Module 10

Video Review: Key Concepts

Olmec Masks

• Created 1500+ years before the Aztec civilization
• Far in both time and geography
• Similar to us looking back at ancient Roman civilization
• Mask is polished and created with greenstone
• Aztecs collecting objects and ritually burying them for an offering
• Aztecs had reverence for cultures that came before them
• Olmec is the mother culture of Mesoamerica
• Teotihuacan: "city of the gods"

Feathered Headdress

• Sent to Europe by Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador
• Speaks to long-distance trade and tribute items: paid by conquered cities to the Aztecs
• Luxury items sent to Tenochtitlan (Aztec capital, present-day Mexico City)
• Costume was important to the Aztecs as well as many Mesoamerican cultures
• Amanteca: feather workers, highly-regarded
• Shift to Christian iconography

Bundu/Sowei Helmet Mask (Mende people)

• West African phenomenon, several ethnic groups participated in masquerade tradition
• Masks were worn not on the face but on the head
• Only known masquerade tradition where women wore the masks
• Made by male carvers to be worn by females for initiation
• Women were taken to secluded forest area where girls were initiated, instructed on how to be good wives
• Artists create an image of morality that young girls should strive for
• Down-turned eyes indicate that women should be reserved, and the small mouth indicates that women should be quiet
• Artists suggest that woman is full-figured which indicates she should be ready to bear children

Female (pwo) mask (Chokwe peoples)

• Danced by a male dancer despite the mask representing an ideal woman
• Meant to honor young, fertile women who had successfully given birth
• Culture is matrilineal
• Eyes and mouth being closed suggest a looking inward and a deserving of respect
• Had trading relations throughout Africa

Mask (Buk), Torres Strait, Mabuiag Island

• Torres Strait is a body water between Papua New Guinea and Australia
• Masks made out of turtle shells with multiple pieces stitched together
• Possibly represents the face of a hero or ancestor
• Likely danced at initiation, funerary, and harvest rituals
• Connected the wearer and culture to the supernatural
• Missionaries made the masks obsolete and even asked that the existing masks be burned

Module 9

1) Key Concepts

The Great Wave

• Toward the end of his life, Hokusai experienced a final burst of creativity which he channeled into painting.
• Hokusai's depiction of a woodcutter may be based on a form of Japanese theater called Noh plays in which an imperial emissary sent to find the spring of eternal life and the woodcutter shows him the way.
• There is an ancient Chinese story in which a woodcutter and fishermen discuss the meaning of life because both are men of nature who are in tune with the world and represent balance.
• In the depiction of Hokusai's fisherman, the feathers in the basket upon which he is sitting have puzzled scholars and could be another Noh play reference, possibly stolen from the robe of a heavenly being.
• Hokusai exhibited movement and texture within his art.

Early Photography: making daguerreotypes

• Louise Jacques-Mande Daguerre was the creator of the formula for daguerreotypes which he sold to the French government so that it could be made available to the public without patent restrictions. 
• Daguerreotypes as a new medium swept across Europe and made an impression on the populations.
• Viewers took daguerreotypes as "completely faithful depictions of nature."
• Daguerreotypes became perhaps the most popular in America and allowed for all types of people to be able to have their portrait done.
• Producing daguerreotypes was a laborious process.
• Early exposure times were often uncomfortably long.
• The assembly work of daguerreotypes was often done by women and children.

Death of Marat

• The Death of Marat was painted during the French Revolution and depicts a contemporary event.
• Jacques-Louis David was a proponent of the French Revolution and a "minister of propaganda."
• David was asked to depict three martyrs- there was an important shift from Christian to political martyrs.
• The French Revolution was meant to secularize the nation and abandon the superstitions of the church.
• The Death of Marat has a stark background which is in contrast to Rococo paintings.

Manet

• A Bar at the Folies Bergere by Manet depicts a woman standing at the bar and she is positioned in front of a mirror and he reflection is also visible.
• The woman's gaze is a typical Manet depiction with it being direct yet also unreadable.
• The painting features open brushwork which is loose, visible strokes of paint that do not create clear contours.
• Manet also features willful distortion in his artwork which upends expectations and muddles the relationship of the viewer to the painting.

Delacroix

• Liberty Leading the People is a depiction of romanticism.
• The painting has a contemporary subject but large paintings such as this were typically reserved for religious subjects.
• Liberty is an allegorical figure; a symbol of an idea that lead the revolutionaries.
• The depiction of Liberty is a classical profile that pays homage to ancient Greek and Roman art.
• The painting subjects symbolize all classes coming together for the sake of revolution.
• The entire scene of the painting is filled with chaos and energy, showcased by loose brushwork and brilliant colors which is in contrast to the muted colors which were prevalent at that time.

Monet

• Monet sometimes had as few as seven minutes to create a depiction on canvas before the light changed the effect he was looking for was gone.
• Monet had a hypersensitivity to specific effects of light.
• Monet worked to forget what he knew to create shapes and colors.
• Monet's paintings represent the momentary but have been built up over time which is visible by thick paint from multiple layers.

Cassatt

• The topic of mother and daughter and the intimacy of their relationship is uncommon throughout art history.
• The attention of the subjects in The Child's Bath is on each other which draws the viewer into the experience.
• The unexpected angle of the painting depicts how we might actually see the scene in real life.

2) The videos and text both give information into the artists' renderings and the symbolism, techniques, and subject matter they used.

3) I enjoyed the films because it gave insight to things I would have never noticed among the artwork.

Module 8: Exploring Line

1) Using a hand as the subject matter was extremely difficult. I am not talented at drawing and attempting to make the hand look realistic on paper was very challenging.
2) I used a pencil because I felt that it would be easier to make smaller, more detailed lines.
3) Drawing with my non-dominant hand felt very clumsy and like I lacked control of it.
4) Although neither are of great quality, I believe you can tell just by looking which was created with my dominant hand. The dominant hand rendering looks more controlled and deliberate.
5) I would probably not consider using my non-dominant hand to create artwork because it was somewhat frustrating to not be able to control what I was doing with the precision you would expect when using your dominant hand.

Module 8

1) I chose these films to watch because I felt the topics would be something that would interest me and help me to understand the history of art.

2) Florence: Heart of the Renaissance Key Concepts

• Florence was the home of the Renaissance and the birthplace of the modern Western world
• In Florence, there was a rebirth of the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome which swept across Europe
• Capitalism was replacing feudalism- Florence was "middleman of trade between East and West"
• Renaissance was an age of humanism- escaped from the church's shadows
• Sculptors, painters, and poets during the Renaissance turned to ancient work for inspiration.
• During the Renaissance, as in the ancient world, people saw the glory of God in the beauty, order, and harmony of the human body

Art and Life in the Middle Ages: The Luttrell Psalter

• The Luttrell Psalter is a prayer book containing scenes from the Bible and everyday life, as well as plants, animals, birds, and even monsters.
• The pictures in the Psalter reveal a lot about the Luttrell family as well as medieval life in general.
• The Luttrell Psalter is one of the few surviving pieces of evidence as to how people in England lived in the Middle Ages. 
• People in the Middle Ages, whether wealthy or peasants, depended on the success of the harvest.
• Peasants worked in exchange for a piece of land as well as a portion of the harvest.
• The rich and poor would celebrate the bringing in of the harvest together.
• People had a very literal belief of heaven and hell in the Middle Ages.

3) The films related to the readings by helping to give context as to the history of these time periods and how art was influential.

4) I appreciated the films because as mentioned, it is helpful to understand the time period outside of just the art styles. By understanding more of the history, it creates a more complete picture of how art evolved.

Module 7

Christianity Key Concepts:

• For centuries after the crucifixion, Christians in the Roman Empire were forced to worship secretly, away from the centers of civilization as they were fleeing persecution.
• Sinai is a place where both Muslims and Christians live in harmony despite their different beliefs and cultures.
• In 1504, Christianity was divided in half, forming the Western and Eastern branches.
• Romanesque churches have rounded arches.
• Christian architecture is renowned for its beauty across the world and among all faiths.
• St. Peter's took 120 years to build and began a symbol of the strength of the Counter-Reformation.
• The construction of St. Basil's Cathedral was tied up with the politics and philosophy of the 16th century.
• Within Orthodox churches, there is always an iconostasis which is a wall of icons and has a tradition of being a "book for the illiterate" because not everybody during that time was able to read the gospel.

Islam Key Concepts:

• It is believed in Islam that the prophet Mohammed declared whoever builds a house for Allah (mosque), Allah will build him a house in paradise.
• Jerusalem has been a site of complex religious conflict between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. 
• The Dome of the Rock is considered the first Muslim monument. Most of the monument has been replaced but the structure remains the same.
• Kairouan is the center of Islam because of its strategic placement.
• Muslims believe there is a direct relationship between those who pray and God and therefore there is no need for those who pray to look directly at the imam. 
• There are no figurative representations or sculptures in mosques. 
• Islam is a monotheistic religion and regarded as a continuity of Christianity and Judaism. 
• The Cordoba Mosque was not just a place for worship but also one for knowledge and learning. The interior of the mosque focuses on the spirituality of the individual. It allows Muslims to concentrate and prepare to speak with God. 
• As Catholicism dominated Europe and Spain, the tolerance period between the religions ended.
• The fall of Constantinople, the Christian capital of the Roman Empire, in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks was an important progression in Islam and to Christianity, as well.

2) The videos relate to the readings because we are able to see from this content how religious and art history are interrelated. The readings discuss periods of art history and how religion affected its development while the videos provide examples.

3) I enjoyed the films because it was interesting to learn just how much religion has affected aspects of art and its history. From the videos, we learn about how religious art, including architecture and sculptures, held political and philosophical importance.

4) I chose Christianity because I grew up in a Roman Catholic family and felt it would be interesting to learn about the ancient religious relics. I chose Islam because it is the second-most practiced religion in the world, behind Christianity, and we often don't hear about it much living in the western world.

Module 6: Video Review

1) Beyond the Classical: Byzantine & Later Greek Art
This video discusses how developments in art did not stop after the Hellenistic age and did, in fact, continue to flourish through the rise of Christianity. We learn about the profound religious influence on Greek art which has persisted despite an "increasingly secular Europe." It was from these art forms that modern contemporary artists were able to replicate and expand on, thus creating a continuity in art history.

The Greek Awakening: Art from the 5th Century BC
From this video, we learn that Athens is the birthplace of western civilization because of a revolution in art, architecture, philosophy, and theater which took place during the 5th and 6th centuries. The influence of this revolution is evident even in our present-day society. Many attribute this to the Greeks viewing themselves as the center of their universe, rather than the gods. One such representation of this humanist movement is the construction of the Parthenon. 

The Measure of All Things: Greek Art & the Human Figure
This video discusses how Greeks became focused on representing the human form in their art during the Great Awakening. This focus leads the way to produce realistic renderings that are still valued today and have developed the artistic style of realism. The video describes the Greek art as shifting the focus from religion to anthropocentric: with the focus on the human being, especially female. 

2) The videos relate to the readings through mutual expression of the lasting impact of Greek art and civilization on modern-day society. The content discusses how Greek influence is found all throughout the western world, lasting for centuries. 

3) I enjoyed the films and learning about some of the history of Greek civilization. The videos provided various examples of monumental Greek art which helps me to understand just how profound Greek influence has been over centuries. 

Module 6: Reviewing Peer Responses to Artwork

1) I reviewed the following blogs for this project:

https://visualgemsbymikayla.blogspot.com/   &   https://findingsthroughart.blogspot.com/


2) While looking at the Elements and Principles projects, I liked being able to see how other people interpret these concepts and where they are able to find them in the world to convey through photographs. I was able to see from their point of view and saw the elements and principles through a different lens. I was also able to see other elements and principles which the photo did not represent for the sake of the assignment. For example, I really enjoyed Charlotte's "Shapes" which could have also represented "Space."

3) I didn't choose any of the same artworks as my peers from Project #2. However, I did visit the Burchfield Penney Art Center for this project, as did Mikayla. I was able to see the pieces that she chose during my visit and after reading her descriptions as to why she chose them, I have a new perspective on these artworks.

4) I really enjoyed the pieces that Charlotte chose for Project #2 at The Andy Warhol Museum. I've also visited there and would really like to return again someday. I like contemporary art and I believe Andy Warhol's work is a great embodiment of this. As I mentioned in my comment on her blog, I like that Charlotte picked Make Him Want You to include in her project. I would like to know what exactly was the inspiration and message behind this piece. 

5) I personally enjoyed reviewing my peers' reflections. It was an interesting lesson about interpretations of art and how much they can vary from one person to the next. Being exposed to these different interpretations helps when learning about art.

6) I enjoyed reading the comments posted on my blog because it is nice to make connections with other individuals through shared experiences in art.