Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Advice
Advice that I would give to any future AP'ers.... do the reading ahead of the time, take good notes in class, and study your ass off. The class won't be too terribly hard as long as you manage your time well. Putting everything off until the last night usually means that you're not going to do so well. Taking everything bit by bit and reviewing every night well help you do your best. Making sure you're prepared before class will help you take better notes in class and will also mean that you will be able to hear the material for a 2nd time by the end of class. Basically... just don't procrastinate. If you leave everything until the last moment then you're pretty much screwed... unless you're Peter.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Outside the European Tradition #3
Select and fully identity two works of art that visually convey a narrative. One of your choices must be from beyond the European tradition. Identify the subject of each narrative and discuss the means used to convey the narrative.
In a funeral banner that was discovered at the tomb of the Marquise of Dai in 1972 is a narrative that encompasses nearly all of the aspects of death and the afterlife. At the top of the T-shaped banner is heaven, where dragons and immortal beings congregate below two orbs that represent the sun and the raven. At the bottom of the T is the underworld, which is also joined by a scene of the funeral of Marquise Dai. In the center is a figural form of Marquise Dai who is awaiting her ascent to heaven. All of the scenes are combined together through the use of dragons whose tails reach down towards the underworld and whose heads reach upwards towards heaven.
In Masaccio’s Tribute Money, a seldom-represented narrative from Matthew is portrayed. As Christ and his disciples try to enter the city of Capernaum, they are stopped at the entrance and told they must pay a tax before they can enter. As the story goes, Christ tells Peter to go to the shore of Lake Galilee and take the money from the mouth of a fish, which will be used to pay the tax. In Masaccio’s painting, three different aspects of this story are portrayed at the same time. In the center, Christ and his disciples are seen congregating and trying to figure out what to do. On the left side of the frame the viewer can see Peter who is taking the coin from the mouth of a fish. On the right side of the frame Peter is paying the tax collector. In total, Peter is shown three times in the same painting. Many think that this painting may be a stab on the income tax that was being implemented in Florence during this time period.
In a funeral banner that was discovered at the tomb of the Marquise of Dai in 1972 is a narrative that encompasses nearly all of the aspects of death and the afterlife. At the top of the T-shaped banner is heaven, where dragons and immortal beings congregate below two orbs that represent the sun and the raven. At the bottom of the T is the underworld, which is also joined by a scene of the funeral of Marquise Dai. In the center is a figural form of Marquise Dai who is awaiting her ascent to heaven. All of the scenes are combined together through the use of dragons whose tails reach down towards the underworld and whose heads reach upwards towards heaven.
In Masaccio’s Tribute Money, a seldom-represented narrative from Matthew is portrayed. As Christ and his disciples try to enter the city of Capernaum, they are stopped at the entrance and told they must pay a tax before they can enter. As the story goes, Christ tells Peter to go to the shore of Lake Galilee and take the money from the mouth of a fish, which will be used to pay the tax. In Masaccio’s painting, three different aspects of this story are portrayed at the same time. In the center, Christ and his disciples are seen congregating and trying to figure out what to do. On the left side of the frame the viewer can see Peter who is taking the coin from the mouth of a fish. On the right side of the frame Peter is paying the tax collector. In total, Peter is shown three times in the same painting. Many think that this painting may be a stab on the income tax that was being implemented in Florence during this time period.
Outside the European Tradition #2
Select and fully identify two examples of sacred spaces from different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each space accommodates both religious beliefs and practices within its culture.
The Fougang Si Pagoda in Yingxian, China is a Buddhist pagoda that also happens to be the tallest wooden building in the world. Many pagodas housed relics such as statues of Buddha and sacred images and texts, all of which provided a place for devotion to Buddha. Unlike Christianity, which focuses on large gathering spaces for many people to congregate together, Buddhists built more intimate facilities for meditation and other such practices. They were not focused on the socialization aspect of religion, but the meditative. Nevertheless, this Buddhist pagoda is of monumental scale, which shows that the Chinese still wanted to create a building that would be impressive to their god. With this pagoda they accomplished a large scale monument for their god that also suited the meditative activities they wanted to perform inside of it.
Florence Cathedral, which was the center for all of the most important religious practices in Florence during the 14th c., was built by Arnolfo Di Cambio in 1296. It was built with the idea that it would be able to hold all 100,000 citizens of Florence during this time period. Although this was never fully achieved, what was accomplished was an extremely beautiful and elaborate place of worship for the citizens of Florence. Florence Cathedral is the epitome of what Christians in this time period wanted to achieve with their churches. Unlike the meditative focus of Buddhism, Christianity focuses much more on congregation, which is only possible in a church of gargantuan proportions. Also, the bigger the church the more impressive. Not only were they trying to make God happy through this beautiful space of worship, they were also trying to make outsiders look at Florence with greater admiration because of this great church.
The Fougang Si Pagoda in Yingxian, China is a Buddhist pagoda that also happens to be the tallest wooden building in the world. Many pagodas housed relics such as statues of Buddha and sacred images and texts, all of which provided a place for devotion to Buddha. Unlike Christianity, which focuses on large gathering spaces for many people to congregate together, Buddhists built more intimate facilities for meditation and other such practices. They were not focused on the socialization aspect of religion, but the meditative. Nevertheless, this Buddhist pagoda is of monumental scale, which shows that the Chinese still wanted to create a building that would be impressive to their god. With this pagoda they accomplished a large scale monument for their god that also suited the meditative activities they wanted to perform inside of it.
Florence Cathedral, which was the center for all of the most important religious practices in Florence during the 14th c., was built by Arnolfo Di Cambio in 1296. It was built with the idea that it would be able to hold all 100,000 citizens of Florence during this time period. Although this was never fully achieved, what was accomplished was an extremely beautiful and elaborate place of worship for the citizens of Florence. Florence Cathedral is the epitome of what Christians in this time period wanted to achieve with their churches. Unlike the meditative focus of Buddhism, Christianity focuses much more on congregation, which is only possible in a church of gargantuan proportions. Also, the bigger the church the more impressive. Not only were they trying to make God happy through this beautiful space of worship, they were also trying to make outsiders look at Florence with greater admiration because of this great church.
Outside the European Tradition #1
Select and fully identify two works of art that depict one or more women. The works must come from two different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition. Explain how each work reveals its culture’s attitude about women.
Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes is a painting that depicts exactly what the title ensues. Taking inspiration from Caravaggio, Gentileschi uses tenebrism and dark subject matter to portray a heroic female, which was a common topic among Gentileschi’s paintings. Gentileschi herself was an incredibly renowned artist and the first woman to be admitted to Florence’s Accademia del Disegno. The combination of these two aspects shows the rise that women were experiencing throughout the 17th c. Woman were no longer just slaves to their husbands, but people that could begin to make a difference in society. Just the fact that a painting that portrays a woman killing a man could be so highly accepted shows that woman’s social status’s were changing dramatically during this time period.
Gu Kaizhi’s Lady Feng and the Bear is a piece of art that portrays Lady Feng saving the emperor’s life from the ravaging bear that is trying to kill him. Lady Feng saving her emperor is all encompassing of what Confucian behavior would entail, which was a major religion of China during this time period (4th c.). In Confucianism, the women are completely indebted to their husbands. They are to do whatever is in the best interest of the husband and must do anything to make sure he is safe.
Just as this piece of art shows, women in China during this time period abided by this type of thinking. Instead of living a life of their own, they were helping the men live the best life possible.
Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes is a painting that depicts exactly what the title ensues. Taking inspiration from Caravaggio, Gentileschi uses tenebrism and dark subject matter to portray a heroic female, which was a common topic among Gentileschi’s paintings. Gentileschi herself was an incredibly renowned artist and the first woman to be admitted to Florence’s Accademia del Disegno. The combination of these two aspects shows the rise that women were experiencing throughout the 17th c. Woman were no longer just slaves to their husbands, but people that could begin to make a difference in society. Just the fact that a painting that portrays a woman killing a man could be so highly accepted shows that woman’s social status’s were changing dramatically during this time period.
Gu Kaizhi’s Lady Feng and the Bear is a piece of art that portrays Lady Feng saving the emperor’s life from the ravaging bear that is trying to kill him. Lady Feng saving her emperor is all encompassing of what Confucian behavior would entail, which was a major religion of China during this time period (4th c.). In Confucianism, the women are completely indebted to their husbands. They are to do whatever is in the best interest of the husband and must do anything to make sure he is safe.
Just as this piece of art shows, women in China during this time period abided by this type of thinking. Instead of living a life of their own, they were helping the men live the best life possible.
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