allowed me to actually see a clear image. The red streaks running down with the red stripes of the flag display the image of how actual blood runs down. The knife that the African American male is holding represents the hurt and harm that was being afflicted to him during this period in time. The way that all three of the people are locking arms shows that they are equal, yet the African American male is the only one suffering or being harmed. This illustration truly brings the exhibit together and locks in the time period of segregation and racial discrimination. The artist portrayed a clear and descriptive piece, the colors and shadowing of the image bring it to life.

Unit 1 Summary

 

When we say the word “art” we are describing any form of human activity ranging from music to sculptures and paintings. Some of the various forms of art are: music, paintings, dance, architecture, drawing, photography and ceramics.  Individuals connect with a piece of art using their thoughts, emotions, beliefs and ideas. This course has allowed me to find different ways to acknowledge numerous forms of art. Whether it be paintings, sculptures, graffiti, music or architecture artists use different techniques to create a work of art and their work should be recognized. Through this first unit of this class I have learned about formal analysis, pedology and the key aspects that make art significant. Before taking this class, I thought that art was made up of the different paintings and ancient artifacts presented in museums. Now that we’ve finished the first unit I have learned a significant amount about the different ways we analyze art and the different characteristics used by artists to make their artwork impactful. This new analytical way of analyzing has allowed me to recognize the different skills artists use in their work. The different designs and key elements that shapes their work.

Formal Analysis is an assessment of visual elements that construct sculptures or any given art work. It is important to use formal analysis to describe a piece of art work because it pin-points each element illustrated and expresses the meaning of each element. The components of formal analysis are: line, shape and form, space, color. texture. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, thick, thin, curved, and thick or thin. These lines allow artists to compose pieces that communicate to the viewer by creating various images using different techniques. Shapes and forms of objects bring life to a two dimensional object and allow viewers to better interpret the work. Space in art brings a two dimensional object to a three dimensional state through a feeling of depth and use of shadowing techniques. The three main characteristics of color are hue (red, blue, green, etc.), value (how light or dark it is) and intensity (how bright or dull it is). Color allows artists to depict emotions or playful meaning through their work. Texture brings surface value to art work. If the art work is two dimensional texture allows artists to illustrate how the object would feel in reality. All of these elements define art work and allow us to fully understand a piece of art work.

Pedology and Power was another topic covered in this Unit. To Freire, the banking model is described as a knowledge holder sharing knowledge to a knowledge receiver without any feedback from the receiver. This is known as the standard classroom model in which a teacher shares his or her knowledge with students as they feed off that given information.  This allows the teachers (knowledge holders) to be empowered because they hold the knowledge that is being given or distributed to the knowledge receivers.

Pedagogy and Power

To Friere, the banking model is described as a knowledge holder sharing knowledge to a knowledge receiver without any feedback from the receiver. This is known as the standard classroom model in which a teacher shares his or her knowledge with students as they feed off that given information.  This allows the teachers (knowledge holders) to be empowered because they hold the knowledge that is being given or distributed to the knowledge receivers.

I have had experience with this banking model. When I was younger I used to take karate lessons and when displayed the right techniques my teacher would go forward with the lessons and teach me new moves. By making sure I knew each of these moves before teaching me new ones the teacher allowed me to memorize all of these techniques. Which ultimately lead to me receiving a black belt. The positive aspects of this model of teaching through this experience were that I learned and memorized different moves. However, the negative aspects of this model were that I had to please my teacher through the depiction of the techniques I have learned giving him the power to choose whether or not I could move forward and lean new routines.