nicolesaltou-blog

[nicolesaltou-blog]

I am so glad that the Rose Window inside the Chartres Cathedral is your favorite; it is mine as well. I love the stories stained glass windows tell. It’s almost like a book, but when the sun hits the glass the characters come alive. Not many people notice how truly amazing stained glass is and how much work and dedication goes into it. My grandfather dabbled in the art of stained glass and I had the pleasure to see how stained glass comes together before he passed. I would love to take up the hobby myself one day. 

Gothic Art was started by Abbot Suger is most well-known in the elaborate and astonishing cathedrals built during this time. One of the earliest gothic architectural pieces is the Saint-Denis Chapel. Although the cathedral already built at the time, he decided to add some Gothic art to it such as a new narthex, west façade with twin towers, and three portals. Saint-Denis with its Gothic architecture caught on quick due to the because of the brightness the arches, vaulting, and stained glass had on the chapel. This differed greatly from the dark interiors and thick walls in the Romanesque architecture. Stained-glass windows played a very important part in the history of Gothic art by allowing outside light to shine into the church in a diffused manner. This also allowed for more art work as the artist could use the colored glass to depict different things. When I go to church one of the first things that I look at is the stained-glass windows because they are so beautiful to see as they shine with the sunlight beating through them. I also enjoy seeing all the colors blend together to make up a single piece that makes sense and has such detail. The cathedral that stuck out the most to me out of the entire chapter thirteen was Chartres Cathedral. Located in France, about 40 miles southwest of Paris, it rises above all the buildings in houses of town to show off its magnificent architectural design. The two towers present on the west façade of the cathedral are some of the most prominent examples of early and late gothic art in on the area. These two towers can be easily compared to the one on the right is shorter and comes from early gothic art and the one on the left is taller and comes from late gothic art. The tallness and slimness of the late gothic art tower is a result of their advances in structural technology. Seeing the difference between these two towers is amazing and truly makes the church look unique and one of a kind. The west façade is also decorated with the elaborate Royal Portal sculpture. The Royal Portal piece portrays the typological view of history. On the right side, there are scenes from Christ’s Nativity and childhood. In the middle, there is an enthroned Virgin and Christ, as well as, the Liberal Arts. On the left side, there are the scenes of the Ascension. I find this piece very interesting with all the many famous icons sculpted into it. Inside the Chartres Cathedral, the Rose window caught my attention with all the color and the extravagant layout. I find it very interesting that the artist decided to use this piece to give recognition to the apostles without flat out saying it by dedicating the number twelve to everything. Underneath the big circle, Saint Anne can be seen in the middle with infant Mary in her hands with high priest Melchizedek and King David on her left and the priest Aaron and King Solomon on the right to represent more of the Old Testament.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Hi Lee, 

I really admire your ability to look deeper into a painting or a building and find and understand the makings of it, instead of just looking at the picture and explaining the colors and the patterns to us. Like when you were explaining your thoughts on the Pilgrimage. I would have never of thought to think of how close the community must have gotten while building it. Plus a number of jobs that were made it awesome for a community. 

Week8

Week8 Blog

The early middle ages were a transition period of western Germany becoming Roman Catholic and Islamic in the times from about 600 AD to 1022 AD.  As Islam spread to the west, Mosques were built and created from all ready standing churches. The reading states that Islamic beliefs suggested no iconography of Mohammad. No sculptures of the god, nothing to show the relevance of the Islamic beliefs. With that said the art shown from Islamic beliefs came in the form of buildings (mosques) and the interior designs in the buildings, see figure 11.4 in the book. I cannot begin to understand how these buildings were designed and built. They are mesmerizing to look at. In the city, I live in there are a lot of churches. None as beautiful as the interiors of these ancient places of worship. A lot of time and effort obviously went into the creation of these holy places our ancestors loved.

With the Charlemagne Empire, education and manuscripts had an important role in the Roman Catholic revival. The manuscripts in from this time showed how important the catholic beliefs were centered around Jesus Christ. Even Monks in monasteries lived by the catholic beliefs. The testament scenes are beautiful. The way these people were able to sculpt the bronze doors in picture 11.17 is amazing too.

The Romanesque art with the Celtic look of streams and colors reminds me of what we call Irish art today. I like how the Pilgrimage had a relic of Sainte Foy. The use of gold sheets sounds like something that we could only come up with in much later centuries. But the relic is defiantly one of a kind with the jewels and stones embedded into it. I appreciate how the use of these relics were used to great worshipers as they entered or passed by the churches they occupied. Using the pilgrimage people to help build these huge architectures for worship was to me a way of pulling people that did not really know each other together. The vaults in these churches are breathtaking, the way the architects and artists put these structures together and designed the interior painting is beyond their time. With technology where it is today it seems like we are not very far ahead of our ancient ancestors in working together and building such beautiful churches and other buildings.      

The last judgment is straight up creepy. While reading about this piece, I was starting to veer and think about the things I might have done wrong in my life and was hoping I was not going to be judged to Hell. The text explains what is in the picture, but I think one does not need the description to see what is going on in this picture at all. The mangled side filled with demons, serpents, and people with weapons obviously shows the down pointing all powerful hand of Jesus Christ. Then the other side of the picture Jesus’s hand is up portraying the life in the heavens, where every person is in order and not being tortured by demons.  

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 9

In years past, I had to study Gothic Art in some of my other art classes and, if I am being honest, I hated it. I was never truly into the big scary buildings and the very pointy tops that were the Gothic style. When I first started reading this week's chapter I found it hard to focus and keep myself on track. I kept putting the reading off day after day and when I finally kicked myself in the butt and read it, boy, I could not have been more wrong about the way this book portrays Gothic Art. It completely explains Gothic Art differently then my 6th grade and Freshman year Art Teachers did. Now I haven’t completely switched sides. Gothic Art it still not my go-to choice, but it does give off a certain amount of inspiration to be grateful for.

I am going to start off by saying how much Gothic Art reminds my of our old childhood stories of the princess locked in a tower and she is being guarded by a big furious dragon. Also, I cannot mention Harry Potter, it is just practically swimming in Gothic Architecture. The interior of Saint-Denis is a fantastic example of my childhood connection. The ceiling takes an uncanny resemblance to scales, that of a possible mythical dragon. I also can’t help but admire the structural design of these ribbed domes called rib vaults. Not only does it provide stable support but it also gives the building a “castle” feel, if you will.

My grandfather is a craftsman in the art of stained glass. I have always admired, not only his work, but others work as well, that we all mostly see in a cathedral or our local church. I have a soft spot for works of art that rely on an element that you cannot control at all. And when the sun is just at the right spot in the sky, that stained glass work of art comes alive with such brilliant color. An excellent example of a stained glass window is the Rose Window and Lancets in the north transept in the Chartres Cathedral in Notre Dame, France and, my god, it is massive. All art tells some sort of story and the stories this stained glass window is telling is exciting and then match it with the amount of beautiful color that is filtering through the windows is just breathtaking.

Another beautiful and massive example of a stained glass window, or in this case a wall, is the Nave, Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France. I love the layout and design. You first walk in and that wall is all you see. My favorite thing about this certain piece is the fact that the outline or trim of the windows is colored gold. I just think that is a brilliant idea. The gold brings out the reds and blues in the windows. Don’t get me started on the design and color of the ceiling. This is just a completely breathtaking building that I hope to one day visit.

Works Cited:

Picture: Nave, Sainte-Chapelle; "Sainte-Chapelle." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 July 2017. Web. 07 July 2017.

Book: Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

I am glad that you decided to mention the different cults that were in Rome besides Christianity. When I was reading this chapter I was a little confused when they were explaining the difference between them all but, you explained it so easily.

I agree with you that the Byzantine Style and Roman Style are very similar, but I think the Byzantine Style is a little more bold with their interior designs and the colors that they put on their dome ceilings and in the mosaic that litter the walls. 

Early Christian and Byzantine Art

Reading about the early Christian and Byzantine art, it helps me connect to what I have grown up around and learned in the past and still to this day. It started out with the familiar “crucifixion” of Jesus Christ outside the city of Jerusalem and it went into detail on how Christianity differed from many different cults back then. For example, we know that Christians did not include animal or blood sacrifices, except in a symbolic form, which we know is bread (Christ’s body) and red wine (Christ’s blood). The other example on how they differ was the fact that they refused to worship the emperor like the Romans and Greeks did, this led to persecution by Rome. I find this first part of the chapter very interesting because so many people wanted to be different and didn’t want to be like the “norm” or everyone else. I also like that this religion brought in the lower class’s approval and that they could now be a part of something that they were proud of. The Edict of Milan produced by Constantine, by far, was the best thing to happen for Christianity because it granted the tolerance to ALL religions.

One thing that I found interesting was the idea of the “catacombs” (underground cemeteries) for Christian followers. The catacombs were established and were a supposedly safe place from Roman persecution because the Roman law states that they were “sacrosanct” or to important/valuable to be interfered with. So, these catacombs were safe places to perform funerary services and they are important in the fact that many of the earliest forms and examples of the Christian art can be found. For example, “Christ as the Good Shepherd” in the catacomb of Priscilla, is a fitting example of compassion in Jesus Christ. I also love that they pursued to build buildings that were for the worshipers rather than being a house simply for the statue of Gods or emperors.

The Basilica of San Vitale is a church in Ravenna, Italy and it states that it is one of the most important examples of the early Christian and Byzantine art/architecture in Europe. When reading about this building it seems to me that a lot of demanding work and engineering was put behind building this. The church has an octagonal plan. It also combines many Roman elements such as: the dome, the shape of doorways, and stepped towers. But, yet it also combines with the Byzantine elements such as: the apse, capitals, narrowing bricks, and flying buttresses. Most importantly this church is known for its mosaics. One example is the “Court of Justinian” where it is “intended to depict Justinian as Christ’s representative on Earth and to show him as a worthy successor to Constantine- to express his power as head of both church and state.”

What I loved about reading this chapter is the fact that the art and the architecture is enormous and extravagant but it is anonymous. Also, Byzantine art seems to be a slowly changing mood/designs rather than a list of single masterpieces. The art that these people from the Christian and Byzantine era created are a part of the buildings they are in, they cannot be erased from them without destroying it. I find that to be the most amazing part of this chapter, that the people creating this art made sure that no one would forget about it.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 8

Art is very influential. It can make you feel, think, and believe in something just by looking at it, but the question this week's reading brings up is; What influences art? Is it a religion? Is it the government or political organizations? Is it simply the artist's values and beliefs? Or maybe there is a set of rules that forbid you from getting influenced by religion, politics, and/ or your values and beliefs to create art. According to Muhammad’s teachings and the Koran, it is forbidden to create a representation of Allah and his prophets. It is forbidden to be influenced by their own religion to create art, and that is the primary reason why Islamic art mostly consists of abstract geometric and floral patterns.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for abstract paintings and fields of flowers. Take the mosaic-filled Dome in front of mihrab in Great Mosque, Córdoba, Spain. This Dome is part of The Great Mosque of Córdoba. For those of you who don’t know what a Mosque is, it is a building where Muslims come to pray; they kneel and face Mecca. The dome is filled with inspiration from Byzantine mosaics and backdropped by shining gold. It is a shame that King Charles I of Spain ordered to build a cathedral inside of it ultimately damaging it. Luckily most of the Mosque was saved and shining brightly in Spain, today.

When I continued to read Chapter Eleven I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Hiberno-Saxon Art which originated in Ireland. I just so happen to be 48% Irish and I absolutely love to learn new things about my heritage. We all know Saint Patrick was the one that ultimately spread Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, however, it was in Britain that Christian art spread drastically. This style was called Hiberno-Saxon Art and the word Hibernia is Latin which just so happens to means Ireland.

Christian art produces many thinks but what really catches my eye is the manuscripts that were created by monks in Irish and English monasteries. The Lion Symbol of Saint John, from the Book of Durrow, is extremely intricate with a number of swirls and dots that borders a warrior of a lion in the middle. This piece is very unique in the fact that they only use a max of three colors, red, yellow, and green, but their use of those three colors makes the piece burst with unseen color.

I am not one that openly shares her beliefs on religion and politics in general, but this class is kicking me in the butt and telling me to get over hiding your beliefs and just simply write about it. It is hard with the way today’s society is. It is hard to come out and say what you want to say without getting completely bashed and criticized for it. Sure, I am still a little shy to say what I want to say, but what I am starting to realize is that art is nothing but reflections of your beliefs, whether they be reflections on your religion or on politics. Art is art; I can’t believe I am just now realizing that.

Works Cited:

Picture: Lion Symbol of Saint John, from the Book of Durrow;  "Manuscripts." Art History Leaving Cert. N.p., 21 June 2014. Web. 03 July 2017.

Book: Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Hi Macauli,

I really enjoyed reading your blog this week. My favorite part is when you mentioned and explained the use of the different buildings in Rome. However, the public baths creeped me out. I don't think I could ever to something like take a bath in public.

The Romans were extremely smart. They invented the earliest form of an indoor plumbing system, which I find just fascinating.

I also completely agree with you on the fact that the witches' faces are beyond creepy.

Week 6- Ancient Rome

Greek art was a model throughout the Mediterranean and provided a classical ideal. Rome had its local styles but the Romans continued to be influenced by Greek sculpture, painting, and architecture. Unlike Greek art, Roman art was typically commemorative, narrative, and based on history rather than myth. A lot like the Hellenistic style, Roman portraits preserved the features of their subjects. They even did more and made wax death masks and copied them in marble. Now I had no idea what a wax death max was, so I googled it. And according to google, a wax death mask is an image, typically in wax or plaster cast made of a person’s face following death, often by taking a cast or impression directly with the corpse. Super creepy if you ask me!

The Romans carried out extensive building programs, partly to accommodate their expanding territory and its growing population, and partly to glorify the state and the emperor. The public baths were something I found sort of interesting. The Roman public bath was a cultural center, a place used for socializing, bathing, and swimming. It also provided facilities for playing ball, running, and wrestling. So basically, like a big rec center I suppose.  Except the amenities included a cold room, a warm room, a hot room, steam rooms, changing rooms, libraries, gardens, and a museum. I thought it was interesting and sort of cool how the public baths had things like the garden, museum, and library in there, it’s something different. And I’ve never known of one building to have so many different options and things to do.

The most typical sculptural type of the Romans was the sarcophagus, which had also been used by the Etruscans and became an expression of status under Hadrian. One of the most important Roman sculptures in the round was the emperor himself, The Augustus of Prima Porta. In this sculpture, the emperor is shown as a general addressing his troops. By the right leg, Cupid rides a dolphin and serves as a reminder that Atticus traced his lineage to Aeneas and was descended from the gods. This sculpture is the first sculpture I’ve seen throughout the chapters that could look like a person from today’s time, so I thought that was cool.

Roman murals are among the most significant legacies of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Hundreds of wall paintings and mosaics have been discovered among the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. I remember learning about the Pompeii eruption, but I don’t remember ever learning that and I thought that was neat. Roman mural paints had small amounts of wax added to increase the surface shine. Because of the durability this adds, the murals could survive the volcanic ash and stay in decently good condition. The scholars have divided the wall decorations of Pompeian houses into four styles. My favorite from these out of the picture I seen is the first style. The exaggerated expressions are a characteristic of the Hellenistic style. You can tell this in the Soothsayers picture. The witches’ faces are creepy looking.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 7

After the fall of the Roman Empire, a new religion began to from, Christianity. Rome plays a huge roll and still does, in Christianity, considering the Pope, head of the Catholic church, lives there. I am a Lutheran but, if I am being honest,  I am not a religious person; nowhere close. I don't attend church as much as a should. However, I still believe in God and the afterlife. I know that religion and the afterlife can be a touchy subject so I am not going to go into specifics on my beliefs. What I will say is that Rome is the base of it all and Rome had a huge start to Christian Art.

A very good example of Christian Art, that caught my eye in Chapter Ten, is a marble sarcophagus in the Church of S. Maria Antiqua in Rome. For those of you who don’t know what a sarcophagus is, it is a stone coffin that has detailed carvings on the sides of them. They are most popular in Egypt, Rome, and Greece. The Maria Antiqua Sarcophagus carvings consist of Old and New Testament scenes. Different figures are lined up (fig. 10.1) ranging from Jonah and the Whale to John the Baptist baptizing a child.

This piece brings back a lot of memories to when I went to a Catholic school for my elementary years. My favorite story of all time was Jonah and the Whale. But the story of Muse and the Good Shepherd were also in the carvings. What I am a little confused about is, why? All these different stories for this one sarcophagus. Another thing that the book mentioned was that they don't carve the top of the tomb, again why?

Chapter Ten also talks about Byzantine Art and what really got my attention was their architecture. The exterior of the San Vitale in Ravenna is amazing along with its floor plan. The exterior is just plain brick but the windows are what really make it work with their arched or rounded tops. Now the outside is beautiful but the inside is filled with my favorite type of mosaics that are just exquisite. The Apse mosaic in San Vitale is showing five figures. A young Christ is in the middle wearing a purple robe of royalty and two angles flank him. On the right of Christ, Bishop Ecclesius stands and on the left is a lone messenger. The colors in this piece are what truly makes it beautiful.

The Court of Justinian and The Court of Theodora are two other mosaics in San Vitale that are also filled with color and great detail. I still get astonished when I see huge mosaics like these. The amount of time and focus to make them are beyond me.

While we are still talking about architecture I would like to mention St. Paul Outside the Walls. The interior is extremely detailed and the use of those huge columns that line the hall gives the place the Roman feel, I think, every church should have. Again with the mosaic and the color that comes from it is breathtaking, your eyes can’t help but go straight to it. (The picture doesn't do it justice) 

Works Cited:

Picture: St. Paul Outside the Walls; E., Tracy. "Art 1101 Exam 3 at Idaho State University." STUDYBLUE. N.p., 08 Mar. 2016. Web. 19 June 2017.

Book: Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Hi Macauli, 

When I read this week's assignment I completely overlooked the Etruscans as people. I didn’t think to care where they came from or how they came to be. Not to be disrespectful, but they’re nobodies; they are not commonly heard of. Which makes it that much more interesting on the reason they are even in our book. They’re art stood out so much that our book had to mention them. Thats some powerful stuff, if you ask me.

Week 5- Etruscans

When I started reading this weeks I can start off by saying I knew nothing about these people. I don’t recall ever even hearing about the Etruscans. I found out that their homeland was the west-central part of the Italian peninsula called Eturia. The Etruscans never formed a single nation. They coexisted as separate city states with their own rulers. Also, unlike the Romans, they never established an empire. I read that the Etruscans language resembles no other language known and its origin is still uncertain. I find this interesting because unlike Greek and Latin, which are also great ancient language of culture in Italy, it does not survive in literacy at all.

There are few surviving examples of Etruscan sculpture but the few that still exist show a flourishing industry in bronze. Like the Greeks did, the Etruscan artist cast bronze by the lost wax method. The so-called Capitoline Wolf is what I find the most intriguing piece of art in this chapter. It captures the aggressive anger of a mother protector her cubs. She is turning and you can see she’s tense and bares her teeth at an unseen intruder. I find it very weird that underneath the cub drinking the milk is two little humans. Tomb paintings were also a common thing the Etruscans did. A lot of the tomb paintings were optimistic scenes of aristocratic pleasures such as banquets, sports, dances, and music-making, but hints of death did appear in these.

The way the Etruscans differed from the Greeks is interesting as well. Etruscan women were involved more in the public with their husbands and held higher positions than women in ancient Greece. There were bronze mirrors that were used solely by women. Etruscan artist portrayed myths in which women dominate men by being older, more powerful, or higher in divine status. Me being a woman, I found this intriguing because even as of now I don’t feel like the world is like this. So, I think it’s cool that back then it was.

The Etruscans believed in an afterlife that was more similar to the Egyptians vs the Greeks, but their specific view of afterlife is unknown. They relate to the Egyptians in the way the materialistic way. The Etruscans accompanied the dead with items such as mirrors, jewelry, weapons, and banquet ware. Unlike the Egyptians spending seventy-two days to mummify their dead, the Estrucans cremated their dead. Which is much more realistic and related to what we do in todays society. They would bury the ashes in tombs or cinery urns. Often the lid of these things were in the form of a human head. I’m pretty sure that’s not something that can be done now but I think it’s cool.

After reading it appeared that The Etruscans seemed to live a pretty independent life in all that they did. They remained a culturally distinct group, they kept their own language, religion, and customs for almost a millennium. They even taught the Romans a lot about engineering, building, drainage, and irrigation. They also made bridges and dentures that enhanced health, which is pretty interesting to know that dentures existed clear back around 500 B.C.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Hi Macauli, 

I just want to point out your beautifully worded answer to the question What is Beauty? I agree with you completely, however, I think it is a little more than just happiness or images of things that make you happy. To me, beauty is something that takes your breath away. It is something that makes you appreciate what life has given you. 

I also really like and, again, agree with your last sentence, “Art will always evolve no matter the circumstances.” 

Week 4- Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek history has always been one of my favorites to learn about through high school, mainly I enjoyed learning about the Greek gods and goddesses. I don’t feel like through-out history you see to many women being admired for things they’ve done or do. And being a woman, I think that’s why I enjoy learning about the goddesses so much. That’s why I find it awesome to see things like the Temple of Athena Nike being built.

The podcast was cool to listen to. It brought up ideas and questions I had never considered. The podcast starts off by asking what is beauty? In the podcast people chime in and say that beauty is honesty, peacefulness, timelessness, nature, or something that makes your heart beat faster. This is an interesting question to me though. I guess, because I’ve never really thought or considered the question. I’ve always just used the simple-minded definition as beauty is something pretty, as something that catches my eye due to attraction. After listening to the podcast, I find that beauty is so much more than just looks. I took a minute to think about it and I think one way beauty can be described is happiness. It’s the images and moments that represent the most distinct and remarkable attractiveness to our souls. I also did find it fascinating how the podcast referenced that the symmetry and proportions the Greeks used in their sculptures represent what many still find as beautiful in today’s world.

Greece was not unified by a strong sense of identity until the Persians, who have been long time enemies of the Greeks, invaded them. The Greeks were able to pull out the win. This made the Greeks view themselves as the most civilized culture in the world. As we learned in the previous chapter ancient Egypt identified the passing of time in terms of kings and dynasty, but the Greeks recognized time in Olympiads, which were four year periods. The first Olympic Games was held in 776 B.C. I had no idea they dated back this far! It’s quite awesome how long they’ve continued to go on! The Olympic Games were so important that even all wars on Greek territory were stopped so that the athletes could travel safely to Olympia.

Ancient Greek sculpture didn’t start to come about until the Archaic period. They are not sure why Greeks began making this art when they did but it is obvious that the early Archaic artist were inclined by Egyptian techniques and conventions. When comparing the statue of Kouros done by the Greek and the statue of Menkaure the similarities and differences are really interesting. The kouros sticks with the standard Egyptian pose, left leg extends forward with no bend at the knee, hip or waist. The fist remains clenched and elbows turned back. One thing that the Archaic artists did different from the ancient Egyptian art is that their statues had openness between the arms and body and between the legs. I think the development of art between the Greek and Egyptian times goes to prove that art will always evolve no matter the circumstances.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 6

Rome is a very beautiful and powerful place and one I plan on visiting in the near future as a student studying abroad and if Rome looks this beautiful now I can’t even image what it looked like when it was built new.

One of the many things I admire about Rome is their architecture, more specifically their archways and domed roofs. I just want to point out the sheer genius of the design of an archway. The design itself is not overly complicated but the building or construction part is one for the focus and patient self. I, unfortunately, don’t possess such gifts. An arch is basically constructed with wedge-shaped bricks or stones that are sometimes called voussoirs. A keystone is then placed in the middle of the arch that helps apply the pressure that is needed for the bricks and stones to stay in place.

Living in Northeast Iowa I have not had a lot of experience with ancient looking archways and domes, but we do have a very old church that us teenagers call the “old stone church,” and even though it is half fallen down and crumbling it stills gives us an ancient feel with its arch shaped windows and a perfect place to take prom pictures. 

Our book gives us a great example of the archways and Ancient Rome’s stone buildings with a picture of the remains of Trajan’s markets taken from the west. However, I think the most iconic structure in Rome that truly shows the amazing design of Ancient Rome architects is the Colosseum. The sheer size of the building is astonishing and the number is passageways and stairways throughout the sculpture is incredible. I have seen a number of movies that featured the Colosseum and it is really fascinating to see and imagine what really went on there.

The use of columns was still very popular in Ancient Room with the temple designs. To me, I think columns give off a very powerful and dominating feel. The Pantheon is the most famous temple that contributes both columns and a domed roof. The Interior of the Pantheon, an oil painting done by Giovanni Paolo Panini, shows the beautiful design of the Pantheon temple and I can’t help but feel almost depressed that it doesn’t look like that now.

Not only did Ancient Rome have extremely good architects but they also had great sculptures. The head shot of A Young Flavian Women is amazing with its amount of detail in her hair, in the front and in the back. I do wish there was more detail in her face, especially in her eyes.

I have a deep passion for mosaics and the amount of patience you need to have in order to make one. The mosaic that caught my eye in this chapter was the  Soothsayers piece on page 149 (fig. 9.31a & 9.31b). The color is my favorite part and the little detail in the spacing of the tile gives you the puzzle piece aspect that makes a mosaic a mosaic.

Works Cited: 

Picture: Soothsayers;   C., Victoria. “Art History - Rome.” STUDYBLUE. N.p., 01 Dec. 2014. Web. 11 June 2017.

Book: Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 5

I thought it was interesting that Etruscan art is very rare. In fact, the only information about their art is from buried tombs and cities of the dead, which are called necropolis. However, the tombs and cities were not in the best shape considering the materials they used to build the city were highly decomposable.

I have to admit I am a little weirded out by the sculpture of Capitoline Wolf that is made of bronze. At first glance, the part that was really confusing to me was the two human babies nursing from the she-wolf. I tried to understand the meaning myself before I read on about it in the book and everything that I came up with really didn’t make and sense. After giving up and reading the short description of the sculpture, it still left me confused and asking more questions. I understand the part on why the she-wolf and the two boys, Romulus and Remus, are together. She's protecting the twins, but why are they nursing from her? And what exactly is she protecting the boys from, considering the emotion on the she-wolf's face portrays fear, illuminating the fact that there may be a predator nearby?

The sculpture, Wounded Chimera also leaves me confused. With a body of a lion, a serpent as a tail, and a very disturbing goat head sticking out of the lion's back, I am left with one question; Where did they get the imagination to create such a thing? Obviously, this thing doesn’t exist. It is almost comical even thinking about it being real, but why? Why make it? What is the purpose of it? Is it to protect or to destroy? Or am I completely overthinking this and it is just a silly myth to scare their children or their enemies?

What really catches my attention in Chapter Eight, is the fact the art is being put on other things than just canvas, or sculptures, or walls of a building, but on simple, everyday objects such as mirrors. A scene of Uni, which is similar to the Greek Hera, breastfeeding Herakles is carved out on the back of a mirror from Volterra. It is odd to me that that certain scene would be on the back of a mirror, of all things. To me that scene seems important and, maybe, shouldn’t be on something that is used every day.

I love how, in Etruscan art, the female is portrayed as an equal to men, if not more. In the sculpture of a terra-cotta sarcophagus from Cerveteri shows a man and woman lying on a dining couch and they appear to be husband and wife, maybe lovers. However, it is the woman who catches my eye, well, more like her appearance does. She looks “done-up,” her hair looks styled to a certain point and she isn't pushed behind the male. In fact, she is up front and centered. I like the way Etruscans portray their females, it is how it should be. (winky-face)

Other artworks done by Etruscan artists that I should mention are their tomb paintings, which remind me of the prehistoric cave painting in Western Europe that we studied earlier in Chapter Three. However, these tomb paintings are a little more realistic and easily translated. I like how they show a wide range of patterns from the checkerboard ceiling to the criss-cross action on the couches in the middle of the Tomb of the Leopards in Tarquinia, Italy. 

Works Cited:

Picture: Tomb of the Leopards; Russell, Marsha. "AP ART HISTORY 250." Pinterest. N.p., 10 June 2014. Web. 05 June 2017.

Book: Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Hi Lee, 

I can’t imagine how long it must have taken the Egyptians to build the Pyramids of Giza, let alone the design plans for them. My dad is an architect and I too want to go into that field of work and my dad always tells me, “you can not build something unless you first have a plan.” 

I was watching a documentary on the history channel a while back and they talked about how the pyramids were built and the theory that they all fell back on was that fact that Aliens helped. I don’t know about you but doesn't seem too far off... 

Ancient Egypt & the Aegean

Chapter 5 & 6                                                                                                        

Chapter 5 is very interesting. I wonder how awesome it would have been to be the Egyptologist’s that found all the tombs and artifacts inside them. To be thought of as a god was quite the idea. I am sure more than a couple of kings tried to make up their own religion as Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV). The Idea of using the word dynasty to describe the generations of the royal families is so over the top. I find Egyptian culture so intriguing. The sun is our god today as it was at that time as well. I think we today do not worship the earth the way we should, after all it is our god along with the sun. not one culture so far in this book has pointed out how great the earth is to us. Without her (earth) and the sun we could not exist the way we do. Today we still barely recognize what the earth does for us. End of rant on my opinion of what we should worship and label as our gods.

The art from all eras of ancient Egypt are more beautiful than the predecessors that came before them. Who knew that king Tutankhamun’s tomb had 2 gold coffins, the inner smaller one weighing a staggering 243 pounds. That’s a lot of gold, and it is absolutely stunning to look at.

Unlike the Egyptian paintings, the Minoan fresco’s suggested that the figures in the pictures were in movement. Although I do not see the difference in the paintings. Egyptians were either killing someone, carrying things and what looks to be like walking, and playing with their children in their pictures. I would say the difference that stands out to me is that the Minoan art is generally more detailed. I refer to “6.9 ship fresco” in the text. Also, the pottery vases 6.7 and 6.8 show how the Cyclades were more advanced with their art. Verses the bold colors and outlines used by Egyptians 5.25 and 5.26 of the text for example. Tutankhamun’s coffin is one of a kind, but compared to the Minoan art it is primitive.

Although the stone carvings and structures were quite comparable, the city of Thera in the southern Cyclades was way ahead of its time. This affluent ancient town was paved, mud brick housing, and plumbing systems in the buildings and ground. It is too bad that many earthquakes destroyed Crete.

The Mycenaean civilization was ahead of its time too. The housing suggested a higher standard of living. The layout and art on the walls of the buildings is just like the Minoan people. Using different chambers for different uses, made these buildings one a kind.

Egyptian and Mycenaean tombs were somewhat similar. The Egyptian tombs being gigantic stone structures, though had an inner area for the tombs for their royalty like the Mycenaean tombs. Most which were plundered anyway. Finding the stone, moving it, and building the pyramids must have takin a long time to do. Along with taking forever to build the shrines how many people were involved with these creations. The Egyptian civilization must have been enormous to the Cyclades civilizations.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 3

When I read the title of Chapter Five, I was a little confused on why we were reading about Ancient Egypt if we are studying the general history of Western Art. After I read Chapter Five and Six it made sense why Laurie Schneider Adams, the author of our textbook, wrote about Egypt in a western art history book. Egyptian art was the base/ starting point or influence for Greek and Roman art in the years to come.

When I was a sophomore in high school I took World History and we were studying a section in the book where we talked about Egypt, the pyramids, and the Pharaohs. I remember studying the pyramids purpose and what they meant, but I never really looked at the detail put into them. Now reading about them again, I am astonished.

The step pyramids are plain genius with using mastabas, signal-story trapezoidal structures, as a base and then just adding more on top to get the step appearance. The most famous one is King Zoser’s Pyramid in Saqqara, Egypt. To top it all off the purpose of the step pyramids was to be used as a burial chamber; that is one heck of a final resting place.

Moving on to the next style of a pyramid, the geometric type. These types of pyramids we are more familiar with. Starting with a square base and then four triangular sides that slant inward. The most famous group of these types of pyramids are the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. What I find fascinating about these pyramids is the fact that they are used as a home with a kings and queens chamber and a grand gallery.

I just have to mention real quick the Great Sphinx. The detail in the face and in the lion's body leaves me speechless and the one question that keeps circling in my mind is how… Aliens…

Not only were Egyptians good at creating massive pyramids they were also good at creating sculptures. The one that caught my eye was the statue of Khafre. Again the detail is astonishing and that fact that it is carved out of Diorite, which is a form of granite, and its over-life-size just confuses me more.  

Another statute that caught my eye was the standing figures of Khafre’s son Menkaure and Queen Khamerernebty, which is carved out of slate. The reason I like this statue is the fact that it shows the difference between man and woman let alone king and queen. You can visibly see that Queen Khamerernebty stands slightly in the background and she doesn't give off the vibe of power, unlike Menkaure.

Painting still played a big part in art, especially in the ancient Aegean world. The one painting, in particular, is the Toreador Fresco (also known as The Leaping Bull Fresco). This wall painting is a bull, two girls, and one boy and is boarded by painted colored stones. I think the reason why I was drawn to this piece was the amount of the color blue that was used. Blue is not a color that we see a lot of the ancient paintings. I wonder if it is because of the lack of materials they need in order to mix the color blue.

Works Cited:

Picture: Toreador Fresco (also known as The Leaping Bull Fresco) Greek Art & Architecture: Knossos: The "Toreador" Fresco. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2017.

Book: Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Hi Lee, 

I too found the invention of writing intriguing and we have come a very long way in the form of communication. I just have one question, you say that Scholars, I assume are the researchers that are translating these clay tablets, need a good understanding of a mixture of several languages to be able to in fact translate them, but my question is how exactly, the writings are basically scribblings on clay? I wonder how long it took to translate them, I know I wouldn’t want that job. 

Week 2 Blog

Prehistoric Europe + Ancient Near East

Prehistoric Europe said often considered the “cradle of civilization”. Where we all came from and formed as the humans we have evolved into today. Homo sapiens have said to be around since one million five hundred B.C. Homo sapiens meaning “wise wise man”. The stone age was split up into three groups due to time. Paleolithic were the first, Mesolithic being the middle, and Neolithic being the newest.

Paleolithic people created sculptures and used blood to paint with, making cave wall pictures. The Mesolithic era was short, people learned how to congregate near water to live. The Neolithic era created monoliths using stones. With these we are to believe today that these monoliths were used for religious reasons. Also, honoring the dead. We believe today that these structures (buildings) were set up to face the sun during summer and winter solstice months. Without any hard evidence who is to say that this is what these buildings and arrangements were used for.

With how many religions we have in the today, we can only guess this is what these structures were used for. In my town, I live in there are probably 20 churches or better. With that said I can only imagine that these structures were used for sacred events.

What I find interesting is the Neolithic people created documentation, a written language. Ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia recorded language on tablets called cuneiforms. Over thousands of years, Mesopotamian scribes recorded daily events, trade, astronomy, and literature on clay tablets. The Cuneiform writing system developed here was the first form of communication beyond the use of pictograms. Between half a million and two million cuneiform tablets are estimated to have been excavated in modern times, of which only approximately 30,000– 100,000 have been read or published. Mesopotamia ranging in the historical region situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in modern days roughly corresponding to most of Iraq. Now I want to know how did we modern man decipher this language.

Scholars need a good knowledge of several languages: The three main languages of Mesopotamia; Akkadian (including its major dialects), Sumerian and Imperial Aramaic and Eastern Aramaic dialects. In the mid-third millennium, the direction of writing was changed from columns running downwards and signs were written from left to right in horizontal rows. The Behistun inscription was to the decipherment of cuneiform what the Rosetta Stone was to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. We cracked the language, being able to find a ruler’s name as a starting point and going from there. it was not until 1835, when Henry Rawlinson, a British East India Company army officer, visited the Behistun Inscriptions in Iran that a breakthrough in understanding was made.

The evolution of written language has come a long way from smearing blood or ash on walls of caves and building post-and-lintel constructions. These cuneiform’s are really exciting to learn about. It was also, so surprising to know how many of them were produced and still exist today. I look forward getting more out of this class.

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week 2

“Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?”

Chapter Three started out with asking us these three questions. I read the questions multiple times, trying to understand the point or purpose in them. And then I read the next line, “Works of art help us to answer these questions.” I paused after I read that and the first thing that came to my mind was how absolutely true that is.

Chapter Three goes into depth on the prehistory of art, which is the time before the invention of writing, and the only way to truly answer the questions Who are we? and Where do we come from? is to get to know and understand the ones that came before us through their beautiful carvings in limestone, through their detailed stories on cave walls in bright red and black pigments, and through the mystery of huge rock architecture. Laurie Adams said it best, “The challenge lies in discovering how to read and interpret them [prehistoric works of art].

When the time came and writing was invented most assume those cave paintings and mysterious rock architectures dissolved, however, carvings, paintings, and certainly new and improved architectural structures thrived.

I can’t even imagine how intelligent the people in the Neolithic Era were. They built these incredible architectural structures; ziggurats, temples, and amazing rounded arches. And not only were they massive, they were decorated with beautiful carvings either using pictures to tell a story or newly invented words.

What people overlook, or I should say sometimes overlook, is that the Scripture or the writings are works of art themselves. Take the clay tablet on page 37 (fig. 4.7) for example, this tablet was made by pressing a rounded object into the clay and not only are there written words on the tablet but a form of a numerical system. To some, it may look like a bunch of scribbles, but it is truly a work of art.

Stonehenge is and, more than likely will always be an intriguing mystery. Since we are not privileged enough to know the true meaning and /or purpose of the Stonehenge, scholars theories will just have to do for now.

I have to say there were some crazy theories out there such as a giant helped built it, it was built with music in mind, it was used as a team-building exercise, and of course, anything to do with aliens.

After I read the “out of this world” crazy theories, pun intended, I came across some eye-opening theories such as a place of burial, a place of healing, even a soundscape. The soundscape theory is what makes the most sense to me. Steven Waller, a researcher in Archaeol Acoustics, came up with this theory. Waller explains, “if two pipers were to play their instruments in a field, a listener would notice a strange effect. In certain spots, the sound waves from the dual pipes would cancel each other out, creating quiet spots… the stones of Stonehenge replace the pipes in this example” (qtd. in Live Science). The music theory doesn’t sound so crazy now. After reading this all I can imagine is what prehistoric concerts looked like.

We may never know what the true meaning of Stonehenge is, but it sure is fun coming up with different theories to pass our time. 

Works Cited:

Adams, Laurie Schneider. A History of Western Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

Pappas, Stephanie. "5 Strange Theories About Stonehenge." LiveScience. Purch, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 May 2017.

Picture: Stonehenge https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/robin-heath-stonehenge-the-marriage-of-the-sun-and-moon/  

[nicolesaltou-blog]

I wholeheartedly agree with you that Gustav Klimt caught just the right amount of love between this couple; he painted it perfectly. To me, I get a sense of forbidden love when I look at this piece. It adds mystery and suspense to the art. I am also in love with the different shapes he uses. For the man, he uses rectangles which, I think, might represent a man's demeanor; sharp edges and harsh lines. For the woman, he used circles which might represent a woman's demeanor; almost flowery and open. 

This is a painting created by Gustav Klimt entitled “The Kiss”. I find this piece of art so beautiful and expressive. To me, I feel like this painting shows true passion behind the love between these two people. Love is something that is important to me and to see such passion expressed in art is amazing to me. 

[nicolesaltou-blog]

Week One

One of my favorite pieces of art, and also favorite artist, is Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The use of the different angled brush strokes and the random pops of color is what makes Van Gogh’s style more unique than the other artists of his time and one of the main reasons why his style is my favorite. 

Work Cited: Picture: http://www.strongestinworld.com/most-famous-paintings-in-history/