Chartres Cathedral

Check out this website for a great map of the stained glass windows located in the choir.

Click on the names in the diagram for a detailed overview of the window. You can also click on the image of the window for a super detailed image (these are beautiful!) with narrative.

Comments due by Monday 12-3.

Memorials/Ritual/Commemoration

Taken from How Art Made the World:

What is a memorial?

What is it expected to represent about memory, death, loss and time? Is it a lesson from the past, or a warning in the present? A memorial can serve a national purpose, like the Washington DC Vietnam memorial, or a very personal one as with cemetery tombstones and roadside shrines for the victims of auto accidents. It can be deeply sad, or openly political, endorsing differing views of past history. The design of a memorial may incorporate both abstract visual symbols and literal representations of people and events. It can use its formal design to direct emotions and responses, or leave them largely to the immediate experiences of visitors. It can directly express goals and beliefs about war, heroism, or justice, or it can simply create a space where people can contemplate their own sense of events.

What examples of public or personal memorials have you seen? What did you think about their designs and intentions; what did the memorials communicate to you? How?

Consider, as well, the implications and design of currently controversial projects like the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site in New York City. What does the present design propose about the immediate events and the lessons we are to learn from them? How is it meant to serve the many different visitors—families of victims, New Yorkers, politicians, visitors from around the US and the rest if the world? To answer these questions students will need to research and find images of proposed designs, intentions. One useful website is the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation

Art21 on ritual and commemoration: Kiki Smith and Maya Lin

Comments due by Monday 12-3.

Turkey Parts, Meyer Vaisman, 1993, Polyurethane foam, latex, acrylic.

No posting this week! Everyone gets 2 points for turkey.

Have a good break.

Bayeux Tapestry

William and Harold ride with soldiers to Williams’s palace at Rouen. William sits while Harold talk to him. The mysterious incident on the far right seems to have nothing to do with the main story, but it may have been well known in the 11th century. It might refer to a sexual scandal - the man in the lower border is naked in the original tapestry, but he has been provided with shorts by the Victorian embroiderers who made this copy.

Detail of embroidery.

Comments due by Monday 11/19.

Take a virtual tour

Go to this site and explore 360 degree panoramas and interactive building plans.

Comments due by Monday 11-19

Check out these links:

Ravenna Mosaics(6th - 7th century)

LATE CLASSICAL AND EARLY CHRISTIAN BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

Comments due by Monday 11-12

San Vitale

Choir mosaic in San Vitale. The center and left hand side of the mosaic represents the angels announcing to Abraham the birth of his son Isaac.

In class last week, we began discussing the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna Italy. This church is one of the most important examples of Byzantine Art and mosaic work, and is also one of the only major buildings to survive from the period of Emperor Justinian.
Justinian, who is considered a saint amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians, reigned as emperor between 527 and 565, but saw himself as an inheritor of the Roman Imperial authority. This is evident in his massive building plan, which links him to other great imperial builders such as Augustus. There had always been strong ties between Roman Emperors and their religion, which manifested itself in the construction of altars and temples throughout the empire. Justinian clearly continued this tradition, creating a very strong link between himself and his ancestors. In addition, Justinian, who was also known as the “emperor who never sleeps,” is responsible for rewriting the Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of civil law in some modern states. He considered it his duty to restore the Roman Empire to its ancient boundaries. Seeing himself as a defender of the orthodox faith, his multiple military campaigns to regain these territories were motivated by the Ostrogoths’ conversion to Arian Christianity, which was seen as a heretical form faith.

“Central to Justinian's conception of the political and religious order was that he as Emperor was anointed by God as the chosen leader of the Empire. Von Simson in Sacred Fortress writes: "Imperial policy conceived political and religious issues as inextricably entwined. Orthodox doctrine spearheaded the moves of political, as well as of military, strategy; and nowhere is this fact more apparent than in the great campaign to wrest the western parts of the Empire from their Arian conquerors (p. 3)." The conception of the Emperor's authority is identified as Caesaropapism, in that the Emperor is understood to combine the functions of the Caesar of the Roman imperial tradition and of the Pope of the Roman Church. Justinian saw himself as the defender of both political order and religious Orthodoxy. Justinian's ambition was thus to restore the old Empire under a central political and religious authority.” Source

The mosaic program at San Vitale serves as a record or a manifesto of Justinian’s political and religious ideals.

We will talk more about the mosaics in San Vitale in class this week, but look at this site for a collection of images concerning the mosaic program at San Vitale.

Also, check out these links for an explanation of some of the symbolism found in Christian Art:

Colors, animals, and plants

Symbols of the Saints

Comments due by Monday 11-12.

Eucharistic Dove

Eucharistic dove, 12th-13th century, Abbey of Frassinoro (Monza)

Comments due by Monday 11-5.

Dura Europos

Dura Europos, Syria is an important site that did not receive much attention until around 1921 when murals were discovered by accident in one of the many temples.


READ ABOUT SOME OF THESE GREAT DISCOVERIES HERE.


The image on the left, entitled Ezekiel's Vision is one of the wall paintings at Dura-Europos. It shows the Mount of Olives on the right side, out of which the rising dead come. Ezekiel was one of few who had the power to awaken the dead, just as the Messiah will do. There are the hands of God coming down in the top.

Dura Europos, synagogue, west wall, ark versus paganism, Syria, 244-245

Comments for this post are due by Monday November 5th.

More mosaics

5th century 'Arian' Christian baptistery ceiling at Ravenna.
(A pagan river god looks on)

Comments due by Monday 10-29.

Mosaics

In class, we have looked at a variety of examples of ancient mosaic art. The earliest example we have discussed was from Uruk, Mesopotamia where small clay cones were embedded into walls and columns to create decorative patterns.
Of course, we have also discussed multiple examples of Roman mosaic art, such as The Unswept Floor, 2nd century CE.
The word "mosaic" derives from the Greek: "patient work, worthy of the Muses". Artists used small tiles or fragments of pottery known as tesserae to create mosaics depicting various subjects. Generally speaking, these mosaics consisted of thousands of tesserae.
As far as Roman artifacts go, there are more examples of mosaics than any other construction. Not only that, but the mosaics are generally in good shape, since they were on floors instead of walls or roofs that can easily collapse. The mosaics were not just like modern day carpet, but they served to communicate something about the family who lived in the building. In fact, in large towns, shops had pattern books (like wallpaper books today) from which shoppers could buy a variety of designs “off the shelf.” Only the wealthy or elite could afford to commission personalized designs.
Here are a few more examples of Roman mosaics:

This is a ferocious dog on a hall floor, to 'guard' the house. CAVE CANEM means "Beware of the dog".

Roman mosaic of marine life.

More examples here.


It was during the Byzantine era that mosaic art reached its highest level of quality. They used marble, natural stones, colored glass, even gold and silver to create colorful designs in vaults, domes, temples, and palaces. Most mosaics done during this time period were inspired by the Christian religion that was dominant during this period.

How are these mosaics made? There are a variety of techniques that have been developed depending on the type of mosaic being made. Check them out here.

Watch this short video, which has images and narration describing the process.


Here are a few examples of Byzantine/Christain mosaic work. We will see more work like this in class this week.
Jesus, above, is shown dressed as a Roman soldier but wearing royal purple and gold. He is "trampling" the devil (snake) as well as Rome (the lion), and is holding the scriptures which read "I am the way, the truth and the life."

The combination of the glass and gold tiles (set at slight angles) would create a dizzying effect when hit by natural light (from a clerestory) or candlelight.

"Christ as the Good Shepherd," mosaic from the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, c.425-450. Some devices of Roman illusionism are still being used -- shadows, tonality of forms, spatial depth.

Detail of mosaic work.

The closest thing we have to these mosaics in the U.S. is the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, MO.

Interactive Colosseum

The Colosseum (brought to you by PBS)

Spend some time exploring the inside and the outside of the Colosseum. Give it a minute to load, then click on "what do you see?" to get started.

Comments for this post are due by Monday 10-22.

Roman Gladiators

A relief carving of gladiators locked in combat. (recently found)

Click around in this informative site about the Roman Gladitorial Games.

This site has a wealth of information about how the games began, who the gladiators were, and the cultural and political aspects of staging such events. Other areas you could research would be female gladiators, weaponry/armor, and the moral aspects of such events.

Either by reading throug this site or researching other related sites, find some tidbit of information on gladiators/gladiatorial games that you did not already know. Post a synopsis of the information you found and tell me why you found it interesting.

Interestingly enough, you can buy this reproduction skull for your very own.

Also click around on the IMA site for their Roman art exhibition. GO SEE IT IF YOU CAN!!

Finally, I found this really disturbing Pepsi commercial. Do you know of any other appropriations of Roman culture/art in modern advertisement?

Comments for this post are due by Monday October 22nd.

"Graffiti" from Pompeii

Ancient Pompeiian graffiti caricature of a politician.

Here are some of the inscriptions found in Pompeii ( I want to warn you; some of these are considered inappropriate or vulgar).

Comments due by Monday 10/15.

The hero and the monomyth

The Clash of the Titans, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Gladiator, Harry Potter…they all have something in common: a hero.
Joseph Campbell writes about this (he refers to it as a monomyth) in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
“In the monomyth, the hero starts in the ordinary world, and receives a call to enter an unusual world of strange powers and events. If the hero accepts the call to enter this strange world, the hero must face tasks and trials, and may have to face these trials alone, or may have assistance. At its most intense, the hero must survive a severe challenge, often with help earned along the journey. If the hero survives, the hero may achieve a great gift or "boon." The hero must then decide whether to return to the ordinary world with this boon. If the hero does decide to return, the hero often faces challenges on the return journey. If the hero is successful in returning, the boon or gift may be used to improve the world. The stories of Osiris, Prometheus, Moses, Buddha, and Christ, for example, follow this structure very closely.
Campbell describes a number of stages or steps along this journey. Very few myths contain all of these stages — some myths contain many of the stages, while others contain only a few; some myths may have as a focus only one of the stages, while other myths may deal with the stages in a somewhat different order. These stages may be organized in a number of ways, including division into three sections: Departure (sometimes called Separation), Initiation and Return. "Departure" deals with the hero venturing forth on the quest; "Initiation" deals with the hero's various adventures along the way; and "Return" deals with the hero's return home with knowledge and powers acquired on the journey.” source

The Hero's Journey has 12 stages. They are:
1.Ordinary World - The hero's normal world before the story begins
2.Call to Adventure - The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure
3.Refusal of the Call - The hero refuses the challenge or journey, usually because he's scared
4. Meeting with the Mentor - The hero meets a mentor to gain advice or training for the adventure
5. Crossing the First Threshold - The hero crosses leaves the ordinary world and goes into the special world
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies - The hero faces tests, meets allies, confronts enemies & learn the rules of the Special World.
7. Approach - The hero has hit setbacks during tests & may need to try a new idea
8. Ordeal - The biggest life or death crisis
9. Reward - The hero has survived death, overcomes his fear and now earns the reward 10. The Road Back - The hero must return to the Ordinary World.
11. Resurrection Hero - another test where the hero faces death – he has to use everything he's learned
12. Return with Elixir - The hero returns from the journey with the “elixir”, and uses it to help everyone in the Ordinary World
Source

The heroes also share some common characteristics:
Unusual circumstances of birth; sometimes in danger or born into royalty
Leaves family or land and lives with others
An event, sometimes traumatic, leads to adventure or quest
Hero has a special weapon only he can wield
Hero always has supernatural help
The Hero must prove himself many times while on adventure
The Journey and the Unhealable Wound
Hero experiences atonement with the father
When the hero dies, he is rewarded spiritually
source

While many people consider Joseph Campbell’s work the definitive writing on the monomyth, there are also many criticisms of his approach.

Think about any of the movies you have seen or any books you have read. Is there a hero? How does that hero function? Do you find flaws in Campbell’s approach to the archetypal hero? Why do we have heroes/do we really need them? Are heroes harmful? Have heroes changed over time?

Back up your answers with research. Be sure to cite your sources.
Comments due by Monday 10/15.

Romulus and Remus

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf.

Comment due by Monday 10/8

Ancient Color

Remember how I kept going on and on and on (and on) about how Greek architecture and sculpture were originally painted? Remember that whole discussion about how our viewing experience of Greek art is completely different than that of the ancient Greeks?

Well, look what I found! A German museum has painted interpretations of several Greek statues (this is just one of their many projects) using UV analysis of traces of paint still clinging to the surface of the marble.

Please read more about this project here.

I realize this is in German, but here you can find more images of several of their projects.

And, go here to see some amazing color! (you really MUST go here)

Click around, see what you can find!

And, if you ever get to Philadelphia, check out the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These sculptures were installed in the pediment in 1932, and relflect the 'theory' that buildings and sculpture in ancient Greece were brightly and lavishly painted.

Comments for this post are due by Monday 10/8.

Just do it.

"Nike continues to serve as a symbol of victory, although in a more subtle and generally unrecognized sense. The shoe company Nike chose that name in order to associate themselves with the idea of victory in athletics and the famous swoosh of their logo is supposed to represent Nike's wings. In many ways Nike also celebrates the victory of beauty and perfection because of the high quality of some of the statues of Nike which have been found." source

My ad!

Comments for this post are due by Monday October 1st.

Greek myths

Artemis (aka Diana) and Actaeon

Artemis (my cat): goddess of the hunt and protector of children; a very free-spirited goddess. source

The story goes that one day, as Artemis bathed in a stream, a young hunter named Actaeon saw her and stared at her in awe. She was quite beautiful...possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. This voyeurism got Actaeon in trouble, however. Artemis spotted Actaeon and turned him into a stag so that he would never tell anyone what he had just seen. Poor Actaeon...upon being turned into a stag, his 50 hunting hounds attacked and killed him.

Who is your favorite character in Greek mythology? Do you have a favorite myth? Tell me about who or what that would be and why.

Comments for the post are due by Monday 10/1.

It is my birthday...

So this guy has to wear a party hat:

Finial of a Grave stele (grave marker) of a youth and a little girl. In the form of a sphinx, ca. 530 B.C. (click here for hatless image)

NOTE: We have been given a new classroom! Starting Monday we will meet in GH 195. This will be posted by our classroom door as well.



Comments for this post are due by Monday 9/24.