Art History @Kmutt 2020

1970 “Spiral Jetty” by Robert Smithson, Sculpture, earthwork - basalt rock, salt crystals, earth and water, 4.572 m × 457.2 m (Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah) The “Spiral Jetty” is an earthwork created on the year when the first Earth Day happens. It marks the human awareness of nature and how we are destroying it, and hopefully, nature will recover. This earthwork has exceptionally explained how we can affect nature and how nature can slowly weather our creation. Robert Smithson has moved a large amount of rocks to create a spiral in the Great Salt Lake. The rocks are dark and black at the beginning, which contrast nicely with the salt water. However, as time passes and the salt water slowly clumps onto and weathers the rocks, the rock can change its colors from black, brown to white, while the sea water changes from blue, grey to red. #nature #saltlake #landscape #path #spiralpath #earthwork #lake #mountains #spiral #earthday #1970 #awareness #inconsistancy #water #rock #color #c

 The water bed in both works are known to be relaxing. 

  1884-1886 “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat, Pointillism, Neo-Impressionism, Oil on canvas, 207.6 cm × 308 cm (The Art Institute of Chicago) The dots on the painting creates the figure, and the change between the hue of the color created the form of the body. This painting has a relaxed scenery where people come together to be in the present and have fun. There are people of various ages with various things on their agenda. Even the animals are doing something different. The color used in the painting is light with an exception of the foreground which is darker than any other area, and it is an exception which provides the viewer a better depth of field because a dotted painting often comes out as plain. #body #nineteenthcentury #oilsketches #dashes #dots #park #people #chill #leisure #picnic #French #pets #painting #woman #umbrella #sun #light #day #lifestyle #dress #quite #peace #man #dog #flowers #grass #landscape #art #painting #money #trees

The number of people which are too different not to be pointed out. In the painting by Albert Bierstadt, the landscape is shown to be empty and taken able. Meanwhile, in the painting by Georges Seurat showed how populated the area was.  

1868 “Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California” by Albert Bierstadt, Luminism, Pastoral, Oil on canvas, 1.83 m x 3.05 m “Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California” shows an inhabited landscape full of animals to hunt and minerals to mine. It is a land of the future and a space to expand for the Europeans. The easy sun reflected upon the mountainside will catch the attention of anyone nearby and spark the emotion to want the beautiful scenery as their own. However, the land was not theirs and the land was not inhabited. The indiginous people were there first, and somehow it was the European’s right to have the property. #politics #1860s #landscape #oilpainting #nature #scenicview #mountains #lake #animals #California #nopeople #light #sun #beautiful #empty #trees #mountains #scenery #snow #animas #deers #birds #epic #lake #clouds #shadow #earth  

Both of the paintings show scenic views. Even though these two paintings take place at a different time, they still exist at the same time in this world with the same problem of discriminations. 

1840 “The Slave Ship” by Joseph Mallord William Turner RA, Romanticism, Oil on canvas, 90.8 cm x 122.6 cm (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) “The Slave Ship” is a political calling of the unfair treatment slaves are getting at the time; even though, slavary has already been banned. The first color that hits the viewer is the red from the sun, which gives off the impression of anger. It is followed by the looks of the crashing waves in the ocean and the sinking ship. The details will slowly be revealed as the viewer looks closer to the foreground. It is the dark image of slaves drowning in shackles and eaten by sea creatures. #nature #oilpainting #ship #slaves #violence #story #British #poetic #shackles #fish #eating #biting #drowning #people #men #women #africanamerican #waves #crashes #sun #light #red #anger #ocean #mystery #currentevent #hands #helpless #death birds #poles #sinkingship #rocking #feelings  

 Both artwork take place at the sea and they give off a sense of violence because of the strong and huge wave. In the printing it shows how humans are fighting against nature with their will to survive and not to be swallowed by the great waves. In “The Slave Ship” painting, humans are also trying to survive their best, but they were shackled by other humans who think they are the superior species.

1829-1833 “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Katsushika Hokusai, Ukiyo-e, ‎Woodblock printing, 26 cm x 38 cm “The Great Wave off Kanagawa or Under the Wave off Kanagawa” is part of a woodblock print series titled Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. Although Mount Fuji is supposedly the focal point of the print because it is right at the center, the mountain has always been overpowered by the printing of the large waves in the foreground. In the wave, there are boats trying to balance themselves from sinking. #nature #woodblockprint #sea #mountain #Japan #scenicview #landscape #Fuji #waves #print #ink #popular #beautiful #scroll #brand #series #blue #boatsinking #people #dangerous #rogue #control #survival #small #large #horizon #woods #sold #multiply #trade #everywhere #recreated #existtoday  

 Both works have scrolls in them. In Napoleon’s study room, the scrolls are the works he had done or was doing. As for the printing, it is a scroll on its own to be easily shipped out and popularized. Since both work are close in time period, it made sense that scrolls are the easiest way to travel with work or deliver artwork across the sea. 

1812 “The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries” by Jacques-Louis David, Neoclassicism, Oil on canvas, 2.04 m x 1.25 m (National Gallery of Art West Building, D.C.) Napoleon is at the center of the portrait. The tone of the room is dark overall, while Napoleon is the lightest, making him a focal point. He posed with his shoulder hunched a little and his hand in his vest, while he was in his uniform as a colonel of the Foot Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard. The clock and the candles shows the time Napoleon has been working. The scroll of work on his desk makes him seem like a hard working man and unlike the other nobles who are known to be lazy. He was able to differentiate himself to show people that is a great leader. And this all through the narration of painting by David. #portrait #oilcanvas #studyroom #French #Napoleon #nineteenthcentury #fashion #cool #thedude #leader #clock #amazingworker #work #hair #messy #scrolls #lines #politics #betterworld #announce #uniform #oneh

Both works focus on humans. In the printing, it represents the true beauty which is never identical, and for Napoleon it is shown that he distinguishes himself from other nobles through the painting’s narration. 

  1793 “Three Beauties of the Present Day” by Kitagawa Utamaro, Ukiyo-e, woodcut, 37.9 cm × 24.9 cm (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) The three beauties are not only well-known for their looks but also their popularity and family affiliation. They are Tomimoto Tehina, Naniwa Whales, and Takashima Nisa. At the center is Tomimoto Tehina. She was a geisha famous for her skills in an instrument close to lute. On the right is Naniwa Whales who is a tea house owner’s daughter. She is more popular than the third woman of the same background, Takashima Nisa, but she has become more arrogant and haughty. The printing though is the individualized and idealized of the three woman.   #portrait #Japanese #beauties #Edoperiod #woodblockprint #ink #color #Asia #women #simplified #icon #popular #scroll #decoration #dress #smile #idealistic #face #shapes #difference #hands #fan #looks #expression #hairpin #hairdo #words #lips #nose

 Both paintings have a depiction of femininity. In the “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, the focal is the little girl in the center. Meanwhile, in Kitagawa Utamaro’s work, the women are equally a focal point.

1656 “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, Baroque, Oil on canvas, 3.18 m x 2.76 m  (Museo Nacional del Prado, Spain) Many things are happening in this painting. In the center, the little girl is being taken care of by various women. And on the side, a painter is probably painting her parents who reflect on the mirror across the hall. Next to the mirror, a man was leaving the room. On the right side, a lady looks toward us while the dog rests tirelessly. The group portrait makes it easier to spot the focal point, the girl, because of the direction of all the gaze of the character and the bright light that shines at her in the dark room. #portrait #oilcanvas #groupportrait #highclass #symbolism #people #painter #politics #girl #children #women #men #light #dark #family #dress #pet #dog #reflection #frame #canvas #painting #dolledup #hairdo #French #expression #dynamic #looks #directions #door #stepping #bowing #touching #attention #focalpoint  

Both paintings are closely related in the period of time, and the figures in the paintings all dressed well. Even though Rembrandt is always broke because of the material he used for his paintings, he liked to dress up and depict himself as rich in his younger days. Now compared to “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, where the people who commissioned him is actually rich, their over-the-top-ness is quite uncanny.  

  1640 “Self-portrait at the age of 34” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Baroque, Oil on canvas, 102 cm × 80 cm (National Gallery, London) This is a self-portrait of Rembrandt at the age of 34. He was wearing elegant clothes while resting his arm on the table. His face is mostly expressionless although there is a tint of curiosity. The color of the overall painting is dark to emphasize his face in the lighter tone.   #portrait #self-portrait #rich #person #artist #34 #notold #stillyoung #London #pigment #oneofmany #announce #beknowned #dressedup #dark #light #color #nose #ear #eyes #direction #hand #coat #table #expression #becool #hat #professionalism #talent

 Both works seemingly have a portrait of a human in an arched, rectangular frame. In the Chartres Cathedral, the viewer can see religious images on the stained glass framed in the arched windows. Rembrandt’s portrait is framed under an arch as well. However, while the viewer looks out to see the stain-glass images, the viewer looks into the building in Rembrandt’s portrait.

  1194 Chartres Cathedral (Gothic architecture) in Chartres, France  Chartres Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, is one of the best designs of Gothic French architecture. Other than their notable architectural innovation, the cathedral also has amazing sculptures and stain-glass. The cathedral is 34 meters high and 130 meters long. It is where people come together to practice their religious belief. #sacredspaces #Gothic #old #cathedral #Romanesque #beautiful #architecture #limestone #tall #light #dark #religious #christian #buttress #cross #sculpture #dynamic #stained-glass #facade #France #worldheritagesite

Both locations are architectural sites. It is a place where people can gather and create a lifestyle. However, whereas the Colosseum is for entertainment and once a church, Chartres Cathedral has one main purpose and it is for religious practice.  

  70-72 Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheatre, in Regio III Isis et Serapis, Rome, Italy The Colosseum was built during the Flavian emperors as an amphitheater. The Colosseum stands on its own without the assistance of hills like many other amphitheaters. The structure is 189 by 156 meters and it is made purely of stone and concrete. The architectural style used in this theater is a mix of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders. The Colosseum was used to host fights between gladiators and animals. #power #Rome #Nero #classes #steps #peasant #noble #Romans #assemblageoforders #mixandmatch #men #gladiator #animals #damaged #existtoday #cool #history #architecture #medieval #church #fortress #beentheredonethat #ancient #marbles #seat

 These two places are where people of all classes come together. The Parthenon was a temple of Athena in Athens. Everyone would come to this temple to pray for status and prosperity. The Colosseum on the other hand is where all the entertainment hosts for the community. Even though the classes are divided through steps of the seats, everyone are still there with the same purpose - to be entertained.

447-438 BC Parthenon (Classical) in Athens, Greece The Parthenon is the largest Doric Greek temple at the Acropolis of Athens built at the Age of Pericles. The temple has the height of 30.88 meters and the width of 69.5 meters and many features of the construction used a 4:9 ratio like the diameter to space between columns, the height to width of the Parthenon, and the width to length of the inner cells. To make the Parthenon seem perfectly straight and light, the columns lean slightly inward. All designs were considered to make the temple as symmetrical and seamless as possible. #sacredspaces #Greek #temple #ruins #architecture #column #doric #newerionic #symmetry #Athena #Pericles #empire #beautiful #colorful #stones #acropolis #marbles #perfectlystraight #decorated #sculptures #carved #honor #religious

The proportion is as perfect as can be in both work. The human proportion of the Bronze Warrior is perfectly life-size with studies of the human body. The muscle placements and the skeleton fits together without any awkward inhuman structures. The Parthenon is made with the golden ratio in mind. It was created to please the eyes and all the adjustments are made to make it look straight.  

480 BC Bronze Warriors, or Riace Warriors, Statue A, 198 cm high (Museo Archeologico Nazionale Reggio Calabria) The Bronze Warrior Statue A is one of two Greek’s life-size statues of the nude, bearded men. The statue stands at 198 centimeters, and it was cast with the lost-wax technique. This statue is known to be the younger in comparison to both statues. He posed in a relaxed manner with his head tilted to his right. His shield, spear and helmet are lost, but his inset eyes survived. His hair and beard are curly, and copper details are added to his nipples and lips. #body #Greek #statue #bronze #warrior #people #Italy #anatomy #naked #pose #hair #beard #fashion #spear #helmet #lifelike #natural #proportionate #duplicate #expression #standing #muscles #human #man #duplicate #ancient

 Both are a sculpture of human bodies. The Sarcophagus of the Spouses has less details on the body compared to the Bronze Warriors, but it has a better facial expression. The Bronze Warrior has sharp and detailed muscle lines. The hair and hand on the Bronze Warrior is life-like and the proportion of his body is studied to perfection.

520 BC Sarcophagus of the Spouses, Etruscan, terracotta, brightly painted, 1.14 m × 1.9 m (National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, Rome) The Sarcophagus of the Spouses is suspected to be a large urn to contain the ashes of the deceased. The high level skill of the sculptor has most likely been commissioned by the couple or their family, which can also represent their status in the city. It is a clay sculpture made during the Archaic period in southern Etruria where clay compensates the lack of stone. #body #sculpture #clay #offering #ritual #archaic #portrait #lastingimage #woman #man #love #ancient #marriage #layingdown #bed #platform #rich #status #cloth #details #hairdo #shirtless #accessories #damaged #realistic #idealistic #pose

Both works have two main figures in them with a level of detailed anatomy. The figures on Euphronios Herakles wrestling Antaios were drawn with an early version of anatomy and details of muscles. In the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, the two figures were sculpted with the details of the hair and face. The body of the woman and the man are posed with a subtle expression that can be easily picked up by the viewer.  

510 BC Euphronios Herakles wrestling Antaios by Euphronios, Archaic, Pioneer, red-figure, 46 cm high x 55 cm diameter (Louvre Museum, Paris) The pottery has the tale of Herakles wrestling with the Libyan giant Antaios. Both figures are nude, revealing the anatomy of the body. Herakles is painted in profile view, while Antaios turns sideways which provide the viewer with a muscular impression from his trunk to the sole visible foot. Behind them are three women cheering in the wrestling match. It has the Pioneer style because it represents the newly found interest in artists for the human anatomy. #body #Greek #painting #Paris #anatomy #nude #people #muscles #detailed #hair #beard #fight #power #strength #man #wrestling #women #pottery #clothes #wardrobe #floral #design #pattern #black #red-figure 

Both revolves around the daily life of people. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the place where people live and work on their daily lives. The pottery of Euphronios Herakles wrestling Antaios is used by people as a household item.  

  6th century BC Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon, Iraq The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire during the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar II and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World today; although, there is no confirmation of its actual existence. One of many myths about the Garden was written by Berossus. He described the stone terraces which were decorated with abundant species of trees and flowers to mimic a mountain. The scenery of the hanging flowers not only pleases the eyes of visitors, but also eases the homesick feeling of an unrecorded wife of the Babylonian king named Amytis who came from Mede where greenery is part of her life. #power #garden #plants #Babylonian #architecture #lake #sevenwonders #helenistic #Greek #city #Jerusalem #ancient #lostcity #plants #trees #memorial #wife #Amytis #king #queen #royalty #pillars #reeds #brick #homeland

Both locations are dedicated to someone. The Royal Citadel of Sargon II was dedicated to himself. It was made with his dimensions and his design, and he dedicated his life to it. For the Hanging Gardens, the place was mythically made for the wife of the Babylonian king.  

720-705 BC Royal Citadel of Sargon II in Dur Sharrukin, Iraq The Royal Citadel of Sargon II was built as a new capital. Another meaning of the name of this city is the “Fortress of Sargon”. The city covers 1.78 square kilometers, and it is surrounded with a wall 12 meters high and 14 meters thick. The plan of the city is a near perfect square with a ziggurat with four levels, building upon Sargon’s design which meant to be incomparable to any other palace. The construction of this palace has copper, lead, silver, gold, limestone, magnesite, and lapis lazuli deposited in their cornerstone and timber imported from Lebanon. Sculptures are made around the walls of the palace. #power #architecture #protection #limestone #politics #Sumerian #guardian #king #queen #eagle #lion #animals #human #mixandmatch #doorway #palace #city #defensive #wall #sculpture  

 Both locations are the embodiment of power one has. In the Hypostyle Hall, the structures are made larger than life. This shows that the commissioner is powerful enough to have manpower and money to create the magnificent structure. For the Royal Citadel of Sargon II, it takes ten years to create the city. The supplies and manpower are needed to create the city, and the importation shows the power of connection between cities.

1290-1224 BC The Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun-Re in Karnak, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt The Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun-Re is a colossal forest with 134 humongous, 20-meter sandstone columns. These columns supported the clerestory roof and walls until today after more than three thousand years. Moreover, the hall covered an acre of land. Just the scale itself can amaze anyone, and it also has the completeness and decorations which buildings in Egypt lack thereof. Inscriptions of important people's names and their stories like the royalties, pharaohs, emperors, high priests scattered at every corner of the structure: walls, columns and roof. #sacredspaces #power #temple #sanctuary #Egypt #religious #wallengraving #columns #art #carving #beliefs #culture #political #history #proportion #drawing #documentary #Ramesses #hall #sandstone #walls

 The proportion of both locations is just mind-blowing. The Palace Complex is so large anyone can get lost in it. People believe it is the mythical labyrinth that no one can escape for the complexity and outstretched of the design. The Hypostyle Hall’s breathtakingly huge columns are known for their size and the amount of them in the sole acre. It is unimaginable to stand between two 20-meters columns and yet here it stands and survived throughout the centuries.

 1700-1400 BC Palace Complex in Knossos, Crete The Palace Complex in Knossos has been inhabited for many thousand years after the destruction of the Minoan Civilization in 1375 BC. It has a history of being destroyed by natural disasters and invasions on several occasions and restored. The complex is approximately 20,000 square meters with a complicated design, making one able to associate the palace with the mythological labyrinth designed by Dedalos. #power #palace #ruins #Minoan #complex #maze #mythology #civilization #bathroom #architecture #damaged #nature #capital #restored #existtoday

 Both locations are driven to creation by power. The Beni Hasen is the necropolis location for powerful politicians. They have created and remained in this location because they can be remembered there and store their personal things to accompany them to the afterlife. Meanwhile, the Palace Complex is the flex of power to create the enormous building with multiple stories. The complex was destroyed and damaged, but it still stands today because of how powerful the leader was.

1938-1630 BC Beni Hasan in Abu Qurqas, Menia Governorate, Egypt The Beni Hassen are tombs carved into limestone hills on the East Bank of the Nile. This necropolis hosts around 39 tombs for powerful politicians during the Middle Kingdom. It is most distinctive due to its unique style of decoration like colored wall paintings. One of the notable tombs is the Tomb of Amenmehat which has a more complicated and decorated tomb. He was the last official who was given a royal name in the 7th period. The design of his tomb has a central courtyard and two pillars leading toward the main entrance of his chapel. The tomb itself is an open rectangular space. The paintings on the wall of the tomb described his daily life and the prosperity of the land he governs. #sacredspaces #tomb #wallpainting #asiasticscene #painting #architecture #scene #columns #culture #religious #gated #proportion #hiden #light #darkness #carving #stories #documentary #drawings #family #sandstone #death #necropolis #power

 Both locations have sacred spaces. The Great Ziggurat of Ur has the platform for people to practice their religious ritual while receiving the physical nourishment. It is where people can feel calm and get in touch with their mentality. In the Beni Hassen, the tombs are sacred space. It is where people visit their deceased and relive their moments of life through the readings on the walls.

2050-2030 BC Great Ziggurat of Ur in Tell el-Muqayyar, Dhi Qar Province, Iraq The Great Ziggurat of Ur has the Ancient Near East architectural style; therefore, it has four sides and slopes up to the sky/god. It is ordered to be constructed by King Ur-Nammu of the Third Dynasty of Ur to honor the divine patron, Nanna the moon god. It used to be the highest point of the city where people can spot the structure from afar. It is also a spiritual place and a location where people can receive food allotments for physical nourishment. The exterior of the Ziggurat is tiered for vantage points and religious rituals. It is orientated to the true North, 210 by 150 feet, with three levels. There are three monumental staircases that lead to the main gate at the first terrace and one single staircase to a second terrace. The second level has a platform where a temple and the top terrace are. #sacredspaces #architecture #Egyptian #pyramid #temple #Iraq #Mesopotamia #mudbrick #stepped #religious #ste

Beliefs play a role in both works. The memorial statue of King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen is created in the belief of the afterlife. The statue’s left foot steps forward as a symbolism that they have moved on to a better life. Meanwhile, the whole creation of the Great Ziggurat of Ur is for the moon god who bestowed upon the city. It is a temple to respect the god in belief that they will make the city prosperous.

 2490-2472 BC King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen, Ancient Egypt, greywacke, 142.2 x 57.1 x 55.2 cm (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) The life-size statue of King Menkaure and queen is carved on a large dark stone. The figures stand next to each other and face forward with the same back pillar. The sculpture of the king has the ideal broad shoulders and the retrained strength and youth. However, his individualized facial features remain prominent. He only wears the pleated kilt, the headdress and the royal artificial beard in the carving. His hands are clenched and flushed to his side. Meanwhile, the queen beside him stands partly behind the king with her arms around his back as a supporter. Her features are young and idealized, but her individualized aspects remain like the king’s. Both of them have their left foot stepping forward, and this symbolizes their souls moving on to the great afterlife. They represented the idealistic body features and youthfulness of an Ancient Eyptian, and th

 Humans are represented with subtle actions in both works. In the Caves of Lascaux, humans are not as detailed as the animals they represent. Humans are small and are surviving through hunting. Animals are represented to be a threat and a test of strength. In the statue of King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen, we see the transition of the proportion of human and animals. Animals become less of a threat, while humans become life-size and represent strength and youth. More symbolisms are created in this time period as people think less about food and more about their life-style, leaders, and afterlife.

15000-17000 BC Caves of Lascaux in Montignac, France The Cave of Lascaux has paintings which are over ten-thousand-year-old. The paintings are most likely made in the Upper Paleolithic period with the use of minerals to create red, yellow, black, brown, and violet color. The dimension of the cave is 66 feet wide and 16 feet high, and it is first studied by Henri-Édouard-Prosper Breuil, a French archeologist. The paintings consisted of different large animals which moved along in heards and a story of men hunting those animals. Many of the animals are almost life size, and that shows the importance of the sacredness in hunting large animals and how nature can be strong and defeated. #nature  #sacredspaces #stickman #animal #bull #deer #horse #human  #body #hunting #caveman #painting #running #bowandarrow #horns #strength #lifestyle #ancient #France #art #cave #huge #lifesize #defeatable #story #scary #documentary