Annotated Bibliography; (Extracted from another post, I forgot to post the bib as a separate post)

(I forgot to post the annotated bibliography as a separate post and left it in my previous post which combined both the final project and the annotated bibliography, I’m very sorry!)

Bibliography: Museum Sites 

  1. “The Lamentation.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2008.72/; accessed December 17, 2018, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2008.72/

This link is coming directly from The Met website and gives a brief catalogue description of The Lamentation. I will incorporate this into my final project by paraphrasing their descriptional analyses and keywords so I can easily distinguish features between Renaissance and Baroque art.

  1. “Saint Maurice.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/cranach-saint-maurice.

This link is also taken directly from The Met website. In the site, the author explains the significance of the exhibition which involved other works of art that were painted/made during the same time period and location. This allowed me to analyze the distinguishing features of the time and apply it to Saint Maurice. The website also had a YouTube video which helped me analyze the portrait even more.

  1. “Departure of the Amazons.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1976.100.6/; accessed December 16, 2018.

There was no specific museum site that helped me understand this painting. Instead, I used the generic Met catalogue description of the painting. It gave me the basic information I needed, such as the dimensions, the medium, the historical and political background, and the artist who painted it. It also listed some features I incorporated into my final project and used it to compare and contrast styles between this painting and other paintings.

Bibliography: Magazines/Journals/Articles

  1. https://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/bulletins/1/pdf/3257799.pdf.bannered.pdf

This is an extensive pdf article of The Merry Company on a Terrace. It was a really helpful addition to my final project because it nicely explained the background/history of the painter (Jan Steen) and why he incorporated himself into his own painting. In addition to that, the article also analyzes every single character in the painting in depth. One theme the author of the article focused on was the emotional intensity of the painting. This is one feature I incorporated into my final project and it was also a useful addition to the list of differences between Renaissance and Baroque art.

  1. http://www.artmuseums.com/giotto.htm#.XBw-Dy2ZN0s

This article layed out a detailed formal analysis of The Lamentation. Although the painting was different from the one in The Met, it provided me with more background historical details I did not comprehend at first. I only payed attention to the theme of the entire painting because there are many different alterations of this painting and most of them share a similar theme.

Final Project

THESIS:

Although women and feminism are sometimes overlooked in the discussion of Egyptian art, The presence of  Feminism and women in Ancient Egyptian culture is not only reflected in Egyptian art, but adds an entire new layer of importance, depth and value to the artwork.

 

STATEMENT ONE:

Feminism was subtle  integrated in the fashion of the men in Ancient Egypt, showing their respect and need for feminism in their own everyday lives.

 

  • Egyptian clothing was about class. The clothes that everyone wore reflected which social class they belonged to and the status that they held in society
  • The basic attire for All men in Ancient Egyptian society was a wrap skirt around their waist,because it was fashionable (Fun fact :the color of the skirts were preferably white to reflect cleanliness)
  • Depending on how rich a man was, their skirts would be decorated with various amount of expensive jewelry and beads.
  • The clothes were mostly made by women – this meaning that behind the scenes, women dictated what looked fashionable and therefore played a enormous role in the unique appearances of ancient egypt
  • Men (including the Pharaohs) also wore makeup to darken their eyes
  • To conclude the various integrations of femininity into the men’s fashion wear in Ancient Egypt ( jewelry, skirts, beads, makeup) showed that men valued the balance of masculinity and femininity. The combination of both was seen as  a sign of strength, status, and appealing to the gods.
  • The presence of femininity in egyptian fashion reflected a major Egyptian value as well. ““One of the central values of ancient Egyptian civilization, arguably the central value, was ma’at – the concept of harmony and balance in all aspects of one’s life”
  • Take the painting below for example Depicts the process of Egyptian Afterlife
    • The men are all wearing skirts or dress – not one pair of pants is in sight
    • Each male present has an adornment of some sort, whether it be jewelry or extra fabric, which signifies their individual role and power in their Human life.
    • Each males as well can be seen wearing eyeliner.
    • All of the men present in this painting ( with the exception of the scribe) are gods. They are looked up to and respected by everyone living in Egypt. However even the Gods of ancient egypt cannot deny the need for femininity and balance in their everyday lives, as depicted in the painting.

SOURCES

 

STATEMENT TWO:

Women’s role in everyday life was essential to the society functioning as well as it did. These depictions of women in action through ancient egyptian art are necessary to show that ancient Egypt didn’t just consist of the conquering of other nations and how strong the pharaoh or any man’s masculinity was. On the other hand it displayed just how strong the women were as well

  • Women were mainly in charge of the household duties ( cooking and cleaning, raising the children) while men were in charge of going to war and handling“ affairs of the state” In terms of social status however, the roles of both genders combined displayed what was valued in the social scale for Ancient Egypt. Long story short, to be viewed as a wholesome balanced family in ancient Egypt you can’t have one without the other.
  • Women has the same rights under the law as men.
  • Women handled their own individual property
  • Woman decided who they wanted to marry and also decided if they wanted divorces or not.
  •  Women were also goddesses, One goddess that we can mention is Bastet. This goddess specifically looked out for the good of women and protected all the affairs of women
  • Women were also priest who could interpret dreams (Dream’s were very important on the religious scale)  dreams were considered to be portals to the after life.
  • Take the statue below for example
    • It promotes the equality between both the male and the female in the family
    • If you look even closer the man is leaning back and the woman is holding up
    • In other words, she is so much more than just his support system, she is an equal, she is strong and powerful. Without her he wouldn’t survive.

SOURCES

 

STATEMENT THREE

There were many queens in ancient Egyptian history, but Queen Nefertiti is the the default queen that most people refer to. The reason being she as a queen arguably contributed more to ancient Egypt legacy than some other kings and pharaohs.

  • – Nefertiti, whose name means “a beautiful woman has come,”
  • She ruled alongside her husband Akhenaten, and made decisions for the well being of Egypt
  • She and her husband started the religious revolution in creating the Atens clan.

 

The carving below displays Nefetari alongside her husband with their children.

-As stated before they are equals

– She Is seated on the throne alongside her husband. This suggesting that no decision can be made without her.

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Part B-Annotated Bibliography- Final Project

Bibliography: Museum Sites  

  1. 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 is useful because it provides two videos that go into detail about the statue Kouros and how it was made based on Greek and Roman Culture. It goes into each feature of the sculpture and what it represents. This is helpful for my project because it offers descriptions on the kouros and what the body represents. This is related to my project of how art evolved when I talk about art in the ancient Greek world.

2. Dr. Noelle Paulson “Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night.” Smarthistory, accessed December 14, 2018, smarthistory.org/van-gogh-the-starry-night/.

This link is useful because it talks about the details of this famous painting by Van Gogh including: the landscape, challenges, and the location. It even goes more in-depth with the colors of the sky. Overall, it does a great formal analysis of the painting extremely useful for my final project.

  1. “MoMA Learning.” Lee Bontecou. Campell’s Soup Cans. 1959 | MoMA, accessed December 14, 2018, www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-1962/.

This talk about the time period in which the painting was made and details about the painting that are not made known which I find useful to my project to connect it to other time periods.

Bibliography: Magazines/articles/journals:

  1. “The Fascinating Story behind Andy Warhol’s Soup Cans | Art | Agenda.” Phaidon, www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2013/february/22/the-fascinating-story-behind-andy-warhols-soup-cans/.

This article published by Phaidon is useful because it gave me insight about why Warhol painting the “Campbell’s Soup Cans.” It also talks about the paintings itself and how it was displayed and how he painted it. This is related to my project when I talk about modern-day art and how its way different than the art of the ancient world.

  1. 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 journal article written by Gisela M. A. Richter is about the Kouros at 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. This is related to my project of how art evolved when I talk about art in the ancient Greek world.

 

Extra Credit- “Jewelry: The Body Transformed” at the MET

On Monday, November 19, 2018, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to check out their new exhibition called “Jewelry: The Body Transformed.” The room was dim with black painted walls with glass columns from the ceiling to the floor with a piece of jewelry inside. This exhibition is all about jewelry, why wear it, and what its meaning is throughout history. They had 5 areas themed for something else such as the divine body, the regal body, the transcendent body, the alluring body, and the resplendent body. It wasn’t necessarily organized by time, but by theme, which was nice for a change. Jewelry is known to be an ancient form art that has enhanced and embellished the human body. Each area had to do what jewelry was attributed to. From the earliest time, it was attributed to the gods. Eventually, it was something that became appealing to the eye and became like a piece of clothing. Throughout history, jewelry has been something that helped others understand the culture of that time. I recognized the names of famous designers of some of the pieces such as Swarovski and Cartier.

 

The Seductive Pearl

Five strand pearl necklace

Cartier (French, founded in 1847)

Made in London, ca. 1926

 

The piece that stuck out to me most had to be the pearl necklace from the Alluring body area. Pearls are my favorite type of jewelry. Also, the company Cartier stuck out to me. Pearls in history were known to be as an erotic accessory. This idea faded in the era of post World War 2. 

This exhibition is my by far my favorite that I ever went to. It was interesting to learn about the meaning of pieces of jewelry in different eras. It gave me the opportunity to learn about cultures were like and comparing it to what it’s like nowadays. I never looked at it as a form of art until I went to this exhibition. I now look at jewelry as something that unites body and art. Overall, I had an enjoyable time looking at the beautiful pieces at this exhibition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Project (Museum Tour)

Cassandra Moseley

Professor Shaw

Art 1010

Humanism became prominent in the Ancient worlds of Greece and Rome, which are very intertwined with one another. Humanism revolves around the Beauty of the Human form and its Essence. Humanism during the Greek and Roman era of artwork put humans at the center of everything; the human experience is at the center of all events in contrast to previous societies that put God at the center of everything. As time proceeds we begin to see an evolution of Humanism in which different elements begin to enhance this concept, most of which is seen through statues of men and women that were either prominent figures or part of mythology. Though, the evolution of Humanism can be seen through the different works of art that depict children during these Ancient times. Today, I will take you on a museum tour to explore the theme of children being depicted in artwork and their clear demonstration of the evolution of Humanism throughout the Ancient Worlds. We will begin the tour starting with Ancient Egypt.

This first image is Statue of Queen Ankhnes-myre II and her son, Pepy II, ca 2288-2224 or 2194 B.C.E., at the Brooklyn Museum. I am beginning this tour with this piece of artwork from the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. During this time, artwork still revolved around the different Egyptian Gods meaning that humans were not considered to be at the center of the universe at this point. I chose to begin with this particular piece because it is one of the first, and few times we see a child in artwork. In beginning the tour with this piece we can see that the child does not phenotypically display accurate representations of what children look/looked like. The child does not have any characteristic child features that would instantaneously make us assume that this was in fact a child. In the way the child was made to look in this piece, he just looks like a smaller version of an adult, again because he lacks resemblance to children. This piece of work is good to keep in mind as we explore the next few pieces.

The next image I wish to bring your attention to is Hermes with the Infant Dionysus, 4th century by Praxiteles at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Here we move into Ancient Greece where we see the development of Humanism. During this time we begin to see more art revolved around humans and the human body. I felt as though this piece was important to show on the tour because we can clearly see the evolution of Humanism in  Hermes, but we can also begin to see the development through infant Dionysus. Here we begin to see physical features of children that are similar to what we see in our everyday lives. Dionysus has the round and full face that infants often have as well as a smaller and pudgier body. I believe that this clearly shows development of Humanism in children because if the name of the piece was not given, a viewer could still identify that a child is being represented.

Next, we will look at Marble grave stele with a family group, ca. 360 B.C., Late Classical at the Metropolitan Museum. I brought you to this piece in particular so that we could observe a few details in this piece. In this marble grave stele we can take note of the two women and man, and the chid holding hands with who we could assume is her mother. I chose to show this piece because just like the previous sculpture, we can see a clear representation of a child, this time a little girl. At this point we can see through examining the child that the depiction of Humanism has begun to evolve. One observation we can take into account is the use of size to show that she is in fact representing a young girl. The mother’s hand that is holding the young girl’s hand is noticeably larger than the young girl’s. I would like to point this out because it looks slightly exaggerated, but it can be assumed this was done to show that this a very young child, perhaps between the ages of 5-8. Then, when we take a look at the young girl’s face it is hard to decipher her age range, and if the body were to be gone such as the case with the woman to the left of her, one could argue that it would be difficult to tell that she was a little girl. The size of the head could signify that she was supposed to be a young girl, but the facial features could make one weary. This is why I chose this piece, size is used to clearly depict a child in this family, but the facial features are similar to those of pieces of artwork depicting women. The child has softer features to show a child, but the overall face is still similar to a woman’s. This piece shows evolution in Humanism through the young girl, but there is still an ongoing use of adult-like features on young children at this point in time.

One other piece we will be observing and examining briefly is Bronze statue of Eros sleeping, 3rd-2nd century B.C., Hellenistic Period at the Metropolitan Museum. Even though this piece is representing mythology, we can see obvious evolution of Humanism through Eros being depicted as a child. Brief background for the Hellenistic Period that we are entering is that during Alexander the Great’s reign we see a change and evolution in Humanism. During this time, we begin to see more works of art showcasing different subject matter as well as accurate characterizations of age. On that note, we can really appreciate the details of this piece, which is why I brought you to this piece next. In this piece, even though it is a representation of Eros, we have a child as the main subject matter. In this sculpture we can clearly see many different physical features that are being used to show that this is a child, instead of the reliance on size. Here we see the use of softer lines for Eros’ body in order to give the body a softer and more plush appearance, physical features we expect to see in a child in real life. We even see Eros with chubby feet, again another physical feature that is associated with very young children. Now if we take a look at Eros’ face, the use of soft lines and grooves is used to, again, give the face a softer and rounder look. Also, the tousled curls that Eros has gives him another young boyish feature. I chose this piece because it coincides perfectly with my theme of the evolution of humanism depicted through children. Evolution of Humanism was evident during the Hellenistic Age especially with their true and accurate depictions of children. Here we see more focus on physical features to represent specific age groups instead of the use of size.

The last picture I will bring your attention to is Bronze statue of a camillus (acolyte), Roman A.D. 14-54, Early Imperial, Julio Claudian at the Metropolitan Museum. As time went on the Romans also began to use more children as subject matter, and there was a focus on physical features depicting accurate age. When taking a look back to the previous pieces and now to this one, we can really begin to appreciate the development of Humanism as time went on. Just like the previous piece, in this Roman sculpture we can appreciate the accurate child-like physical features of this young boy. Here, soft lines and grooves are used for his physical features to once again show that he is a young boy. Although his hair isn’t tousled like Eros, it is cropped, but boyish curls are still depicted giving this child a more youthful look. When looking at his face, we see another depiction of a round and soft face to show the youthfulness of this boy, something we associate with children. We also see a slight smile and the softness of the apples of his cheeks, a physical feature that is prominent amongst children. I wanted to point out this physical feature on the boy because it is one of the most child-like physical features to the point where we have a saying “…so cute I could pinch your cheeks”, which is most often said to children; and the Romans captured this so perfectly. We also see his body as having the correct ratios and proportions to that of a real human child. I believe that this was a good sculpture to close on because we can see through this statue that as civilizations evolved we begin to see the evolution in their detailing to accurately portray the human world. This piece helps to further the idea that children accurately display the development of Humanism throughout the Ancient worlds that we have explored and previous learned about in detail.

I would like to end this tour with some final thoughts about the explored theme and pieces of art works that we examined. In the beginning I proposed to you the idea that while men and women are mostly used to show the development of Humanism throughout the Ancient Worlds, children in artworks accurately show the evolution and development of Humanism. Throughout the different pieces that I showed we begin to see artistic development along with civilization development. In beginning with the piece Statue of Queen Ankhnes-myre II and her son, Pepy II, and then examining the other pieces we can truly appreciate the development of artist’s attention to physical features when it comes to the depiction of children; size is no longer the main detail used to depict children. We began to see the use of softer lines and grooves and accurate proportions in order to accurately represent children in the art world, and their classic physical features that make a viewer instantly assume that a child is being shown. The children in artworks perfectly show the development and evolution of Humanism in the art world.

Works Cited

“Bronze Statue of Eros Sleeping.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/hellenistic/v/enamored.

Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. “The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tacg/hd_tacg.htm (January 2008)

Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. “Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (April 2007)

Nichols, Marden. “Contexts for the Display of Statues in Classical Antiquity.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/disp/hd_disp.htm (April 2010)

Final Essay (Second Topic Chosen)

Michael Cefalo
ARTD 1010 – 9:30 AM
Professor Shaw
Final Essay

Is Everything Connected?

                 Throughout the monumental span of history that our world has traversed through, we along with every other inhabitant have evolved a great deal. However not only have we undergone massive changes, but so has the art and sculptures produced during our ever-changing timeline. Looking back on what we have not only learned during the course of our semester but to the pieces that the Met Museum holds home to, we can begin to notice a similar trend in both the statues and art pieces. One might just play the thought off as a simple coincidence, a mere inspiration related incident that drove many pieces to follow the same trend. But if delved into deeper we can truly begin to see morsels of something greater that could be at play, something that in turn can tie everything we’ve seen throughout the last few months, and everything’s that’s been created during the last millennium, together.
Starting us off the beaten path are the sculptures I had seen at the Met. The statue of Eirene, the marble statue of the lion, and the bronze horse. At first read, these three pieces may seem as though they are leagues apart as if they have nothing to do with each other and were just made for the sake of it. And yes, that could very well be the case and they may not at all tie together, but with the information gathered about them, the times they were created, the place they originate from, and the backstories that spin their tales, we are able to weave together some loose points, giving us a pretty clear comparison. To start off, we have the piece known as the Bronze Horse. The Bronze Horse was the epitome of elegance, as it portrayed the Greeks use of Geometric art to create a wonderfully stylized piece. From this, the Greeks had begun to grow their art of creation and began to advance what they already could do. Transferring over to the piece known as the Marble Lion, we can see a clear-cut comparison. This statue usually sat guard at tombs of people with great importance, supposedly protecting them in both the mortal world and afterlife. It took the base model of the Bronze Horse and expanded on it, creating a full torso of a very realistic looking lion in a motion pose. Moving forward to the last statue I had observed from the Met, we have the Statue of Eirene. She, just as the lion, was created from a marble base (but had originally been created with a bronze base just as the Bronze Horse). Portrayed to be a goddess (daughter of Zeus and Themis), she was one of three maidens and was most closely associated with the fertility of the earth and the nurturing of children. Already closely relating to the previous two statues from the exhibit in terms of their surreal natures, they also relate in the fact that all three of them originate from Greece, and can be connected by either the product used to create them or through the form they take once completed. Though this is just the start of how each of them truly forms together. Although the may have proved to be base models for each other, they also turned out to be base models for the start of an artistic uprise in the early Roman empire. Each of these pieces were front-runners in inspiration for artists in Rome, as they had gathered pointers from each of these statues to create art in their fashion.
Upon gathering information from these three works of art and how they connect to create a much bigger picture, it is clear to see that many distinct art styles as well as sculptures tend to follow a certain “guideline” per say, or gather information from each other to create and evolve over a span of time. We have seen this many times over throughout the semester, and by doing so, I was able to incorporate that knowledge along with newfound information gathered from the Met and websites to fully conclude the ever so lingering question of if everything was truly connected. Although this may seem like a vague explanation of something that may have seemed bigger, it is, in fact, the key to unlocking a whole world of new views and methods of answering this question. It provides the baseline systemic method to follow whilst walking down this road of ever lingering questions, and the ways to solve them. Overall this was a very intriguing question to follow as a last hoorah to the wonderful semester and was made much clearer with the help of every topic gone over throughout the course.

 

Works Cited

The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247173.

The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248140.

The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/251050.

David, Ariel. “Linking the Past and the Present Through Art.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/arts/08iht-rartisrael.html.

The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/blogs/teen-blog/renaissance- portrait/blog/studying-art-from-the-past.

Final Project

Ariel A. Benzur 

Professor Shaw 

Art 1010 

December 7th, 2018 

Renaissance & Baroque Ideology: A Tour at The Met Fifth Avenue 

          After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Italy learned of cultures outside of its country. This led to what’s known as the Renaissance & Baroque periods & Baroque periods. The Renaissance & Baroque periods & Baroque periods went through the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries that focused on the idea of humanism. However, humanism in the Renaissance & Baroque periods were different compared to Ancient Greek Humanism. Including the belief that humans should be focused more on themselves instead of gods, the Renaissance & Baroque periods created the belief that we had the potential to become excellent though studying. The Renaissance & Baroque periods changed the world in many ways. Furthermore, one of the most prominent changes in modern art is the art of the Renaissance & Baroque periods. 

The first painting, Ancient Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini painted in 1757 which can be seen in Gallery 629, shows us what Rome was. The painting depicts famous pieces of art created in the times of Ancient Rome, some of these pieces include famous Italian landmarks, Trajan’s column, the Farnese Hercules, and the Laocoön. The color and tone of the painting is bright as well as its linear design gives everyone a better view of Rome’s beautiful art history. This painting changed the world by showing everyone the true beauty of Ancient Roman art but at the same time using “modern” techniques. 

The second painting, Federico Gonzaga by Francesco Francia painted in 1510 which can be seen at Gallery 643, exemplifies what the Renaissance & Baroque periods changed. The painting is a portrait of a boy named Federico who was ten at the time of the painting. The color is bright for the background however the child is wearing a dark outfit. The linear pattern along this painting is 2D but in some angles looks as if it were 3D. It is a normal sized portrait size at 19×14 inches. What makes this painting so great is how different the style is against the older times as it is more intricate and detailed versus a painted from the Renaissance & Baroque periods. 

The third painting, Lute Player by Valentin de Boulogne painted in 1625 & 1626 which can be seen at Gallery 634, shows the integration of other cultures into Italian culture. The painted depict a lute player playing his lute. The painting is in dark colors with an entirely black background. The lines on this picture is linear which is a commonality in all Renaissance art. The use of oil painting in this piece allowed Boulogne gave him the ability to place more delicate features on the player’s face & body.  Boulogne who was a French painter followed famous Italian artist Caravaggio, which allowed Boulogne to bring new art ideas into Roman art. 

The fourth painting, Man with a Magnifying Glass by Rembrandt painted in the early 1660’s which can be seen at Gallery 964, shows the idea of humanism being integrated into Roman culture. The painting depicts an Amsterdam auctioneer who sold off one of Raphael’s pieces. The color is ominous giving the tone of the piece a darker feel. This may be due to the auctioneer’s old age which can be seen due to the use of oil painting. Rembrandt used oil painting to provide intricate details like wrinkles. The use of a regular person as the main feature instead of a god-like human or an actual god in the piece shows off what the Romans have learnt through the Renaissance & Baroque periods. 

The fifth painting, Curiosity by Gerard ter Borch the Younger painted in the early 1660’s which can be seen at Gallery 964. This painting depicts three women writing a letter, which is very odd due to the fact that most people weren’t literate and in turn couldn’t write. The color and tone of the picture is dark with only the women’s dresses painted with light colors. Dutch women who were rich were able to read and write because of the way the Dutch were raised. Unlike the Dutch, European countries wanted women to only do housework and not to learn anything else. The furniture in the background gives the picture a Renaissance & Baroque feel due to it being modern-like. 

This museum tour which you can go on in The Met on Fifth Avenue exemplifies the Renaissance & Baroque periods showing the past Roman art via Ancient Rome and the present through the other four pictures. Showing off the art of the Renaissance & Baroque periods is important because many current paintings are inspired through painting done in the Renaissance & Baroque periods and without the Renaissance happening, art in this world would look completely different and less intricate unlike what we have today.

Final Project: Gods and Humans in Art History

Eric Zheng

Professor Shaw

ARTD 1010

12 December 2018

Gods and Humans in Art History

Throughout history, the interactions between humans and gods have been represented through sculptures and paintings by using symbolism and humanism to show how humans and gods have flourished. Gods and goddesses have always been a part of the human society, in order for humans, such as the Greeks and Romans, to express their beliefs and the way they worshiped their gods was through the form of art. Greek and Romans made these artworks so that they can honor the gods as a reminder for future generations that there is someone that will lead them, but without humans, gods cannot influence these civilizations. Humans and gods have had several interactions in Greek mythology, it all begins with the King of all gods, Zeus. He is the one that is the creator of the conflicts among humans and gods, because he decides whether or not the humans have to work hard to survive, while the gods can live at ease and care free.

Artist: Unknown/ Gift of the Hearst Foundation, 1956 (56.234.15)
Title: Marble statue of Hermes
Date: Roman, Imperial period, 1st or 2nd century A.D
Museum: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marble statue of Hermes, Copy of work attributed to Polykleitos, Marble, Pentellic, Roman

This art piece located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is known as the Marble Statue of Hermes. Hermes was the god of trade and was also known as the messenger of the gods, he was often interacting with humans such as travelers, herdsman, merchants, and etc. He is depicted in this statue naked with a robe on his arm showing his masculinity. Hermes was said to be quick and cunning and he was able to move freely between the mortals and the divine, such as the Underworld, with out consequences. He would protect the mortals and ancient myths say that he was a trickster by outwitting the gods for his own amusements or to help humankind. He was also known for his love affairs with many goddesses and mortals. Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia and he had several siblings. Zeus also had many affairs with mortals, goddesses and other beings, he also had many children that were gods, demigods, or etc. Hermes takes after his father with his affairs and the way they intervene with mortals lives, like father like son.

Artist: Unknown/ Gift of Mrs. Fredrick F. Thompson, 1903 (03.12.13)
Title: Marble Statue of a youthful Hercules
Date: Roman, Flavian period, A.D. 68-98
Museum: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marble statue of a youthful Hercules, Marble, Island ?, Roman

This sculpture represents the hero known as Hercules, and it belongs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art along with the statue of Hermes. The structure’s name is the Marble statue of a youthful Hercules, it shows Hercules holding a club or a weapon in one hand and the skin of the Nemean lion in the other while he leans against what seems to be a tree which is used as a support for the structure. The Greek and Romans portrays their gods nude to show how muscular they where and they believed that the male nude is the highest form of beauty showing athleticism and exercise by representing not only athletes but heroes and gods as well. Hercules was also the son of the god Zeus like Hermes, however his mother was a mortal women named Alcmene. Zeus had many affairs with women which made his wife Hera furious because he had so many children that wasn’t hers. Hercules was known as a demigod, a being that is half god and half mortal, he was gifted with great strengths and stamina because he was a demigod. He grew up becoming a hero that fought in wars with the goddess Hera and he traveled to the Underworld. However, his life was not all care free compared to other gods. Hercules came across struggles as a human suffering like a man even though he had powers of a god.

Artist: Unknown/ Lent by Antikensammlung, Stacchiche Museen zu Berlin (AvP VII 24)
Title: Marble statue of Athena Parthenos
Date: Greek, Hellenistic period, ca. 170 B.C.; after the mid-5th century B.C.
Museum: The Metropolitan Museum

Statue of Athena Parthenos, Marble, Greek

This statue is known as the Marble statue of Athena Parthenos also located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is known for being the goddess of wisdom and war and several other important things. In this statue Athena is portrayed in clothing with a helmet, unlike the sculptures of Hermes and Hercules, she also has no arms or legs shown compared to the other two sculptures. Athena was represented as a companion to heroes or a patron goddess of heroic endeavor protecting civilizations and cities. She was the protector of Athens and fought in the Trojan War against Paris. Athena was said to have gone to war with humans and mythical beings as ally and as foe such as helping Hermes on a quest to kill Medusa or Hercules on driving away Stymphalian birds. Zeus was also Athena’s father however she did not have a mother like Hermes and Hercules, she was said to be born from Zeus’ head after he experiences a headache and she emerged from his forehead fully grown and clothed in armor.

In Greek mythology, gods and humans have had many interactions that have been represented in art history. These art works of gods created by humans are their way of showing the symbolism and meaning of the gods and humans relationship. The Marble statue of Hermes was created by humans to express their beliefs and the way they worshiped their gods for others to see such as future generations or other civilizations. Hermes was a messenger god often crossing paths with humans and helping them or guiding them to their destinations safely. The Marble statue of a youthful Hercules was created by the mortals so they could show the beauty of the male physique and how much they took pride in athleticism. Hercules was a demigod meaning he was half human so he suffered consequences and struggled like a human and was known to be a hero among the mortal world. The Marble statue of Athena Parthenos was made so humans could portray a goddess that could either protect or destroy mortals as to not infuriate her. Athena was the goddess of war, so she often interacted with humans in conflict or as a guardian. Humans and Gods share a relationship that goes way back to the B.C. and A.D. eras, these works of art depict that bond and what the gods meant to the mortals, humans whether it be their worship or conflict.

Works Cited

“The Interaction Between the Gods and Mankind.” UNIV 200, rampages.us/okayyoo/2016/10/19/the-interaction-between-the-gods-and-mankind/.

“Hermes • Facts and Information on Greek God Hermes.” Greek Gods & Goddesses, greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/hermes/.

“The Enduring Art of Marble Sculpture.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/getty-museum/getty-sculpture/a/the-enduring-art-of-marble-sculpture.

“Athena • Facts and Information on Greek Goddess Athena.” Greek Gods & Goddesses, greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/athena/.

“The Greeks Interaction with the Gods.” An Introduction to Greek Mythology, anintroductiontogreekmythology.weebly.com/the-greeks-interaction-with-the-gods.html.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254925

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247000

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/259354