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Slide Notes
Welcome to my class: "Introduction to Art in History, Theory, and Practice." This lesson briefly covers early art through classicism. This little statue in the first slide is the "Venus of Willendorf," now called the "Woman of Willendorf," since her existence predates the worship of the goddess Venus by thousands of years. She is very small, only 4 1/2 inches high, and she is one of the earliest representations of a human body made by humankind (the Venus of Hohle Fels is the oldest, but Willendorf is cuter). She is naked and very fat with large, pendulous breasts emphasizing her fertility.
Early Art History
Published on Jun 29, 2016
Briefly covers cave paintings, Egyptian art, Greek art, and Roman art.
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Early Art History
Welcome to my class: "Introduction to Art in History, Theory, and Practice." This lesson briefly covers early art through classicism. This little statue in the first slide is the "Venus of Willendorf," now called the "Woman of Willendorf," since her existence predates the worship of the goddess Venus by thousands of years. She is very small, only 4 1/2 inches high, and she is one of the earliest representations of a human body made by humankind (the Venus of Hohle Fels is the oldest, but Willendorf is cuter). She is naked and very fat with large, pendulous breasts emphasizing her fertility.
Photo by profzucker
The First Art
- Cave painting
- Fertility goddesses
- Megalithic structures
meg·a·lith: noun
a large stone that forms a ancient monument (e.g., a menhir) or part of one (e.g., a stone circle or chamber tomb).
Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England is made of megaliths.
a large stone that forms a ancient monument (e.g., a menhir) or part of one (e.g., a stone circle or chamber tomb).
Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England is made of megaliths.
Photo by jacsonquerubin
Lascaux Cave Paintings
- Contains nearly 2,000 figures including animals, a human, and abstract signs
- One of the bulls is the largest animal discovered so far in cave art: 17 feet long
Near Montignac, France, a collection of cave paintings were discovered by four teenagers who stumbled upon the ancient artwork after following their dog down a narrow entrance into a cavern. The Lascaux grotto includes of a main cavern 66 feet wide and 16 feet high. There is only one human figure depicted in the cave: a bird-headed man. Archaeologists believe that the cave was used over a long period of time as a center for hunting and religious rites.
Photo by Xipe Totec39
Lascaux Cave Paintings, France
The animals in this cave were not traced by knuckle-dragging troglodytes. The drawings are elegantly proportioned with brevity of line and a sense for motion.
Photo by Adibu456
Lascaux Cave Paintings, France
Here is a lovely cow with a large, sturdy body and graceful black head.
"The Crossed Bison"
The Crossed Bison demonstrates a very early use of perspective. Notice that the bison on the left appears closer since its hindquarters overlap the bison on the right who appears to be at a greater distance from the viewer due to its smaller size.
Cave Painting in Sulawesi
Cave paintings in Sulawesi have been discovered which are even older than the famous Lascaux Caves. What do the cave paintings communicate? We cannot know the mind of the artist or artists, but they seem to say, "This is what I have seen. These are my experiences. I lived. I was here." People desire to be known by others. No one wants their life to fade into obscurity. In a sense, art can clear the hurdles of time to make one immortal in a way.
If you are interested in cave art, watch "Cave of Forgotten Dreams," a documentary about Chauvet Cave in France. It's on Netflix.
If you are interested in cave art, watch "Cave of Forgotten Dreams," a documentary about Chauvet Cave in France. It's on Netflix.
Ancient Egyptian Art
(3100 b.c.–30 b.c.)
On to ancient Egyptian art, which spans some staggering 3,000 years. Egypt was a very powerful and very stable place (most of the time), so its art changed very little through the millennia.
The picture here is the Bust of Nefertiti.
The picture here is the Bust of Nefertiti.
Photo by egisto.sani
Rules for the Ancient Egyptian Painter
- head shown in profile
- eye shown in full
- shoulders face front
- torso shown at 3/4 view
- legs in profile
- no distinction between right and left hands, or right and left feet
Egyptian painters were interested not in reality as it appears, but reality as our minds understand it. The parts of the human body are positioned in a way as to show them in their most recognizable form. They were not interested in perspective; their art was narrative. Its purpose was to communicate a story or idea.
Keep in mind that artists then were considered tradesmen, like furniture makers or metalworkers. These were not "free-thinkers" with a desire to express their own personality. With the slight exception of the Amarna period, they stayed withing Egyptian orthodoxy for painting.
Keep in mind that artists then were considered tradesmen, like furniture makers or metalworkers. These were not "free-thinkers" with a desire to express their own personality. With the slight exception of the Amarna period, they stayed withing Egyptian orthodoxy for painting.
Photo by Gwenaël Piaser
Nefertari (circa 1255 B.C.)
Here is a tomb wall depicting Queen Nefertari, wife of Pharaoh Rameses II.
Notice that while her head is in profile, her eye is facing the viewer. Her shoulders appear twisted toward the front, and she seems to have two right hands. Notice the lovely way the artist renders the translucent folds of her white gown, and the details of her headdress.
Notice that while her head is in profile, her eye is facing the viewer. Her shoulders appear twisted toward the front, and she seems to have two right hands. Notice the lovely way the artist renders the translucent folds of her white gown, and the details of her headdress.
Greek and Hellenistic Art
(850 b.c.–31 b.c.)
The Greeks influence on art is as massive as their soaring temples.
Greek painting has survived mainly as pottery decoration and a few murals.
Apart from painting, the leading form of ancient graphic art (two-dimensional visual art) was mosaic.
Greek painting has survived mainly as pottery decoration and a few murals.
Apart from painting, the leading form of ancient graphic art (two-dimensional visual art) was mosaic.
Photo by photographerglen
Greek Art
- Idealism
- Focus on mathematics and proportions
- Realistic representations of the human body
- Portrayals of gods and godesses
Unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks became enthralled with creating an idealized and perfect reality. They admired the human body, the male more so than the female.
The statue shown is the Poseidon of Melos, dated to the last quarter of the second century BC. In his hand, he would have held a trident. Notice his realistic body and careful representation of musculature. However, the cloth draped over his shoulder seems rather precarious. Since he is the god of the sea, I imagine that it is wet, and that is why it sticks to him. Ha ha!
The statue shown is the Poseidon of Melos, dated to the last quarter of the second century BC. In his hand, he would have held a trident. Notice his realistic body and careful representation of musculature. However, the cloth draped over his shoulder seems rather precarious. Since he is the god of the sea, I imagine that it is wet, and that is why it sticks to him. Ha ha!
Untitled Slide
The Greek artists observed that when a person stands, they will usually shift their weight to one foot so that one hip is slightly tilted, leaving the other side of the body in a straight line down the side. This stance is called "contrapposto." Many Greek statues stand in the contrapposto stance.
Riace Bronzes
The two majestic statues - discovered by chance hundreds of miles off the coast of Riace, on the floor of the Ionian Sea in 1972 - became the symbol of the City of Reggio Calabria. They depict two male figures - most likely two warriors - marked by perfect beauty. It is believed that they date back to the 5th Century B.C., and that they are of Hellenic origin; they are about 6.6 ft tall and in mint condition. Stefano Mariottini, then a chemist from Rome,[2] chanced upon the bronzes while snorkeling near the end of a vacation at Monasterace. While diving some 200 metres from the coast of Riace, at a depth of six to eight metres, Mariottini noticed the left arm of statue A emerging from the sand. At first he thought he had found a dead human body, but on touching the arm he realized it was a bronze arm. Mariottini began to push the sand away from the rest of statue A. Later, he noticed the presence of another bronze nearby and decided to call the police.
Documentary: How Art Made the World was on Netflix features an interview with Mariottini.
Documentary: How Art Made the World was on Netflix features an interview with Mariottini.
The Abduction of Persephone, mid 4th century
This is "The Abduction of Persephone" found in Vergina, a small town in northern Greece. It portrays Pluto (Hades) riding off with the captured Persephone to take her to the underworld. One of her nymphs cowers in the right hand corner. Shading gives the painting realism, and the foreshortening of the chariot wheel could make one believe that the horses may leap off the wall and thunder off into the distance.
How is this different from Egyptian painting?
How is this different from Egyptian painting?
Erotes or Putti. Late Roman
This mosaic depicts erotes or putti, naked male children representing erotic love and often associated with the god Bacchus, the god of wine and drunkenness. These images were assimilated into Catholicism when Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire and putti became cherubs.
detail of the Sistine Madonna by Raphael (1512)
Artists throughout history imitated the Greeks. This is a detail of the Sistine Madonna, also called the Madonna di San Sisto, an oil painting by the Italian artist Raphael Sanzio. Raphael and other Renaissance artists often incorporated Greek images into their work, such as these putti (often called cherubs). More than a thousand years later, Christians in the Renaissance idolized the idols, and painted scenes straight from pagan myths.
Cherub from early Christian iconography
In contrast to putti, Biblical cherubim (cherubs) are described in Ezekiel, as having four faces: that of a man, a lion, and ox, and an eagle. These faces peer out from the center of four wings. Under their wings are human hands, and their feet are like those of a calf. Glowing coals moved between them, and they moved like flashes of lightning. These spirits are holy and terrible, and bear no resemblance at all to naked babies. A famous cherub of the Bible is Lucifer (Satan) who was formerly a covering cherub in the presence of God.
Greek influence today
The influence of the Greeks would be far-reaching. Even today, we see bits of the Greek aesthetic everywhere. On my way home, I drive past a modern-day Christian church that is patterned after a Greek temple, complete with Corinthian columns, a pediment, etc.
Roman Art
(500 b.c.–476 a.d)
By 146 BC the Romans destroyed Corinth and made Greece into a province of the Roman Empire. The Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks, artistically. Today we refer to both Greek and Roman art as "classical art."
Photo by koelnblogging.com
Roman Art
- Realistic
- Practical
- Impirialistic
- The arch emerges
The Romans recycled the Greek aesthetic of realism because it was impressive. Being impressive is useful, especially if you have an empire to sustain.
Photo by Leticia Roncero
Augustus of Primaporta
This is the Augustus of Primaporta. He is carved from white marble and is believed to be a copy of an original bronze statue, now lost. His breastplate is very detailed; he is standing in the classical contrapposto stance. His pointing hand is slightly opened and relaxed, yet he has an intent and focused look on his face. His bare feet suggest divinity, as the gods were traditionally portrayed with bare feet. Originally, the statue would have been painted and may have looked something like the image on the right.
Pompeii couple: Terentius Neo and wife (A.D. 79)
This lovely mural depicts a pair of middle-class Pompeians, Terentius Neo and a woman who is very likely his wife.
The man wears a toga, the mark of a Roman citizen and holds a rotulus (something like a scroll wound around a wooden staff), suggesting he is involved in public and/or cultural affairs. The woman holds a stylus and wax tablet, emphasizing that she is literate. The artist has taken care to portray the couple realistically. Only the eyes seem stylized and large.
The man wears a toga, the mark of a Roman citizen and holds a rotulus (something like a scroll wound around a wooden staff), suggesting he is involved in public and/or cultural affairs. The woman holds a stylus and wax tablet, emphasizing that she is literate. The artist has taken care to portray the couple realistically. Only the eyes seem stylized and large.
"Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, . . . For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."
- I Corinthians 1:22, 23, 25
Greek culture was very rich, but also very lost. The ancient Greeks embraced all sorts of depravity (if you can imagine it, they did it, and if you can't imagine it, they did that, too). The people valued wisdom above goodness. Acts 17:21 (NLT) says, ". . . the Athenians . . . seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas." Let's learn, and gain wisdom, but let's be wise about the things of God: justice, mercy, and humility. Romans 16:19 (ERV) says, "I want you to be wise about what is good and to know nothing about what is evil."
Photo by bdesham
