Yamashita

Ryan Yamashita

Art History 1

30 April 2015

Professor Vitali

Section 1: Near Eastern Art

A.)

Statuettes from the Square Temple of Eshnunna. 2700 B.C. Near Eastern

Statuettes From the Square Temple of Eshnunna is a work created in Iraq

around roughly 2700 B.C. They are two sculptures of a man and a woman that

are completely stylized. The man stands roughly two feet, four inches high, and

the woman stands about one foot, eleven inches. It is located in the National

Museum of Iraq in Baghdad.

The figures are both completely stylized. Their feet are too large, and their

toes look too long. They do not have ankles, so their legs seem to go straight into

their feet. The drapery appears stiff, making it look like there is no body

underneath their clothing. The man doesn’t look like he has a chest, and his

shoulders are too broad compared to how skinny his chest is. There is no

difference between either of their shoulders and biceps and makes it seem like

they are the same muscle. They do not have any wrists, so their forearms go

straight into their hands. Also, the man’s forearms appear too thick, while the

woman’s are way too thin. These features exaggerate the ideal characteristics of

the men and women. The woman has a very long neck, and her head is too

much like a perfect circle. She does not appear to have cheekbones or ears, and

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her eyes are too large. Her hair does not look natural, therefore it is stylized. The

man also does not appear to have cheekbones or ears. His facial hair is

completely stylized because it looks too perfect and unrealistic. His head is

shaped like a half circle, and cuts off after the forehead. His mouth is too small,

and his eyes are too large similar to the woman’s.

B.)

Standard of Ur. 2700 B.C. Near Eastern

The Standard of Ur is a painting done around 2600 B.C. that depicted a

king surrounded by many people. Although it was buried in a royal grave, there

are no clues as to what it was used for. The standard has two sides, with the top

referred to as “war” and the bottom as “peace.” The war side shows the king and

an army of soldiers carrying what appear to be spears, the middle shows the

army engaging the enemy in combat, and the bottom shows the army destroying

their enemy.

The Standard of Ur shows a king as the subject in the center of the work.

He stands out because he is larger than all the other people, and they are all

faced towards him. It is a two-dimensional work, with no foreground or

background. The figures are all two-dimensional and not only look similar, but are

dressed alike as well. Although there is no known purpose to this work, it seems

it was made to glorify a battle, or the victories of a king. All of the people facing

the king on the top row show that he is the center of attention and make it seem

like the people respect the king and will follow any order they are about to be

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given. The king is also the only one in the picture wearing white, therefore he

stands out compared to all the other figures.

Section 2: Egyptian Art

A.)

Ti Watching the Hippopotamus Hunt. 24-50 B.C. Egyptian

Ti Watching the Hippopotamus Hunt shows a man and a few other people

standing on boats hunting river creatures in the water. Though not a king, Ti was

a wealthy commoner who could afford to build a large tomb containing this work

of art.

This sculpture/painting is completely stylized, but Ti is clearly the subject

and towers over the rest of the other people in the picture. He is much more

stylized and idealized than the others in the sense that he looks strong, and is

bigger than the other people. The animals under the water appear much more

natural looking because they were supposed to appear naturalistic. At the top of

the work there are a bunch of trees, with animals inhabiting them. The animals

above are naturalistic and it is an attempt to make the sculpture look three-

dimensional.

B.)

Khafre. 2520 B.C. Egyptian

Seated Scribe 2500 B.C. Egyptian

Khafre and the Seated Scribe, expressed both the similarities and

differences between Egyptian royalty and the commoners. The Khafre was

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created in 2520 B.C. and the Seated Scribe in 2500 B.C. and they are both

Egyptian works Though both made out of stone, they are carved differently to

ensure the Khafre would not erode. They are both closed because they are

portrayed as seated, but are in different positions. Though similar, the Khafre and

the Seated Scribe are also different in many ways.

The Khafre is different because it represents a pharaoh, and they were

depicted as unchangeable in their sculptures. The Egyptians portrayed the king

as unchangeable, because his kha, or soul, will leave his mummy and will be put

into his statue with his face carved into it. He is also unchangeable in the fact that

his sculpture was made out of a hard stone, which is not supposed to deteriorate,

and will last forever. The pharaohs of the Egyptian culture were carved out of a

grid so the stone would not break. Since the body is proportional to the diagram,

it is stylized. For example, the Khafre has stylized broad shoulders, a tiny waist

that is too narrow, flat hands and feet, long fingers, his kilt is stiff and rigid, and

his knees do not look like flesh. He is in fact naturalistic in the sense that he has

normal sized chest, and has a portrait face, so the kha can recognize him.

Though his expressionless face shows he is unchangeable, he does have

naturalistic features such as cheekbones, eye sockets, and lips.

The Seated Scribe is different because unlike the Khafre, which is mainly

stylized, the Seated Scribe is completely naturalistic. He is a common man,

seated in criss cross apple sauce unlike the Khafre, who is seated on a throne.

His body is completely naturalistic, he has a skirt that looks realistic, and he is

writing. His facial expression shows he is changeable, because he is in the act of

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smiling. His body is naturalistic because he has an imperfect, yet realistic body

figure, with a round stomach, normal proportions on his arms, legs, and fingers,

and has cheekbones and eye sockets.

Section 3: Aegean Art

A.)

Bull-Leaping Tomb Painting. 1450 B.C. Minoan

The Bull-Leaping Tomb Painting, a Minoan painting created roughly in

1450 B.C. is almost completely stylized. There is no three-dimensional aspects of

this painting although it was attempted with the man riding the bull and the artist

hiding his hand on the other side of the bull’s body. Also the artist attempted to

show three-dimensionality with the bull’s feet appearing above the other.

Although the bull is supposed to appear as naturalistic, it still appears stylized

with the face. All of the characters are stylized, because their clothes do not

seem to have anything underneath them. The person on the right has legs that

look too long, with feet that are too skinny and pointy. Their faces look just like

shapes with eyes on them, and their hair seems to just be an extension of their

heads.

B.)

Lion Gate. 1300-1250 B.C. Mycenaen

Lion Gate is a Mycenaen monument constructed around 1300-1250 B.C. It

shows a post with a lion on each side of the post. This work is horizontally

symmetrical, meaning that it is a mirror image on the left as on the right. This

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monument is almost completely naturalistic, even though the faces of the lions

seem to be slightly stylized. The artist created three-dimensional space by

carving layers in the work, and showed this by making some aspects of the piece

stick out more than others such as the legs of the lions.

Section 4: Greek Art

A.)

Kouros. 600 B.C. Greek Archaic.

Doryphoros (Spear Bearer). 450-440 B.C. Greek Classical

The Archaic Kouros and Polykleitos Doryphoros sculptures express the

differences between the Archaic and Classical periods in Greece. The Kouros

was a Greek Archaic Sculpture created in 600 B.C. and the Doryphoros was a

Greek Classical Sculpture made in 450 B.C.The Kouros and Doryphoros are

both closed, with arms close to their sides. The Kouros is almost completely

stylized, while the Doryphoros is naturalistic, yet idealized. Overall, these two

works of art from ancient Greece show the differences in art styles of the Greek

Archaic and Classical times.

The Kouros is completely stylized in his proportions. His shoulders are too

broad, his are not proportionate to his torso, his arms are too short, legs too long,

arched eyebrow, almond shaped eyes and no eye sockets, no cheek bones, his

hair looks like beads, abdomen looks like a triangular, groin looks like rope. He is

standing frontal and rigid. Has one foot forward and knees locked. His knees

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appear to look more like decoration rather than naturalistic. He also has the

archaic smile.

Doryphoros is a Greek Classical art and is the spear bearer. He

represents the perfect male athletic body, making him both naturalistic, yet

idealized. His face and body are perfect. Though it looks like a portrait, it is not

and is generic. He represents eternal youth or serenity. He looks completely calm

not just in his facial expression, but in his body as well which shows an inner

calm. Spear bearer stands in natural controposto. He stands frontal, with weight

on one leg left knee bent, closed because he was holding a spear. He has eye

sockets and cheekbones, but are idealized. His body is based on polykleiton

canon of proportions.

B.)

The Parthenon was considered “the perfect Doric temple” because it was

constructed with the Doric design columns. The Doric temple consists of Doric

columns that stood directly on the pavement without a base. It has a post and

lintel design with the Doric columns supported by the horizontal top. The

Parthenon stands on a platform known as the stylobate, which gives the

impression of grandeur. The columns display a bulge, which gives the optical

illusion of symmetry.

C.)

Dying Gaul. (Roman Copy) 230-220 B.C. Greek. Hellenistic

Classical art paved the way for the advancement and rise of Hellenistic

art. Classical art was more or less idealized, and emotion was not really

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displayed at all. Hellenistic art evolved and became more realistic, showing more

emotion in the art.

The Dying Gaul was a Hellenistic art piece sculpted around 230-220 B.C.

He shows many realistic features and is very detailed to express everything in

the work. His legs are carefully sculpted to show off the features of each part of

the legs, such as his knee caps, calf muscles, and his thoroughly detailed feet

and toes. His torso shows all the features of a realistic body; showing chest,

shoulder, and ab muscles. The artist was even able to show the indent in the

subject’s stomach to show where he is bending over. He has broad shoulders,

and his bicep and tricep muscles are made visible, yet not too large. The artist

also shows the man’s forearm muscles and made his hands look very realistic.

The artist depicted a strong looking man, but not the perfect or ideal human

athlete. His face is also very realistic, showing a very sullen emotion. His eyes

contribute to his expression helping the viewer really see the subject’s emotions.

His hair also appears very natural.

Section 5:

Augustus from Primaporta

Augustus from Primaporta successfully brings together both Greek and

Roman art styles. The sculpture is naturalistic, yet idealized. He has his weight

on his right leg with his left knee bent. The drapery wrapped around Augustus’

waist and around his arm is very thoroughly detailed, showing all the indents of

the article. His armor is also very detailed, showing all the designs he might have

had on his actual armor. His armor and posed suggest that this was to

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commemorate a battle. The small child hanging on to his leg is stylized because

it is much to small, therefore not proportionate to Augustus and making him seem

much larger. He has an ideal body, with broad shoulder, biceps, forearms, and

muscular legs. His face does not show emotion through his expression or his

eyes, although he does have cheekbones, and naturalistic hair.

Section 6: Early Christian Art

The Good Shepherd. 425. Early Christian

Christ and the Good Shepherd is an Early Christian work of art created in

425 and represents a religious theme, with Christ depicting the good shepherd. It

demonstrates both classical traits and stylized elements. It does show some

features of three-dimensionality, but not all throughout the work. It also shows off

some classical features in the work, such as an emotionless subject, and the

naturalistic animals.

Christ and the Good Shepherd is a symmetrical painting, with Christ in the

center, and three sheep on each side of him. It demonstrates both classical and

stylized elements because the sheep are in naturalistic proportion, however their

fur does not look naturalistic. The sheep cast shadows to give the illusion of

fullness and the three-dimensional aspect to their bodies. The rocks show a

three-dimensional element, and the sky is blue and not gold showing realism.

The ground looks to be tilted upwards, and vegetation is stylized because it

appears stiff and flat.

Though much of this work is naturalistic, Christ appears stylized in most

aspects. His head is small, he doesn’t appear to have a body under his clothing,

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has long arms, no neck or shoulders, and he looks like he is not sitting on

anything and will slide off the rocks.

Section 7: Byzantine Art

Emperor Justinian and his Attendants. Mosaic. 547. Early Byzantine

Emperor Justinian and his Attendants is a horizontal mosaic created in

547, representing the Byzantine hierarchy with emperor Justinian surrounded by

the church and state. Justinian is standing in the middle front, with the church

behind him, and the soldiers behind the church to show the hierarchy of the

Byzantine. This is completely stylized within the people’s proportions and the

details. The bodies are too long, and the faces use the Byzantine formula of

having oval faces with small heads, long straight noses, long almond eyes,

arched eyebrows, and a small mouth, and all the faces are similar other than the

hairstyles.

The mosaic is two-dimensional and do not show the three-dimensional

illusions. Their bodies do not appear under the clothing, and make the characters

appear flat. Everyone is also frontal and appear in the foreground, showing no

depth. It is very symmetrical, but casts no shadows making the ground look titled

up, and the figures appear to be floating. Also, the shield that the soldiers are

holding and the gold plate held by Justinian looks flat.

This work represents the political hierarchy of the Byzantine Empire by

showing emperor Justinian in purple, a color worn by royalty. He also has a halo

representing his authority. His feet stand in front of the church and state, showing

he is above them in the hierarchy.

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Section 8: Carolingian and Ottoman Art

The Carolingian period was around the time of Early Medieval and

Romanesque, and the style of architecture that was used is known as the North

European Pre-Romanesque architecture. The architecture of the Carolingian

period attempted to imitate Roman architecture, and to do so the architects

combined many styles from Early Christian and Byzantine architecture. The

Carolingian churches are mostly basilican, with the church facing toward the

west, which is later seen in later cathedrals.

During the Ottoman Empire, the Ottonian architects follow the Carolingian

and Byzantine structures. The architects established an alternate support

system, known as alternating rhythm, which alternates wall support in the nave

with piers and columns.

The Basilica Ulpia was an ancient Roman building that was found at the

Forum of Trajan and it served no known religious function. It was made up of a

central nave, clerestory, four side aisles, entrances on two of the longitudal sides,

and two sem-circular apse, one at each end. The Roman Basilica Ulpia was an

original structure and made as an example for the future construction of Christian

churches.

The first Christian basilica was Old St. Peter’s. It resembled those of the

Roman ones, such as the Basilica Ulpia in Trajan’s Forum. They were similar in

which they both had a longitudinal plan, post and lintel, a nave, side aisles,

clerestory, apse, a flat ceiling, and transepts. The apse was located in the west

sot the building could be approached from the east.

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Saint Sabina was an Early Christian Roman Basilica constructed in the

fifth century. It is the oldest Roman Basilica that preserves the rectangular plan

and architectural style and depicts a look of simplicity and is not overly

decorated. Similar to Old St. Peter’s and the Basilica Ulpia, Saint Sabina

contains a clerestory, an apse, post and lintel, and a longitudinal plan. Saint

Sabina contains a different type of ceiling, known as coffers, which is an ancient

Roman arch.

Saint Cyriakus is an Ottonian church that was constructed around 961-

973. Similar to the other churches, there is a nave located in the center. It

contains two aisles from the Carolingian and Romanesque style with the

alternation of the pillars and columns. This shows the alternating rhythm and the

arcades in galleries. Alike the previous churches discussed, the ceiling is flat,

and however, it contains beams. It also similarly contains an apse, clerestory,

and a Roman arch. Each of the churches discussed was modified from the

Roman Basilica Ulpia, and made unique through modifications over time.

Section 9: Romanesque Art

A.)

Romanesque art was created around 1000 A.D. and lasted until the rise of the

Gothic style. Romanesque architecture is characterized by round arches and

vaults, and by the substitution of piers for columns. The exterior of Romanesque

castles were supposed to convey fear, awe, dominance, envy, respect, wealth,

and power.

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B.)

The Durham Cathedral had many revolutionary innovations to architecture

that paved the way for the rise of the Gothic style. The Durham Cathedral was

the first to use stone ribbed vaults, which also formed pointed arches to support

the ceiling. The pointed arches and ribbed vaults were two of the three main

characteristics that classified Gothic architecture, and the Durham Cathedral was

the first known building to use those practices.

The discovery of stone ribbed vaults and pointed arches had many

advantages. The stone ribs provided additional support at critical points, enabling

it to be thinner, and therefore lighter as well. They also help transfer the weight of

the ceiling toward the walls to prevent future structural issues. The use of pointed

arches enabled arches of different lengths to rise to the same height. This

conquered a problem in the 2past involving the old semi-circular arches.

Section 10: Gothic Art

A.) Saints Martin, Jerome, and Gregory, Jamb Figures. 1220.

The general characteristics of Gothic architecture consisted of the use of

pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, and flying buttresses. Gothic art consisted of

many of the characteristics of Romanesque architecture but the ribbed vaulting

and pointed arches gave more structural support. Gothic art was a style of

medieval art and was mainly subjected to religious themes.

The Chartres cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of gothic

architecture because of the heavy use of flying buttresses in the exterior design,

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enabling larger windows. Similar to Gothic architecture, Gothic painting also

evolved over time. It grew from stiff and simple, to relaxed and natural. The

sculpture of Saint Martins, Jerome, and Gregory is a Gothic sculpture at the

Chartres cathedral. It is a very naturalistic work, depicting three subjects. The

drapery of the characters looks very realistic with the three-dimensional

appearance and the wrinkles on the clothing. Their faces are all different,

showing different expressions on each figure. Their appearance clearly shows

the religious theme within the sculpture as it was a Gothic work on the Chartres

cathedral.

B.)

Jeremiah or Isaiah. Mosaic. 1115-1130 Romanesque

Christ (Beau Dieu). 1220-1245. Gothic

Jeremiah or Isaiah and Christ (Beau Dieu) are similar and different in

multiple aspects in art. The main difference between the works is the

representation of naturalism. With the Saint Pierre piece, the carved trumeau is

idealized, the hair is stylized because it has carved lines running down it, and

also the facial hair appears stylized. In the Gothic work, the sculpture is

naturalistic and very detailed. For example, you can see the robe taking shape to

the figures body around the book. In the portal of Saint Pierre, the legs of Isaiah

are too long for his torso, and he does not look natural in the small space,

making him appear contorted.

C.)

Last Judgment. 1120-1135. Romanesque

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Christ Enthroned (The Second Coming). 1145-1155. Gothic

Last Judgment and Christ Enthroned (the Second Coming) are two works

that are very similar yet different. The Last Judgment is a Romanesque work

made of stone in the Autun Cathedral created roughly around 1120-1135. Christ

Enthroned (the Second Coming) is a Gothic work created around 1145-1155,

made out of stone.

Last Judgment and Christ Enthroned (the Second Coming) are similar

because of the similar artistic structures. The both center around a single subject

(Christ) and are surrounded by figures. On the outside of the figures both works

of art have a semi-circle of arches bordering the piece and contain designs within

them.

These works of art are different because the subject on the Last Judgment

is not as realistic as the Gothic painting, Christ Enthroned (the Second Coming),

where Christ is much clearer and naturalistic. This shows the improvement in the

similar forms of art from the Romanesque times to the Gothic period. Also, all of

the surrounding figures and arches are facing toward Christ in the Gothic work,

whereas the arches are all the same shape and direction in the Last Judgement.

These differences clearly show the improvement in the art during the Gothic

Period.

Section 11: Late Gothic in Italy

A.)

Enthroned Madonna. Giotto. Late Gothic. Italy

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Giotto perfected the look of the Enthroned Madonna by using naturalism

and his skill of creating three-dimensional space. He depicts little details such as

the child tugging on her dress, and uses scientific perspective to make the

painting look three-dimensional. The saints and the rest of the people are

portrayed beautifully in the background and it enables the viewer to see the

distance between the foreground and background. The presence of aerial

perspective makes it look like they are standing back.

B.)

Pisa Pulprit. Nicola Pisano. Late Gothic. Italy

Nicola Pisano’s Pisa Pulprit reveals classical tendencies in which this work

is carved stylistically commemorating a religious event. It is stylistic because the

characters are not proportionate, but there is some naturalism in the faces and

their bodies are proportionate to themselves. There is no sense of aerial

perspective as the objects behind appear as deep as the objects in the front.

There also shows naturalism in the way the sheep are carved and in the way the

angels are designed. There is an attempt of depicting three-dimensional space,

but it is not very clear.

C.)

Birth of the Virgin. Pietro Lorenzetti. 1342. Late Gothic. Italy

Peaceful City and Peaceful Country. Ambrogio Lorenzetti. 1338-1339. Late

Gothic. Italy

Pietro and Ambroigo Lorenzetti attempted to create space and capture the

actual times in their work through capturing the Italian culture through their work.

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In the painting, Birth of the Virgin, created in 1342, Pietro Lorenzetti illustrates the

Late Gothic period in Italy by using a sheet on the bed with a design commonly

used during that time. He portrayed three-dimensional aspects in his work by

angling lines to make the image look like it is going back. It shows naturalism

because the proportions are correct, and even shows the details on the virgin’s

gown. He represents the time period by using barrel vaults in the painting, and

angled it to give it depth and three-dimensional appearance. He also portrays two

rooms in the painting, and angled the lines to make it possible to separate the

rooms.

In the painting, Peaceful City and Peaceful Country, created in 1338-1339,

Ambrogio Lorenzetti shows a naturalistic view of the city and its inhabitants. His

use of chiaroscuro successfully uses the light to cast shadows on the windows

and objects in the painting. The people and animals are proportionate to one

another, but he fails to use aerial perspective in this painting. The buildings look

like they are in the same dimension, and the lighting in the background doesn’t

change. He does use scientific perspective well, as his buildings and people

appear to have three-dimensional characteristics.

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